“was left behind”

Martindale’s Division, including the 148th, attacked on June 15

As part of General William F. Smith’s 18th corps, New York’s 148th Infantry took part of the first assault on Petersburg on June 15, 1864. The rebels captured a squad from the regiment acting as sharp-shooters.

Here’s the second extract from Chaplain Ferris Scott’s correspondence published in a Seneca County, New York newspaper in 1864:

NEAR PETERSBURG, Va.,
Friday, P.M., June 17th, 1864:

My Dear Brother: – We have been in this vicinity nearly three days. We left our position at Cole [sic] Harbor, near Gaines’ Mills, last Sunday. Marched to White-House landing, laid there waiting for transportation till Monday night, then shipped on transports, took the back track down the Pamunkey, York, and up the James, to our old place, Bermuda Hundred. We landed there Tuesday night, and marched by moonlight to the banks of the Appomattox, near Point of Rocks. Slept in an open field till Wednesday morning. Then crossed on a pontoon bridge, and pushed out for Petersburg. We met the enemy in position for battle about ten A.M. We at once pitched in and drove them over two miles and to within sight of the city. Darkness came on, and closed the fight, the gain being all on one side. The loss in our Regiment was four killed and some sixteen wounded, most of them slightly.

Martindale on Baldy’s right

But the saddest part of the tale for Seneca Falls remains yet to be told. Lieut. Cort. Van Rensselaer, as brave and fine an officer as we have in the Regiment, had the misfortune of being captured by the Rebs, together with some 25 or 30 of his Company. He and those captured with him were on the extreme right of the Regiment and had taken possession of a house as a shelter from which to act as sharp-shooters. While in the house the Regiment was ordered to fall back He did not get the order, and was left behind; and before he was aware of it, the Rebs surrounded the house and took the whole squad prisoners. I haven’t been able to obtain an accurate list of those taken yet, but will in a day or two, and will send [it] on.

Sergt. Hoster, John Hudson, and in fact the majority of good fighting men in the Co., are gone to Richmond. The only ones who escaped were those who had been sent to rear for ammunition, water, &c., &c., and who were not in the fight at the time. We took during the day, between 700 and 800 Rebs, 13 cannon, two forts, and small arms to match. We have not lost many since Wednesday – one or two slight wounds have been all. To-day has been quiet, so far, but I am expecting the fight to begin at any moment. I write in great haste, as I want to go and see the Regiment before sunset.

Yours, truly, FERRIS.

Mathew Brady posed here (“Outer line of Confederate fortifications, in front of Petersburg, Va. captured by 18th Army Corps, June 15, 1864”)

Hal Jespersen’s map of Petersburg June 15-18 is licensed by Creative Commons