Reports of Maj. Gen. Winfield S. Hancock, U.S. Army, commanding Second Army Corps
Brigadier-General Barlow, then commanding First Division, Second Corps, was under the immediate command of General Gibbon during the battle, on the extreme left of my line. He performed important services. His division, which had charge of the support of nearly all of my artillery, did not go into action as a whole, but each of his brigades were engaged at different periods on the 5th and 6th.
Brigadier-General Mott, commanding Fourth Division, Second Corps, was under the command of General Birney during the operations of the 5th and 6th. He displayed his accustomed personal gallantry on the field. Brigadier-General Getty, commanding Second Division, Sixth Corps, was under my command on the 5th and 6th. He was severely wounded while engaged with the enemy on the morning of the 6th. Brigadier-General Wheaton succeeded him in command. His troops fought with great bravery on both days.
Brig. Gen. Alexander Hays, that dauntless soldier, whose intrepid and chivalric bearing on so many battle-fields had won for him the highest renown, was killed at the head of his brigade on the 5th.
Brigadier-General Wadsworth whose brilliant example and fearless courage always had such an inspiring effect upon his soldiers, fell while leading them against the enemy on the morning of the 6th.
Brig. Gen. Alexander S. Webb, commanding First Brigade, Gibbon's division, Col. (now Brig. Gen.) Thomas A. Smyth, commanding the Irish Brigade, of Barlow's division, and Col. (now Brig. Gen.) John R. Brooke, commanding Fourth Brigade, of Barlow's division, are entitled to high praise for the manner in which they led their troops into action. Col. (now Brig. Gen.) S.S. Carroll, whose services and gallantry were conspicuous throughout the battle, received a painful wound on the 5th, but refused to retire from the field or to give up his command. He particularly distinguished himself on the afternoon of the 6th by the prompt and skillful manner in which he led his brigade to repulse the enemy when they had broken the line of Mott's and Birney's troops.
Col. (now Brig. Gen.) N. A. Miles, commanding First Brigade, of Barlow's division, checked several attempts of the enemy to advance on my left. In these encounters General Miles displayed his usual skill and courage. Maj. Henry L. Abbott, Twentieth Massachusetts Volunteers, was mortally wounded while leading his regiment in the heat of the contest on the morning of the 6th. This brilliant young officer, by his courageous conduct in action, the high state of discipline in his regiment, his devotion to duty, at all times, had obtained the highest reputation among his commanding officers. His loss was greatly deplored. Brigadier-General Webb speaks highly of the conduct of Colonel (now Brigadier-General) Bartlett, of the Fifty-seventh Massachusetts Volunteers, whose regiment was associated in action with his brigade for a short time on the 6th.
The following officers of my staff displayed their usual intelligence and courage: Lieut. Col. C. H. Morgan, assistant inspector-general and chief of staff, Second Corps; Lieut. Col. Francis A. Walker, assistant adjutant-general; Maj. W. G. Mitchell, aide-de-camp; Maj. A. W. Angel, Fifth New Jersey Volunteers, topographical engineer; Surg. A. N. Dougherty, medical director, Second Corps; Capt. I. B. Parker, aide-de-camp; Capt. W. D. W. Miller, aide-de-camp; Capt. W. P. Wilson, acting aide-de-camp.
Capt. H. H. Bingham, judge-advocate, Second Corps, specially distinguished himself in rallying and leading into action a portion of the troops who had given way on the afternoon of the 6th. Capt. E. P. Brownson, commissary of musters of the Second Corps, was severely wounded while performing similar duty.
The casualties in the Second Corps during the battle of the Wilderness were as follows:
0
21
41
83
145
9
637
613
1490
2749
0
3
2
6
11
3
107
112
130
352
13
907
906
1973
3799
0
9
7
14
30
1
130
131
250
512
Artillery Brigade
First Division
Second Division
Third Division
TOTAL
I desire to say in conclusion that the delay in the transmission of this report; its deficiencies in reference to the operations of the troops under my command during the battle, not belonging to the Second Corps, and the absence of many details of the movements of brigades and regiments of the Second Corps on that field, have been occasioned by the urgent and constant occupation of my time, absorbed as it was by the subsequent operations of the campaign, by the almost total absence of detailed reports from division, brigade, and regimental commanders, and lastly, as has been previously stated, by the nature of the ground on which the battle was fought, which made it impossible to observe the movements of the troops after they had entered the forest, whose thickets concealed the various incidents of the fight from all save those who were immediately engaged.
These circumstances combined have not only prevented me from furnishing an accurate and minute report of the operations of the troops, but have unfortunately been the cause of the omission from this report of the names of very many brave officers and soldiers whose conduct richly entitled them to special mention and commendation.
Although the major-general commanding the Army of the Potomac has stated that reports of the campaign which were not submitted before a certain time would not be forwarded with his own, I consider it due to the officers and soldiers engaged in the battle of the Wilderness that their services should be recited. I therefore submit my report at this late day.
I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
WINF'D S. HANCOCK,
Maj. Gen., U.S. Volunteers, Commanding Corps.
P. S.--A number of colors were captured by the troops under my command during this battle. Several thousand stand of arms were also collected from the field.
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