Following are the official reports as published in The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Series I, Volume 5. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1881. (Available in the UWRF Archives, E 464 .U6.)
[page 217]
September 28, 1861.—Affair near Vanderburgh’s house, Munson’s Hill, Virginia.
REPORTS.
No. 1—Col. Edward D. Baker, Seventy-first Pennsylvania Infantry.
No. 2—Col. Dennis O’Kane, Sixty-ninth Pennsylvania Infantry.
No. 3—Col. Isaac J. Wistar, Seventy-first Pennsylvania Infantry.
No. 1.
Report of Col. Edward D. Baker., Seventy-first Pennsylvania Infantry.
HEADQUARTERS BAKER’S BRIGADE,
Near Monocacy, October 6, 1861
GENERAL: I have the honor to inclose [sic] the reports of the officers commanding two regiments in the brigade under my command. It is only necessary for the commanding general to peruse them to be satisfied that the casualties which occurred on the night of the 28th ultimo were inevitable results of causes over which the troops themselves had no control. The circumstances were peculiarly trying, and the confusion, though great, did not impair the courage or steadiness of most of the officers and men.
As the California regiment was most exposed, I deem it proper to speak in terms of high commendation of Lieutenant-Colonel Wistar, commanding, who evinced peculiar coolness and intrepidity.
The command is under great obligations to Captain Harvey, assistant adjutant-general of the brigade, for his excellent conduct on the occasion, and the adjutant of the California regiment, Lieutenant Newlin, deserves the praise bestowed on him by his commanding officer.
The field officers of the other regiments of the brigade also evinced high personal bravery, and I have no reason to doubt, from the conduct of officers and men generally, that the losses they sustained are not to be attributed to any want of soldierly qualities, and will in nowise diminish their confidence either in their officers or themselves. Having been absent on duty at the time the events in question took place, I form these opinions after a careful examination, and am confident of their general correctness.
I have the honor to be, general, respectfully you obedient servant,
E. D. Baker,
Colonel, Commanding Brigade.
THE ADJUTANT-GENERAL, Army of Potomac, Washington.
[page 218]
No.2.
Report of Lieut. Col. Dennis O’ Kane, Sixty-ninth Pennsylvania Infantry.
HEADQUARTERS SECOND REGIMENT, BAKER’S BRIGADE,
Camp Advance, Va., September 29, 1861.
SIR: On Saturday morning, the 28th instant, the Second Regiment received orders to prepare two day’s cooked provisions, and to strike tents and be in line with the First and Third Regiments of the brigade by 8 o’clock a.m. of the 29th instant, to march to Poolesville, which order was being promptly carried out.
Tattoo was beat at the usual hour on the evening of the 28th, and the regiment had retired to rest, when at 11.15 o’clock General Smith rode up to the quarters of the lieutenant-colonel replied he had received no orders to that effect, but that the regiment had been ordered to form at 8 o’clock next morning to march to Poolesville, at which General Smith expressed surprise that the regiment had received no orders to form in line that evening, and ordered it to be done at once, ammunition issued, and the regiment marched along the road through camp and over the hill by Fort Baker, and that the direction to be taken would be pointed out by pickets as regiments passed. These were all the instructions received, no orders in writing having been issued to the regiment. The line was immediately formed, ammunition issued, and the regiment put in motion before 12 o’clock.
The officers were in entire ignorance of the purpose or direction of the movement. After marching about an hour, firing was heard in the front of the column, which has been attributed to the pickets firing upon the line, and by which several lives were lost. The regiment moved steadily on, and in about thirty minutes was brought to a halt and was resting in line, when three dragoons rode rapidly along, and when about the center of the regiment one of them fired his revolver, exclaiming, “Take care, boys; here they come.” Simultaneously a number of skirmishers suddenly appeared from the adjoining woods on the road, when some of our men, supposing the secessionists were on them, discharged their pieces, which led to a general alarm and firing along the line, which unfortunately resulted in the death of Sergeant Gillan, of Company B, and the wounding of 2 more of this regiment. Order was promptly restored, the line reformed, and no further casualties occurred during the night. The regiment was then marched a short distance and formed in line of battle on the outskirts of a wood flanking the road, where they remained in good order until about 11 o’clock a. m., when they were ordered to march back to camp. The above report is respectfully submitted.
