who was succeeded by Ario Pardee, Jr., as Major of the regiment. Upon his taking leave as commanding officer, the regiment complimented their late Colonel with an elegant and costly sword, sash, epaulettes, and a full and splendid set of horse equipments. The ceremonies on the occasion of the presentation were unusually interesting and impressive. A congratulatory letter from Major General Banks was read, in which he. says: "I congratulate you on your late promotion, and regret only that your brigade is not to join us again. Our connection has been long, and to me most pleasant, and I shall be glad at all times to acknowledge the efficiency, alacrity and unsurpassed energy and ability with which you and your command have discharged all your duties."

At the time of his promotion the line of railroad being guarded by General Geary extended to Manassas, making a distance in all of fifty-two miles. His headquarters were one mile and a half from Rectortown, the troops occupying Front Royal, Shenandoah, Happy Creek, Linden, Markham, Piedmont, Rectortown, Salem, White Plains, Thoroughfare Gap, Manassas, and intermediate points. For their protection all available means were employed in the erection of block-houses, abattis and other necessary defences.

On the 15th of May, company O, was ordered to Linden. A detachment of seventeen men, guarding the company wagon, reached there before the main body, which was on a train. They were attacked by rebel cavalry, who came upon them suddenly from different directions. The men resisted bravely, but after a stout defence, were overpowered, one being killed and fourteen taken prisoners, three of whom were wounded. The balance of the company coming up the rebels fled under their fire with loss.

On the 17th of May the command was re-attached to the division of General Banks, in telegraphing which fact he expressed his "very great gratification." About this time the enemy was actively engaged in making preparations to capture the commands of Generals Banks and Geary. His troops were gathered in overwhelming force at Swift Run Gap, and moving down the valley by way of Luray, made a fierce attack at Front Royal, in which engagement a section of Knap's Battery took a conspicuous part. Rebel scouting parties were constantly seen along the entire line, and skirmishes between these and the pickets and scouts, at various points, were of daily occurrence. On the 24th, overwhelming forces of the enemy, approaching from the north, south and west, the command was ordered to fall back to Manassas, whence, on the 8th, it advanced to Ashby's and other gaps in the Blue Ridge, to assist in

sincerely that I will endeavor to do ample justice to the position which is entrusted to my hands. May God Almighty guide and strengthen me in all my undertalings in which I may have to lead you, and may He never leave me to falter in guiding you to assured victory.

"Having had a noble example before me in my predecessor, our beloved Brigadier General, and having been carefully trained under him, I hope that I will neet your cordial support at all times, whether in peaceful or warlike associations."'

expelling Jackson from the upper valley, and preventing his return through the gaps.

Position was resumed on the Manassas Gap Railroad on the 5th of June. The transportation and railroad property west of Rectortown, having all been removed east by order of General McDowell, and General Geary having, on the 23d, received orders to report with his whole command, to General Banks, at Middletown, the detachments were directed to join him at Snickersville; from which point they moved at one o'clock P. M., on the 26th, fording the Shenandoah at Snicker's Ferry, and passing through Winchester on the 27th, reached Middletown at four o'clock on the afternoon of the 29th. Here orders were received on the 30th to march at daylight on the following morning, July 1, with the whole command to a suitable position opposite Passage Creek near Buck's Ford, which order was promptly executed, the distance marched being four miles. By crder of General Banks the post at Buck's Ford was broken up on the morning of July 6th, at five o'clock, and the command of General Geary proceeded to report to Brigadier General A. S. Williams, at his camp beyond Front Royal, reaching there at three o'clock P. M., marching thirteen miles, the weather being extremely warm. At 11 o'clock A. M., of the 7th it proceeded eight miles further through a heavy storm of hail and rain. Starting again at six o'clock on the morning of the 8th, it marched ten miles, passing through Flint Hill and encamping at Gaines' Cross Roads. The weather was so warm that three men died of sunstroke. Remained in camp all day of the 9th. At three o'clock A. M., of the 10th, an attack was threatened by the enemy, when the 28th was formed in line of battle, in which position it remained for several hours. On this day an order was issued by General Williams to the effect that "the Twenty-eighth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers and Knap's Battery, together with such other troops as might thereafter be added to General Geary's, would henceforth be known and designated as the Second Brigade of the First Division, Second Corps." The brigade left Gaines' Cross Roads on the morning of the 11th, and marched ten miles, passing through Amissville and Blackwell, and encamping one mile beyond Hedgeman river. On the 12th it proceeded five miles further and encamped near Warrenton. At this date General Pope took command of the Army of Virginia, embracing the commands of Generals Banks, Fremont and Sigel, issued stringent orders relative to the conduct and movements of the corps. The officers were restricted to the smallest possible amount of baggage, and the Sibley tents gave place to simple shelter tents.

