Episode 6: Corporal Daniel Crotty and the 3rd Michigan at the Battle of Chancellorsville
Jan 31, 2024
William Coghlan
At the Battle of Chancellorsville, Corporal Daniel Crotty, a Color Bearer for the 3rd Michigan in the III Corps Army of the Potomac, recounts the advance of his regiment to the Catherine Furnace on 2 May 1863, the midnight assault on Confederate lines, their retreat to the Chancellorsville House, and their continued retreat until they arrive in their final positions by noon of 3 May.
At the Battle of Chancellorsville, Corporal Daniel Crotty, a Color Bearer for the 3rd Michigan in the III Corps Army of the Potomac, recounts the advance of his regiment to the Catherine Furnace on 2 May 1863, the midnight assault on Confederate lines, their retreat to the Chancellorsville House, and their continued retreat until they arrive in their final positions by noon of 3 May.
The Civil War A Narrative: Fredericksburg to Meridian. ed. Modern Library Edition, New York: Random House, 1963.
Estimated time of mortal wounding according to Shelby Foote page 302
Hello. My name is bill Coughlin. And welcome to first person civil war podcast. Which retails the stories of the soldiers and officers on the ground, in the battles of the civil war. And this episode, we follow corporal Daniel Crotty and the third Michigan at the battle of Chancellorsville in early may, 1863. Corporal Crotty wrote the source used for today's episode, entitled four years campaigning in the army of the Potomac. Daniel G Crotty was born in Ireland around 1840 and immigrated to the United States when he was seven years old. At the start of the civil war. Karate was in grand rapids, Michigan. Where he enlisted as a private and company F of the third Michigan. By the time of the peninsula campaign. Private Crotty was a part of the regimental color guard. And carried the colors of the regiment into battles during the peninsula campaign. And second bull run. By late April and early may of 1863. The third, Michigan was a part of the third brigade. Commanded by Colonel Haman. First division commanded by general Burney. In general, Sickles is third core. General hooker, the commander of the army of the Potomac following the defeat at the battle of Fredericksburg. Ordered the army to March west of that city. And cross the rapid Dan and Rappahannock rivers in late April, 1863. After which time. