Back to the Brady's Michigan Sharpshooters Home
Page Excerpts from the Official Records of the
Civil War and Dyer's Compendium
BRADY'S
INDEPENDENT COMPANY SHARPSHOOTERS.
Organized at Detroit, Mich., February 3, 1862.
Attached to 16th Michigan Infantry.
MAY 27-29, 1862.-- Operations about Hanover
Court-House, Va., including engagements at Slash Church and Kinney's Farm, May
27, 1862.
Michigan
Sharpshooters, Brady's company. No loss reported.
PENINSULAR
CAMPAIGN--SEVEN DAYS' BATTLES
No. 2.-- Organization of Troops and Return of
Casualties in the Army of the Potomac during the operations before Richmond,
Va., June 25-July 2, 1862.
Organization of Troops and Return of
Casualties in the Army of the Potomac during the operations before Richmond,
Va., June 25--July 2, 1862, inclusive--Continued.
Brady's company
Michigan Sharpshooters. Killed
Officers
Men 1
Wounded
Officers
Men 6
Missing/Captured
Officers
Men 2
Return of Casualties in the Union forces
engaged at the battle of Mechanicsville, Va., June 26, 1862.(*)
[Compiled from nominal lists of
casualties, returns, &c.]
Brady's company
Michigan Sharpshooters No loss reported.
Return of Casualties in the Union forces
at the battle of Gaines' Mill, Va., June 27, 1862.(*)
Brady's company,
Michigan Sharpshooters. Killed
Officers
Men 1
Wounded
Officers
Men 3
Missing/Captured
Officers
Men 2
DECEMBER 11-15, 1862.--Battle of Fredericksburg, Va.
No. 4.--Return of casualties in the Union forces
commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside, U.S. Army, at the battle of
Fredericksburg, Va., December 11-15, 1862.
Michigan
Sharpshooters, Brady's company . Killed
Officers
Men
Wounded
Officers
Men 2
Missing/Captured
Officers
Men
APRIL 27-MAY 6, 1863.--The Chancellorsville Campaign.
No. 4.--Returns of Casualties in the Union forces
during the Chancellorsville Campaign.
Michigan
Sharpshooters, Brady's company Killed
Officers
Men 1
Wounded
Officers
Men
Missing/Captured
Officers
Men
Dyer's Compendium, Pt. 1
(Campaigns etc.)
Eastern Departments and Armies
16th Mich.
Infy
(Brady's S.S.
Att.)
May, 1862 From
3-Brig. 1-Div. 3-Corps Pot No
change to Muster Out June, 1865
PENINSULAR
CAMPAIGN--SEVEN DAYS' BATTLES
No. 130. -- Reports of Lieut. Col. John V. Ruehle,
Sixteenth Michigan Infantry, of the battle of Gaines' Mill, engagement at
Turkey Bridge, and battle of Malvern Hill.
HEADQUARTERS
SIXTEENTH MICHIGAN INFANTRY,
Harrison's Landing,
James River, Va., July 6, 1862.
CAPTAIN: In recounting the history of the
regiment on the 30th of June and 1st of July I shall go back no farther than
the afternoon of the first-mentioned day. We were in camp, selected that
morning, just beyond what is known as the Malvern estate, when orders came to
move back over the road we came to that place. This we did about 4 o'clock in
the afternoon, taking our position in rear of a battery, with orders to support
it. We were in column doubled on the center just below the summit of the hill
when General Butterfield led us to the crest, and the battalion was deployed
under a severe fire from the enemy's rifled pieces, the arms stacked, and the
men ordered to lie down. We remained in this position a quarter of an hour or
more, when, the enemy's firing growing less, we were again placed in double
column at half distance, about-faced, and marched to the rear farther down the
hill. Directly afterward we changed direction by the right flank and marched
farther out on the road in rear of the Eighty-third Pennsylvania Volunteers as
their support. In this position we remained all night and until a portion of
the forenoon of the next day had gone by.
The enemy's artillery opening upon our right,
the regiment was ordered toward a belt of woods that skirted the field upon the
east, upon which we lay and through which a small stream ran. On the other side
of which woods, about 200 yards distant, was a good road, running nearly
parallel with the stream. We were deployed on the left of the Forty-fourth New
York Volunteers, and threw a platoon of our rifle company, Brady's Sharpshooters, Captain Dygert, out as
skirmishers through the woods to cover our front. In this position we remained
until about 2 o'clock p.m., when we again moved to the left up to the road in
double column, with orders to support the Eighty-third Pennsylvania Volunteers,
who were 150 yards in advance. The country here was quite undulating, which
would seem to protect our men from the enemy's artillery fire, but the
cross-fire from their guns was exceedingly severe, and some of our men were
killed and wounded by solid shot and shell.
