No. 21.
Report of Maj. Davis Tillson, Chief of Artillery, Second Division.
Hdqrs 2d Div., 3d Army Corps, Army of Virginia,
Near Cedar Mountain, Va., August 14, 1862.
Captain: In compliance with orders from these headquarters, calling for reports as to the part taken by the different commands during the late engagement with the enemy, I have the honor to make the following statement of the operations of the field batteries of this division:
Immediately upon their arrival near the scene of action, just in rear of the woods through which General Banks’ army was retiring, by direction of General Ricketts the Fifth Maine Battery, Captain Leppien, and Battery F, First Pennsylvania, Captain Matthews, were placed near the residence of Mrs. Brown, taking positions to command the right and front, and supported by General Tower’s brigade.
The Second Maine Battery, Captain Hall, was placed on the right of the road leading through the woods to the rear, covering the interval between General Carroll’s and General Duryea’s brigades.
The Second Maryland Battery,* Captain Thompson, was to have been posted on the left of General Hartsuff’s brigade, but before it arrived there one of the enemy’s batteries, that from behind the woods had been shelling the division while it was getting into position, stealthily emerged from the woods along the road over which General Banks’ column had just passed to the rear, and covered by the darkness of the evening and the shadow of the woods, took up a position immediately in front of our forces, whose first intimation of their presence was the opening upon them by the enemy of a most galling fire of canister and case shot.
Captain Hall, whose position was fortunately well chosen, immediately brought his guns to bear, and opened fire upon the enemy. Captain Thompson quickly placed his guns in battery on Captain Hall’s left, and both batteries poured in upon the enemy a fire that for precision and rapidity could not have been surpassed.
Within fifteen minutes the enemy’s battery was completely silenced, disabled, and driven from the field. The next morning 2 lieutenants of artillery were found dead on the spot occupied the evening before by the enemy’s battery, with abundant evidence that they had suffered terribly in killed and wounded. Eleven dead horses were piled up within a few rods’ square, and 8 more were found dead along the road upon which the enemy retreated, together with a disabled caisson.
During an interview held under a flag of truce Major-General Stuart, of the Confederate Army, informed General Bayard that the first discharge of our battery on the right (Captain Hall’s) killed the rebel General Winder.
Only 2 men were wounded in our batteries, Corpl. Cyrus T. Barker and Private William J. Collamore, both slightly. The former, after being wounded, refused to go to the rear, but assisted in working his gun until the close of the action.
The vigorous and well-directed fire from Captain Hall’s and Thompson’s batteries discouraged the enemy and drove him back in confusion, ending the contest.
The steadiness and cool courage of the officers and men of the batteries in taking up their position while being shelled by the enemy are worthy of the highest commendation. Very few, if any of them, had been under fire before, yet they bore themselves with the steadiness of veterans.
I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
DAVIS TILLSON,
Major and Chief of Artillery, Third Army Corps.
Capt. John W. Williams,
Assistant Adjutant-General, Ricketts’ Division.
*More properly Battery C, Pennsylvania Light Artillery.