Richard B. Banks Diary, 1864
Head Qrs Richardson's
Battalion [?]
R. B. Banks Regt
May 15 1864
 
                                                           
1864                                                    [?]
May 4 Recd telegram to move from Cobham left 4¾, recd second dispatch 6½ about 7 miles from old camp, stoped near Gordonsville for night
            5 Left at day light marched 30 miles and arrived at Parkers Store 12 miles from Chancelorsville at 5 P.M. & camped for the night & remained all the next day
            7 Left for line of battle at sundown relieved Pougue's Batt & took position supported by Cook's Brigade, about 1 P.M. later in the afternoon the remainder of the Batt advanced with the infantry. Lt Landry relieved temporarily and ordered to report to Capt Moore
Remained in position with Anderson's Division until the afternoon of the 8th when the enemy having fallen back we moved towards Spottsylvania C. H. encamped 5 miles from C.H. for night
            9 Left at day light & arrived at C. House about 7 A.M. & remained until next morning
            10 Moved with Heth's Division on a flank movement, the enemy trying to turn
                                                           
our left arrived at Mill when we encountered the enemy immediately went into position & opened fire & in a short time drove them across the river in confusion, we then advanced with the line of skirmishers crossed the river & came in battery near a white house. in a few moments we encountered the fire a battery on our flank, when the following casualties occurred Sgt Pew Killed. Phillips arm shot off, Latimer in elbow, Moore & Parrott slightly the same men then withdrawn by order Gen Early shortly after Grandys Battery 12 pieces Clershaw Battery men put in position & opened fire with good effect, caisson C. Batty exploded wounding several men & horses, these pieces men withdrawn after dark, relieved & on duty with Heth ordered to report to Mahone captured gun brot off by Capt Grandy
11th Pieces in position supported by Mahone where we remained until afternoon. in the meantime our line was thrown back & to our right, about 5 P.M. the enemy were reported advancing on our left
                                                           
and as the skirmishing commenced we were withdrawn, took a by road & went in position on the left of Mahone[?] remained all night the enemy having been driven back. Capt Ellert ordered to his Battn
12th Ordered to move at 3 A.M., but on acct of a demonstration on our right were ordered back to old position, remained only a short time when we moved with Mahones Div to the Xroads. the fighting soon became general thro the entire lines & continued without interruption for 7 hours, one constant war of Arty & infantry, surpassing anything during the war, the enemy were repulsed at every point. 2 our pieces comdg bridge 2 pieces ordered with Pegram (Moore's)
13th 2 pieces still in same position, all quiet along the lines, early in the day the pieces were withdrawn by order Gen. Mahone we continued to graze our horses in same field until the following day when we moved to S. C. House & took position supported by Wilcox Div
15 Still in same position enemy reported moving to our right.
16 Still in same position
17 Maj Miller armed with ballance
                                                           
of Battn (except 2 pc Co B.)
18 Enemy opened fire on our left with Arty & continued for some time, all quiet in our front
19 All quiet, but an attack anticipated, at night 2 pieces from Cabell's Battn under Capt Manly reported to Col R & took position near us
20 Still in same place, all quiet
21 All quiet, still in position about 4 P.M. the enemy reported leaving recd order to be ready to move, our troops advanced & skirmished heavily until sundown, when we moved with Cult's Battn via Mt Pleasant & N. Market
22 Passed thro N. Market & halted near Beaver Dam at 2 P.M. remained there until 12 at night when we moved forward 4 miles towards H. Junction
23 Started about 8 A.M. and marched to within 3 miles of H. Junction where we parked remained until dark, when we were ordered in position, but before completing our works were ordered off & parked until daylight
24 Went in position in line near the Johnson House, supported by Mahone's
                                                           