The lin of march was resumed on the 16th, and the corps, passing Blackwell,reached Little Washington the same day, a distance of twentythree mile, marching through a storm of rain, and wading several heavily swqlen creeks. Here it encamped on the side of the Blue Ridge, and in the adjacent fields, where it remained till the close of the month with daily company, battalion and brigade drill. On the 28th the troops of the command were reviewed by General Banks, the review occupying

five hours. Five thousand men and fifty pieces of artillery were in line. On this occasion the Twenty-eighth Regiment made so fine an appearance as to attract the special attention of the reviewing General, and receive from him the most flattering commendation.

On the 1st of August the entire corps participated in appropriate ceremonies on the occasion of the death of ex-President Van Buren, and on the 3d was reviewed by Major General Pope. On the 6th the Second Brigade struck camp at Little Washington and moved towards Culpepper Court House, arriving there on the evening of the 8th, the brigade consisting of the Twenty-eighth Regiment, Knap's Battery, the Fifth, Seventh, Twenty-ninth and Sixty-sixth Ohio Infantry, and one company of the First Virginia Cavalry, numbering in all about two thousand one hundred effective men. It was here changed to order of General Banks, commanding Second Corps, to the First Brigade of the Second Division, under command of General Augur.

On the 9th of August it marched for Orange Court House, the heat being so intense that several deaths occurred from sun-stroke. When four miles from Culpepper, the Twenty-eighth, Lieutenant Colonel Tyndale commanding, was detached and ordered to re-take and hold at all hazards, the signal station on Thoroughfare Mountain, from which the signal officers had been driven. This order was successfully executed, and the signal station re-established, at that time a matter of vast importance. The remainder of the brigade under General Geary proceeded a few miles further, where the advance troops had taken position in line of battle near and beyond Cedar creek. They were immediately put in line and did good service in the fierce struggle that ensued. Knap's Battery gained fresh laurels for the splendid manner in which its guns were handled. In this battle General Geary was slightly wounded in the left foot and severely in the left arm, but remained on the field until nine o'clock in the evening, when he was compelled to retire from exhaustion produced by pain and loss of blood. The battle raged furiously from two o'clock P. M., until midnight, and was partially visible to the main body of the Twentyeighth, who saw the bursting shells and heard the rattle of musketry and roar of cannon, without being permitted to take part in the strife. A number of their men, however, who were on guard duty with ammunition and other trains, rushed to the fields and shared the glory of the fight. Two of these were killed and two wounded. Knap's Battery lost seven wounded and one killed.

At seven o'clock P. M., on the 10th, the regiment re-joined the brigade, which, in consequence of the wounds of General Geary unfitting him for service, was then commanded by Colonel Candy of the Sixty-sixth Ohio Volunteers. Colonel De Korponay was in command of the regment. On the 13th, six companies, under command of Major Pardee were dispatched to the Rappahannock bridge to guard its approaches Here they remained until the 19th, when, after Generals Pope and Banks, with their commands, had crossed the bridge, they re-joined thei brigade and passed the river early in the evening. During the reminder of the

month the regiment was constantly in motion and was engaged in frequent skirmishes, some of them of considerable importance, in all of which it supported Knap's Battery. On the 30th it reached Bristoe Station and was the only regiment there. The enemy being reported as advancing, orders were given on the morning of the 31st to destroy the trains of cars at that place, which were promptly executed by the speedy destruction by fire and otherwise, of five first class engines and one hundred and forty-eight cars, containing a large amount of government property. At noon it marched towards Bull Run and reached the bridge at six o'clock P. M., having been attacked several times on the march by rebel cavalry.

