Union monuments at Gettysburg > Ohio > 61st Ohio Infantry Regiment
No. 258. — Report of Lieut. Col. W. H. H. Bown, 61st Ohio .
NEAR WARRENTON JUNCTION, VA.,
August 21, 1863.
GENERAL:
I have the honor to submit to you, in accordance with orders this day received, a detailed report of the operations of the Sixty-first Ohio Volunteers, from June 28 to July 25 ultimo, the time of the arrival of the at Warrenton Junction, Va., viz:
June 28.–Remained in camp, near Middletown, Md., until about 4 p.m., when we marched to Frederick City, Md.; weather rainy during the night.
June 29.–Marched from Frederick City to Emmitsburg; weather rainy.
June 30.–Remained in camp at Emmitsburg all day; weather rainy.
July 1.–Still in camp at Emmitsburg. At about 8 a.m. Lieutenant-Colonel Bown was sent to Mechanicstown with 4 commissioned officers and 100 enlisted men. At 9 a.m. the marched from Emmitsburg, and arrived at Gettysburg, Pa., at about 1.30 p.m. The First Corps was already engaging the enemy when we arrived at the town. Having the honor to be the advance of the Third Division, we were ordered on the double-quick through the town and into the open fields. As soon as we arrived on the field, were ordered to deploy as skirmishers. We were no sooner deployed than we engaged the enemy. After a severe skirmish of about half an hour, we drove them from the open field into the woods. We remained in this position nearly all the afternoon, covering a section of Captain Dilger’s battery, which he had posted near the line of our skirmishers. Late in the afternoon, the enemy’s massed column could be seen emerging from the woods in overwhelming numbers, and being so inferior in numbers compared to the enemy, we were ordered to fall back to the cemetery, upon the south of Gettysburg.
July 2.–Still in position behind the breastworks; very heavy skirmishing in our front. The expedition sent to Mechanicstown returned this morning at 8 o’clock; very heavy cannonading and skirmishing in our front all day.
At 1 p.m. 3 commissioned officers and 50 enlisted men were sent on picket, and 3 commissioned officers and 50 enlisted men were sent to support Captain Dilger’s battery, leaving for duty about 90 enlisted men in the line of the . In the evening, the Sixty-first Ohio and One hundred and fifty-seventh New York Volunteers, under command of Colonel McGroarty, were sent to support the Twelfth Corps. Owing to some mistake, we were ordered to our old position behind the breastworks, after having been severely repulsed by the enemy.
July 3.–Still in our old position.
July 4.–Still in our old position, with rain.
July 5.–Still in our old position behind the breastworks: marched at 6 p.m., and halted in the woods at 12 midnight.
July 6.–Marched to Emmitsburg, and encamped for the night.
July 7–Marched from Emmitsburg to Middletown. Md.
July 8.–Marched to Boonsborough, Md.
July 9.–In camp at Boonsborough, Md.
July 10.–Marched to Funkstown, Md.
July 11.–In camp at Funkstown, Md.
July 12.–Marched to Hagerstown, Md.
July 13.–Still at Hagerstown, Md.
July 14.–Marched to Williamsport, Md.
July 15.–Marched to Middletown, Md.
July 16.–Marched to Berlin, Md.
July 17 and 18.–In camp at Berlin, Md.
July 19.–Marched this morning, crossing the Potomac River, to near Leesburg, Va.
July 20.–Marched to near Middleburg, Va.
July 21 and 22.–Still in camp near Middleburg, Va.
July 23.–Marched to New Baltimore, Va.
July 24.–Still in camp at New Baltimore, Va.
July 25.–Marched to Warrenton Junction, and encamped.
Yours, respectfully,
W. H. H. BOWN,
Lieut. Cot., Comdg. Sixty-first Ohio Vol. .
Brig. Gen. HECTOR TYNDALE,
Commanding First Brigade, Third Division.
from OFFICIAL RECORDS: Series 1, vol 27, Part 1