Union monuments at Gettysburg > New York > Infantry > 63rd New York Infantry
No. 84. — Report of Capt. Thomas Touhy, 63rd New York Infantry.
HDQRS. SIXTY-THIRD BATTALION NEW YORK VOLS.,
August 2, 1863.
LIEUTENANT:
I have the honor to most respectfully make the following report of the part the Sixty-third Battalion New York Volunteers took in the battle of Gettysburg, July 2:
For more effective duty in action, the Sixty-third was consolidated with the Sixty-ninth and Eighty-eighth Battalions New York Volunteers. The three battalions, composed of two companies each, were commanded by Lieut. Col. R. C. Bentley, of the Sixty-third, forming a part of the Second Brigade, First Division, Second Corps, and were with the division when it advanced to the front line on the morning of July 2, where we lay in line of battle until about 4 p.m., and were then ordered to advance with the brigade into the woods on the left of our position, where we engaged the enemy’s infantry and fought them over an hour, driving them a distance of over three-quarters of a mile, and capturing many prisoners, among whom were some officers. The battalion was armed with smooth-bore Springfield muskets, caliber .69, and each man before going into action was provided with 60 rounds of buck-and-ball cartridges, caliber .69. Our aggregate strength was 75 men, out of which we lost the following:
| Officers and men |
Killed |
Wounded |
Prisoners |
Missing |
Total |
| Commissioned officers |
|
1 |
1 |
|
2 |
| Enlisted men |
6 |
9 |
7 |
|
22 |
| Total |
6 |
10 |
7 |
1 |
24 |
Among the wounded was Lieut. Col. R. C. Bentley, who was struck in the left leg with a piece of shell. Second Lieut. Dominick I. Connally was taken prisoner, and is now at Richmond, Va.
I take pleasure in stating that both officers and men behaved in the most creditable manner, showing great coolness and bravery while under fire.
The battalion after being relieved returned to the position they at first occupied, threw up breastworks, and were under heavy fire from the enemy’s batteries all the succeeding day (July 3), having 1 man wounded by explosion of a shell.
All of which is most respectfully submitted.
THOMAS TOUHY,
Captain Company A, Commanding Battalion.
Lieut. W. S. BAILEY,
Acting Assistant Adjutant-General, Second Brigade.
from Official Records, Series 1, Volume 27, Part 1