On September 1, eleven non-commissioned officers and two privates were detailed, by order of Major General Banks, to go on a scouting expedition in the direction of Leesburg, to ascertain the movements of the enemy. These men were carefully selected, as the expedition was one of great responsibility and danger. During the march they were several times pursued by parties of the enemy's cavalry, and near Chantilly were fired upon. Having accomplished their object they proceeded to the Potomac, and crossed upon a raft which they hastily constructed, when, meeting a canal boat, they started upon it for Washington City, where they arrived on the 7th, taking with them sixteen rebel prisoners whom they had captured on their expedition. One of the party, a private, was captured by the enemy. So admirably was this difficult duty performed, that the men were complimented by Brigadier General A. S. Williams in the following General Order:

"The General commanding takes great pleasure in commending the conduct of Sergeant Bonsall and twelve men of the Twenty-eighth Pennsylvania Volunteers, who being detailed on important special duty beyond the lines of the army, discharged that duty promptly and faithfully, and, on their return, captured nineteen armed Confederates, sixteen of whom they brought safely to camp. This act is deemed worthy of special commendation as an example to their comrades."

At four o'clock A. M., September 2, the regiment left Bull Run bridge, and commenced a long and toilsome march on the Antietam compaign, arriving at Antietam Creek and crossing at eleven o'clock on the night of the 16th. The men were so overcome with fatigue and loss of sleep that they stacked arms and threw themselves down upon the plowed fields to seek the repose they so greatly needed. During this tedious march of about one hundred and twenty-five miles, in the hottest season of the year, they passed through Centreville, Alexandria, Long Bridge, Georgetown, Tenallytown, Rockville, Middlebrook, Damascus, Ijamsville, Frederick and Boonsboro'. They also crossed the Cotoctin and South mountains, and waded the Monocacy and other streams.

At daylight on the morning of the 17th the battle of Antietam began, and scarcely had the wearied troops time to partake of a hastily prepared meal, when they were ordered forward to take part in one of the fiercest conflicts of the war. The regiment got into position under a murderous

fire of grape and canister just as the exultant enemy, having driven back the main army, was rapidly advancing in large force, when Lieutenant Colonel Tyndale, in charge of the brigade, Major Pardee commanding the regiment, charged with fixed bayonets and checked his advance, and the Twenty-eighth, irstantly pouring in a destructive fire, caused him to waver and fall back. The fight continued until late in the afternoon, the regiment being under fire about eight hours. It captured two guns and five flags. Its loss in killed and wounded was two hundred and sixty-six. Among the latter was Lieutenant Colonel Tyndale, who was struck on the head with a Minie-ball. The wound was considered mortal but he subsequently recovered. On the 18th the enemy, under a flag of truce, retreated across the Potomac, and the division moved a short distance to the right of Antietam.

On the 19th of September the Second Division again moved in advance, and on the 23d the Twenty-eighth Regiment, being the first to cross the river at Harper's Ferry, took position on Louden Heights, which the division held while the main body of the army encamped in Pleasant Valley, north of the Potomac. On the 25th, General Geary, who had been absent, on leave, in consequence of the wounds received at Cedar Mountain, returned with his arm still in bandage, and was enthusiastically received by his command. He at once took charge of his brigade, and being senior officer present, under orders from General Sumner, he assumed command of the Second Division, Twelfth Army Corps.

On October 21, under orders from General McClellan, the division made a reconnoissance in the direction of Leesburg, and encountered and defeated rebel cavalry near Wheatland, capturing a large number of prisoners and horses with cavalry equipments. In this, the Twenty-eighth bore a conspicuous part, and upon its result the movement of General McClellan to the south of the Potomac was determined. On the 28th, Companies L, M, N, O and P, with another company that had been temporarily attached, were withdrawn from the regiment to form the One Hundred and Forty-seventh Pennsylvania Volunteers, of which Major Pardee was promoted to the Colonelcy.

General Mansfield, commanding the Second Corps, was killed at the battle of Antietam, and the corps, its number being subsequently changed to the Twelfth, was placed under command of Major General Slocum, General Geary taking command of the Second Division, his old brigade being placed in charge of Colonel Ruger, to which was attached the Twenty-eighth. General McClellan having advanced with the army, the Twelfth Corps was left to garrison Harper's Ferry, the Second Division encamping on Bolivar Heights. Frequent reconnoissances were made by it in advance, in which heavy skirmishing occurred.

December 2, a reconnoissance was made to Winchester, where the rebel General Jones, with superior numbers, after five engagements, continuing through three successive days, was defeated, and on the 5th the place was captured with one hundred and twenty-nine prisoners. On the 7th, the division returned to Bolivar Heights, having been absent five days