CHAPTER VIII.
1862.
Battle of Chancellorsville—March to Leesburg, Littletown, and Gettysburg.
The morning of May 1st dawned upon a scene of bustle
and active preparation for the bloody work which was
to follow. Troops had been arriving during the entire
night from the direction of the United States ford, and
the light of early morning revealed an almost solid mass
of blue-coated soldiers filling the open fields and woods
in the vicinity of the Chancellor house. They were
mainly from the Fifth, Eleventh, and Twelfth corps. At
about 8 o'clock A. M. the Twenty-ninth, with its brigade
and division, made a reconnoissance in force, and after
marching about one-half mile the division formed in
line of battle, and in this position was moved about the
field until afternoon, when the lines were generally
moved to the east through the timber, the right resting
on the road. Moving perhaps half a mile we found
the enemy in strong force, his artillery masked in
the road. During this time some skirmishing and
artillery firing was indulged in, and several of the
Twenty-ninth were wounded. Late in the afternoon we
moved to the rear under a heavy fire from the rebel
artillery. Reaching the place we had left in the morning
we set to work throwing up breastworks. The rebels
advanced and our skirmishers kept up a rattling fire
all night, while the regiment worked like beavers preparing
the works for the coming conflict. The Second
