Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 06.djvu/88

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The official reports of the campaigns of 1864-'5 were not published by the Confederate authorities, and few of them have ever been in print in any form. We have been endeavoring to collect full sets of these reports for all of our armies, and shall publish from time to time such as we shall be able to secure. We earnestly ask that any one having reports of these campaigns will forward them without delay to this office. The following reports of the battle of the Wilderness have never been in print, so far as we are aware:

1em

Colonel—On the 11th of April, 1864, I received orders at Bristol from the Adjutant and Inspector-General to report with the original portion of the First corps (Kershaw's and Field's divisions and Alexander's battalion of artillery) to General R. E. Lee, commanding Army of Northern Virginia. On the 14th I reached Charlottesville, and awaited there the arrival of my troops, which were somewhat delayed by want of transportation on railroad. As the troops, arrived they were encamped at points between Charlottesville and Gordonsville.

On the 22d, in obedience to orders received from the Commanding-General, I marched my command to Mechanicsville, and encamped in the near neighborhood thereof.

On the 2d Field's division was moved to the north of Gordonsville, to meet an expected advance of a portion of the enemy by way of Liberty mills. On the 4th was advised by the Commanding-General that the enemy appeared to be moving towards Stevensburg, and, as directed by him, started about four (4) o'clock in the afternoon and marched to Brock's bridge, on the border of Orange county, a distance of about sixteen (16) miles.

Early on the morning of the 5th resumed my march on the and Catharpin roads to Richard's shop, on Catharpin road. During the latter part of this day's march, Rosser was skirmishing in my front, with his brigade of cavalry. At 12.30 A. M. on the 6th started for Parker's store, on the Plank road, in obedience to orders received from the Commanding-General, who also informed me that Generals Hill and Ewell had been heavily engaged the previous day. Arriving at Parker's store about dawn, I was directed to move my column down the Plank road to relieve the divisions of Heth and Wilcox, which were in position in face of the enemy on the right and left of the Plank road, at right angles with it and about three miles below Parker's store. Kershaw's division was in