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HISTORY OF STEUBEN COUNTY, NEW YORK. 



pired, would re-enlist for the war as veteran volunteers, 

 they should receive their bounty and be permitted to re- 

 turn to their homes in a body with a furlough of thirty 

 days. Nearly all (two hundred and forty-five) of the non- 

 commissioned officers and privates of the 86th re-enlisted 

 and returned to Elmira, N. Y., where they were furloughed 

 for thirty days. 



At the expiration of their furlough they joined their bri- 

 gade at Brandy Station. While at Elmira, Capt. L. Todd, 

 of Corning, who had served two years in the 23d New York 

 Volunteers, was commissioned a captain in the 86th, as- 

 }signed to duty as captain of Company B, and returned with 

 the reeriment to the field. Several of the non-commissioned 

 officers were also commissioned, but we are unable to give 

 their names. 



The regiment remained at Brandy Station until May 4, 

 1864, doing the usual picket duty, drilling, and making an 

 occasional demonstration towards the enemy. During the 

 month of April, the old 3d Corps was broken up, and the 

 divisions that Gen. French brought into it after the battle 

 of Gettysburg were assigned to the 6th Corps, and the old 

 3d Corps proper was assigned to the 2d Corps, to be known 

 as Birney's Division of the 2d Corps, retaining and wearing 

 the 3d Corps badge. 



Early in march U. S. Grant was made lieutenant-general, 

 with command of all the armies of the United States, and 

 made his headquarters witli the Army of the Potomac. 

 On the 1st and 2d days of May, 1864, the regiment was 

 inspected, and on the 4th six days' rations and fifty rounds 

 of ammunition were issued to each man, and Gen. George 

 G. Meade's address read to them. At this time the regi- 

 ment numbered three hundred rank and file, some having re- 

 turned from the hospitals. At eleven o'clock p.m. the army 

 moved towards the Rapidan, the 2d Corps crossing on pon- 

 toons at Ely's Ford, and bivouacking near the old battle- 

 field of Chancellorsville, moved at five a.m. on the 5th. 

 Ward's brigade reached Todd's Tavern about nine A.M., 

 when they countermarched towards the Wilderness Tavern. 

 The battle had commenced, and the 86th was soon in the 

 hottest of it, — from about two o'clock p.m. until darkness 

 put a stop to further manoeuvres. The firing was terrible, 

 both from musketry and artillery. The woods were so 

 thick that it was impossible to see the rebel lines. About 

 eight o'clock p.m. both armies ceased firing and lay down to 

 take a few hours' rest. The 86th suffered no loss iii killed, 

 but several were wounded. 



At five o'clock the next morning the army was again in 

 motion, pushing the enemy slowly; but it was hot work, 

 and quite a number of the 86th fell killed or wounded. 

 The rebels continued to give ground until about eleven a.m., 

 when they turned and nearly overwhelmed the entire corps, 

 and sent it flying back towards the rear. This was a fearful 

 time. The men were so demoralized that it was utterly 

 impossible for the officers to rally them, until they reached 

 the rifle-pits that had been constructed during the morning. 

 The corps w^as re-formed behind these works, and rested, 

 cooking cofi'ee, and eating, for the first time that day. 

 About three o'clock p.m. the Confederates advanced again. 

 The 86th were in the front line of works, and were obliged 

 to retire with the rest to the second line. The rebels took 



possession of the first line, but they were soon forced to fall 

 back, leaving their dead and wounded behind them. The 

 2d Corps returned to the first line, and remained there all 

 that night and part of the next day. About daylight on 

 the 8th the 86th got their hard-tack and cofi'ee, and about 

 eight a.m. moved to Todd's Tavern, and there formed in 

 line of battle through the woods. They were attacked 

 by the rebels, but repulsed them without much trouble. 

 On the 9th moved to and crossed the Po River, meeting 

 with but little resistance. On the 10th re-crossed the Po, 

 after a hard day's work. Ward's Brigade was massed in 

 column of regiments, four paces apart, at the base of a 

 thickly-wooded hill, with the 86th on the right. Troops 

 were going into position on the right and left of the bri- 

 gade. After the formation news came to the regimental 

 commanders of the brigade, that they should see personally 

 that every man's gun was uncapped and bayonets fixed in 

 their command, and that at a given signal they should ad- 

 vance, double-quick, with a yell. There were eight regi- 

 ments in the brigade, and the formation was as follows : 

 86th New York Volunteers, 124th New York, 3d Maine, 

 99th Pennsylvania, 141st Pennsylvania, 20th Indiana, 

 110th Pennsylvania, and 40th New York Volunteers; and 

 so close and compact that the field-officers were obliged to 

 take position on the flanks of their commands. At the signal 

 given the brigade started at a rapid pace. The picket line 

 of the rebels was soon reached, they giving warning of the 

 approach. Presently they came to the opening, and such 

 a sight ! In front a massive line of works, while between 

 that and the column the ground was strewn with timber. 

 The cry was forward, and the 86th, moving on amidst shot 

 and shell, reached the work. They had nothing but the bay- 

 onet, and were unable to remain long, as their support could 

 not reach them. The order for retreat was given, and those 

 that remained went to the wood for cover as quickly as pos- 

 sible. The 86th went into that charge more than tw^o hun- 

 dred strong. They left in and around the works of the 

 enemy one hundred and sixteen men, besides several offi- 

 cers, and at roll-call next morning but eighty-four answered 

 to their names. This was the heaviest loss that the regi- 

 ment ever sustained. They now numbered less than a 

 company, for duty, and when paraded the companies num- 

 bered some two rank and file, with possibly one officer. The 

 regiment returned to their position in the lines, remaining 

 there until late in the afternoon of the 11th, when the 2d 

 Corps was moved to the right of the rebel lines, to a place 

 known as the Brown House. The strictest silence was 

 ordered. Arrived there about two o'clock a.m. ; formed in 

 two lines, the 86th being in the first ; the command was al- 

 lowed to rest without breaking their formation. At about 

 five o'clock A.M. the order to advance was given in a low 

 tone. The line sprang forward, and moved as quickly as 

 the nature of the ground would admit. They soon struck 

 the rebel pickets, who fired and fled, and were pursued so 

 closely that many were captured before they could reach the 

 works. The storming column went over the works, cap- 

 turing Gen. Johnson, and nearly his whole division, with 

 all their artillery. The rebels made several attempts to 

 retake the works, but failed, with heavy loss. The fighting 

 here was ter^^ible all the 12th and a part of the 13th, and 