Toward 6 o'clock p.m. we were ordered to advance
to the brow of a hill 500 yards in advance, to the support of a battery just on
the left of the road. This was done under a bitter fire of shell and spherical
case-shot, wounding several men. As we advanced up the slope of the hill in
line of battle the left of the battalion passed over two companies of the
Twenty-second Massachusetts Volunteers, who were lying down 200 yards in rear
of the caissons. We advanced until the line was halted between the guns and
caissons, breaking file to the rear for ammunition to pass through, where we
remained until the battery was out of ammunition, perhaps three-quarters of an
hour, when they limbered up and withdrew, and we opened fire. Some of the men
helped to carry ammunition, and two of our men took the places of wounded
artillerymen on the second section of the battery, and did good service until
they were no longer needed. The battery we supported was Wolcott's Maryland
battery. Our men and officers received high praise from the officers of the
battery for the manner in which they were sustained under a galling fire of
musketry. Another battery, under Colonel Hunt, I believe, coming to take the
place of the one withdrawn, we ceased firing, after having fired about 40
rounds, and moved by the right flank to the rear.
Meanwhile the Twenty-second Massachusetts
Volunteers had moved to the front on the left of the line parallel with the one
we had just fallen back from and
opened fire. The battery that had just taken its place was supported by the
First Michigan Volunteers. The enemy's firing had by this time nearly ceased or
was only fitfully continued, and directly stopped altogether. Our musketry and
artillery played for half an hour later. It was now 9 o'clock p.m. and after.
We received orders from General Porter to remain on the field and support a
battery that was stationed on the right of the road, and cover our front with a
line of pickets connecting with those on our right, General Sickles' brigade,
and those on our left, the First Michigan. Company A, Captain Barry, was
detailed for this service.
At about I o'clock a.m., by the order of General
Couch, our picket line was withdrawn, and the regiment moved back and joined
the brigade, which was found on the field of June 30 on its line of march to
the rear. Our loss in killed was 2; in wounded, 37; missing, 3. During the
whole of both days General Butterfield was ever among us, cheering the men and
inciting them to deeds of bravery by his coolness and valorous daring. We all
love him, and only hope that we may be able to follow him. Captains Brockway,
Elliott, and Martin; Lieutenants Prentiss, Fuller, Brown, and Hill;
Sergeant-Major Kydd and Sergeant Chittuck, of Company B; Cook, of Company A,
and Jewett, of K, all displayed true courage and the right spirit in the right
place. They are particularly worthy of notice.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
J. V. RUEHLE,
Lieutenant Colonel, Commanding Regiment.
Capt.
THOMAS J. HOYT,
Assistant
Adjutant-General.
Dyer's Compendium, Pt. 2
(Campaigns etc.)
Battles, Campaigns, Etc., in Maryland
1962
April
5-May 4 Siege of Yorktown
May
27 Engagement,
Hanover Court House, Slash Church or Kinney's Farm
May
27-29 Operations about Hanover Court House
June
25-July 1 Battles of the
Seven Days' Retreat from before Richmond
June
26 Battle
of Mechanicsville, Beaver Dam Creek, or Ellison's Mills
June
27 Battle
of Gaines Mill, Cold Harbor, Chickahominy
July
1 Battle
of Malvern Hill, Crew's Farm, or Poindexter's Farm
Aug.
30 Battle
of Bull Run, Manassas, Groveton Heights
Sept.
16-17 Battle of Antietam, Sharpsburg
Dec.
12-15 Battle of Fredericksburg
1863
April
27-May 6 Campaign of Chancellorsville
May
1-5 Battle
of Chancellorsville
July
1-3 Battle
of Gettysburg
Nov. 7 Engagement,
Rappahannock Station
Nov. 26-Dec. 2. Campaign, Mine
Run. Actions at Locust Grove, Payne's Farm, Orange C. H. or Orange Grove.
Robertson's Tavern and New Hope Church
1864
May 4-June 12. Campaign
from the Rapidan River to the James River
May 5-7 Battle
of the Wilderness
May 8 Combat,
Laurel Hill
May 8-21 Battles
of Spottsylvania C. H., Laurel Hill, Ny River, Fredericksburg Road
May
12 Assault
on the Salient at Spottsylvania C. H.
May
22-26 Operations on line of the North Anna River, and engagements
May
25 Engagement,
Jericho Bridge or Ford or Mills
May
26-28 Operations on line of the Pamunkey River
May
28-31 Operations and engagements on line of the Totopotomoy River
June
1-12. Battles about Cold Harbor
June
16, 1864 to Siege operations against Petersburg and Richmond
April
2, 1865
Aug. 18-21 Battle of Weldon R. R., Globe Tavern or
Yellow House and Blick's Station or Six Mile House
Sept. 29-Oct. 2 Battle
of Poplar Springs Church, Peeble's Farm, Pegram's Farm, Chappell House and
Laurel Hill
Oct.
27-28 Engagement, Boydton Plank Road or Hatcher's Run