December 1862

Crossing the river
The First Brigade marched from bivouac on morning of 13th: the 91st PA had 23 officers and 401 men. The Fifth Corps was ordered to cross the river about 2 pm. They crossed on the pontoon bridges opposite Frederickburg, with Humphreys' Division [which included the 91st PA] in the center. The division, which was massed near Phillips house, received orders at 2.30 to cross river and enter Frederickburg. The regiment crossed the pontoon bridge about 12 am [sic; I suspect this should be pm, but perhaps the regiment crossed before the rest of the corps]. It proceeded to stores in middle of city, and deposited knapsacks and surplus baggage there.

Moving to the front
About 3 pm Humphreys' division moved to the junction of Hanover Street and the Orange turnpike. It formed on the left of the Culpeper Road by brigade front, and in a short time occupied three different positions. The first position of the brigade was right of Plank Road; it was subject to enfilading fire from batteries on crest of hill.

(First position?) The regiment initially marched to the rear of city. About 3.30, it and the brigade moved to the battle field, along one of the main roads leading to the rear of the city. They crossed a canal or creek and took up position on left of road, where they halted briefly. This may be where they supported a battery of the Second Corps, just outside the town, behind the stone enclosure of a graveyard.

(Second position?) The regiment then moved at the double-quick to the right of the Frederickburg road, beneath a hill, with its right resting on a meadow, near a tan-yard. The Confederates moved a gun to enfilade the 91st's lines. There Lieutenant George Murphy and three (or six) others were killed, and Major Todd was mortally wounded; his right leg was shattered.

(Third position?) The regiment moved immediately to its former position, on left of road.

Preparing for the charge
Humphreys' division was ordered to attack the Confederate line on the heights, which was behind a stone wall, near the foot of a crest, covered with batteries, which covered the approach with a severe cross fire. Since it could not be taken by firing, they were ordered to attack with bayonets. Humphreys' division attacked to the left of Sykes'. When the division was ordered to support Major-General Couch on the left of the Telegraph Road [i.e., to attack the heights], Allabach's Second Brigade was sent, and the First Brigade (Tyler's, including the 91st PA) was ordered to follow and form on the right of the Second Brigade. Tyler was then ordered to come to the left of the road in the ravine, and support or take the place of Allabach's brigade. Allabach's charge (with bayonets, not firing) failed. Humphreys and Tyler then formed Tyler's brigade, after Humphreys stopped a battery firing, which would have made it impossible for Tyler to advance. Humphreys ordered his troops not to fire, and to ignore the men they would be passing over. Formation of the brigade line prior to the charge was delayed by limbers' constantly passing to rear and front, and by deep mud.

Humphreys and Tyler led the charge, which started about sunset. (They were ordered to charge at 5 pm.) The regiment's position was to the left of the 126th PA, in the rear of 129th PA. They moved forward as well as possible in the mud until they reached troops lying on the ground in front of the brick house and along the slight elevation to its right and left. The officers ordered the brigade to halt, and the men tried to convince the troops not to continue. The brigade marched over them, but was forced to form a column, partly, instead of a line. When they were close to the wall (about 80 yards away), about 30 or 40 yards past the brick house, they were fired on from the rear, and after giving the Confederates several volleys the brigade fell back.

Col. Gregory received a slight wound in his hand, and his horse was killed, pierced by five balls. The 91st lost 2 officers and 87 enlisted men in this charge.

The aftermath
After Humphreys' attack failed, he was ordered to reform behind Sykes. General Tyler reformed the brigade under cover of the ravine. At 8 pm, the regiment was ordered back into the city, and remained under arms until about 5 am of the 14th. It then proceeded to the battlefield and held its old position until daylight.

About 1 am, the regiment arrived below the city near a railroad. At 3.30 am, the Fifth Corps was ordered to withdraw from Frederickburg, recross the river, and cover the withdrawal of the bridges. The regiment remained in its position until daylight, when it was ordered to retire. The last brigade of the Fifth Corps (Sykes' division) crossed about 8 am, and the bridges were taken up by 9 am.

Company E, commanded by Captain John Lentz, was left unrelieved on picket 'by the neglect of duty of a subordinate officer, on picket duty, of General Humphreys' division, and the failure to comply with precise orders given'. Butterfield said Lentz 'deserves an acknowledgment and reward for his conduct'. (He was promoted to Major effective 20 December.) They, along with some of Berdan's sharpshooters, had been assigned to the 126th Pennsylvania, to replace some of their pickets. They were posted in and near a blockhouse. They were supposed to fall in as skirmishers on the flank and rear once the 126th PA started to move down the road, but Lentz never received the order, because Lieutenant Bonsall of the 126th conveyed the order to Acting Second Lieutenant Baker, thinking Baker was commanding the company. The 126th barely made it across the river--the lower bridge was gone, and the upper bridge had already been swung away from the bank, but was returned, and cut loose only after the 126th crossed. The detachment of company E, unfortunately, was still in the blockhouse. About 10 am, they thought they saw troops being relieved, but then realized that Confederate troops were leading prisoners away. (See Battle of Fredericksburg for a list of the men captured from company E.) They made it back to the river. After Private James Clark swam across the river, two men brought them over on a pontoon boat. Eleven men were missing at roll-call, presumably captured by the Confederates. Lieutenant Bonsall was charged with failure to deliver orders, but was restored to duty. He and Acting Lieutenant Baker were both tried twice, convicted twice, and not punished, because their convictions were overturned.