Div.
25 All quiet until late when a battery just opposite opened and shelled us for a while
26 still in same position all quiet except a little skirmishing and an occasional shell from the enemy
27 Enemy left during the night, at daylight our skirmishers advanced & found that the enemy were moving to our right very soon after recd orders to withdraw & with Cult's Battn marched, parked at 1 A.M. near Ashland
28 Left with Cults in rear Mahones Div & arrived near Richmond on Mechanics Road at sundown
29 Still in same place about 6 P.M. moved about 4 miles & remained all night
30 at daylight moved to front & took position supported by Heth's Div, all quiet during the day
31 Still in same position early in the day 7 pieces circle drawn part D & whole C Still in same place
                                                           
June 1st Grandys & Moores in same position with Wright's Brig, at dark the pieces withdrawn men ordered to relieve McGaughlin Batt on Breckenridge's Line
2nd Enemy left our front ordered back to Shady G. Church & thence with Cult's to near Gavey's farm where we remained all night. 3d Fighting commenced early & shortly came general & was severe 2 pieces Co D ordered in line with Mahones [?] later in the day 2 more put in position enemy repulsed with great slaughter at every point
                                                           
4th Still in same position, heavy skirmishing during the day, after dark the enemy made an attack in our front, but were driven back Crp Patterson of Co H wounded in head early in the day.
5th Still in same position, light skirmishing during the day, but very heavy after dark. Ordered to report directly to Col Cults
6th Pemick T Landry put in position with Wilcox, all quiet during the day heavy skirmishing after dark
7th Still in same position, Higgins Co C severely wounded in shoulder by a sharpshooter, skirmishing all day, until about 6 P.M. when suddenly the firing ceased and the enemy sent in flags of truce to bury their dead, which were very thick in our front, the cessation continued all night
8th Very silent all along the lines only an occasional start from our Arty & light skirmishing
                                                           
9th All quiet still in same position.
10th Still in same position. light skirmishing during the day
11th All quiet during the day
12th All quiet except the sharpshooters
13th the enemy left during the night we moved about 9 A.M. and encamped for the night in C. City Road about 15 miles from Richmond
14th remained here all day
15 Moved at day light to our present
                                                           
camp in Darby T. Road about 8 miles from Richmond.
16th Still in camp on D. T. Road
17 Still in camp "        "          "
18 left at day light, crossed James River on upper pontoon marched to Petersburg & stoped on Dunn's Hill where we remained until the following evening at sundown, when we sent Landry's Section with Maj. Lane & the ballance of the
                                                           
Battn crossed the Appomattox passed thro the city to the right of our lines. Co C put in position with Mahone's Div, the ballance in park
20th All quiet until the afternoon except S. Shooters. Lee & [?] slightly wounded late in the afternoon had some duel during which one piece was disabled & two men wounded. piece replaced by Co D. Co H & one in Co D sent back across river to report to Col Cults
21 Still in same position heavy skirmishing & sharpshooting in front. late in the afternoon
                                                           
a sharp Arty duel commenced & lasted ½ hour, 1 [?] Co "C" disabled on the face two men slightly wounded
22 Still in same position, all guns except the S. shooters & skirmishers grand flank movement made by Mahone, 1600 prisoners & 4 pieces Arty taken, enemy driven by his works
23 All remarkably quiet during this day
24 Heavy cannonading along our lines for some time early in the day, Walters Co "C" killed & Roberts, Smiley, Saunders & Rainer wounded, Rifle gun badly disabled
25 Still in same position. Co H & 1 piece Co D still on opposite side river with Cults
26 Still in same position all quiet
27 Still in same position all quiet
1758
DATABASE CONTENT
(1758)DL0278100Letters1864-05-15

Diary of Confederate R.B. Banks, Richardson's Battalion Light Artillery


Tags: Animals, Artillery, Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, Death (Military), Fighting, Guns, Injuries, Marching

People - Records: 1

  • (2497) [writer] ~ Banks, Richard B.

Places - Records: 1

  • (120) [origination] ~ Virginia

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SOURCES

Richard B. Banks Diary, 1864, DL0278, Nau Collection