Dennis O’ Kane,
Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding.
Capt. FRED’K HARVEY, A.A.G., U. S. Army, Hdqrs. Baker’s Brigade.
No. 3.
Report of Lieut. Col. Isaac J. Wistar, Seventy-first Pennsylvania Infantry.
HEADQUARTERS CALIFORNIA REGIMENT,
Camp Advance, Va., September 29, 1861
COLONEL: In compliance with orders received last evening from General Smith, during your absence, I marched with my regiment about 9.30 [page 219] p.m., arriving opposite Vanderburgh’s house about 11 p. m. Here I was detained about two hours by the necessity of clearing away a number of trees felled across the road. During the interval I took the head of the column, as directed by General Smith, with the first battalion of my regiment, consisting of nine companies. I was followed by a battery of four guns, and then by my second battalion of seven companies, under Major Parrish.
My instructions from General Smith were to proceed without advance guard or flankers until I should pass Colonel Burnham, who with his regiment was near the next cross-roads, and after passing him, he being the most advanced of our forces, to throw out three companies deployed as skirmishers across the road, and follow them with the column at a distance of, say, 150 yards, connecting the head of the column with the center of the skirmishers by a file of men at intervals of 10 paces. This had just been accomplished, when General Smith himself, with his staff, overtook me, and the whole was immediately put in motion. After proceeding a short distance I was surprised to find a picked guard of a New York regiment, having supposed we had passed all of our own outposts. At the first turn to the right, which occurred within a quarter of a mile after the deployment of my skirmishers, they began to come in collision with picket guards, who said they belonged to the Fourth Michigan. The road at this point was lined with thick woods on both sides. At the turn of the road was stationed in the road a picket of, say, 6 men, and the head of the column had not progressed more than 50 yards past the latter, the skirmishers being ahead and on both flanks entangled among the pickets in the woods on the left, when a regular volley was fired into the second and third companies of my line from immediately behind the fence which lined the woods on my left. The head of the column having now passed the woods on our right, the latter was replaced by open fields, exposing us to the light of the rising moon, while the woods on our left, whence an invisible enemy continued to pour his fire, was in deep shade.
Considerable confusion took place in the column thus suddenly attacked. Nothing was visible in the woods but the flashes of their guns; but, convinced the firing was the mistake of friends, I rode between my men, who had instantly faced towards the woods whence the firing proceeded, vainly calling upon all parties to cease firing. At this moment my horse was shot and rendered nearly unmanageable, and notwithstanding my exertions, firing commenced among my own men, who could bear it no longer, and continued perhaps for two minutes, when the party in the woods retired. I now ordered my killed and wounded to be carried to the rear and dressed my line, and was endeavoring to reassure all parties, when the parties in the woods, having returned suddenly, threw in another volley from not less that forty pieces, as I should judge, which my men instantly returned without orders, the distance being the width of the road—say 6 yards. This time the firing extended nearly as far back in the road as the rear of my first battalion, producing a panic among the artillery horses, who turned and dashed off to the rear, breaking loose from the guns, and producing great confusion in my second battalion by rushing over them at full speed. A number were shot, and the remainder turned off the road, which soon restored order.
After sending my killed and wounded to the rear, I put my command in the woods which concealed the firing party, whoever they may have been, thoroughly scoured and took possession of it, and with the valuable aid of Adjutant Newlin drew up in line of battle along its front to hold the road, at the same time stationing my second battalion, under [page 220] command of Major Parrish, who was of very great assistance during the whole night and whose perfect coolness during such a general confusion was very gratifying, in the woods at the right so as to cross fires with the battalion on the road in front, and then, after rallying my skirmishers and distributing them as pickets all around our front, reported these dispositions to General Smith, who was pleased to approve them. On the following afternoon, at 4 p. m., I left the position by General Smith’s order, and marched back to this camp, where I arrived, without further incident, at dark.
My whole loss was 4 killed and 14 wounded, as appears by the surgeon’s report, a copy of which, marked A, is herewith returned.*
I have the honor to be, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
ISAAC J. WISTAR,
Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding California Regiment.
Col. E. D. Baker, Commanding Brigade.
* Not found.
The Civil War and Northwest Wisconsin 