4 MAY 1864	On 4 May our regiment broke camp and marched by the Orange Court House and Fredericksburg plank road, reaching Vidiersville, near which it rested for the night. On the 5th it continued to march in the direction of Fredericksburg, and early in the afternoon reached a point at which the plank road is intersected by what is known as the Brock road; and here General Hill, finding the enemy in his front, formed his line of battle extending across the Plank road. About this time the Fifty-second Regiment was ordered to retrace its steps for the purpose of protecting our wagon train, which was reported to be threatened by the enemy's cavalry. Accordingly, we proceeded to execute this command, and, having gone as far as Parker's store, about four miles to the rear, were informed that its services were not required. Immediately it faced about and returned to join its brigade. In the meantime the battle had begun, and as we approached the lines we were met by great numbers of our men wounded and seeking the rear for shelter and relief. These men were wounded in every conceivable manner -- some slightly, others severely and not a few mortally. Nothing daunted by this spectacle, the gallant old Fifty-second moved rapidly forward and took its position in the brigade, and at once became hotly engaged. The ground over which we were fighting was covered with dense undergrowth, and the enemy could scarcely be seen, in many places, one hundred yards in our front. From the time we joined the brigade, which must have been about 5 o'clock in the afternoon, until nightfall there was one continuous roll of musketry, when night coming on put a stop to the battle for this day. The regiment spent the night upon the ground on which it had ceased to fight in the evening, and the exhausted men sought what rest they could.
	From the nature of the ground over which the battle had raged, our lines had become very much disarranged, and in many places there was no connection with our troops to the right or left. Longstreet, it was known, was marching to relieve Hill's Corps, and was expected to be up by 12 o'clock that night. Possibly for this reason the inexcusable blunder of not re-establishing our lines during the night of the 5th was made.
6 MAY 1864	Longstreet was delayed and did not reach us at the expected time, and sunrise of the 6th found us fighting under these great disadvantages. The enemy having penetrated our lines at one of these gaps, opened fire upon the Fifty-second Regiment from the rear. Finding we were flanked we began to fall back, fighting as we retreated. By this time the whole line to the right of the plank road was being forced back and the safety of the army for a time was greatly endangered. Longstreet with his gallant men reached the field about this time; rapidly forming his line, he met the advancing lines of the enemy, checked them, and in a few moments was rapidly driving them back upon their own lines, and thus re-establishing those of General Hill.
@--}--}-- Previous Page	@--}--}-- SPOTTSYLVANIA TO PETERSBURG Next Page --->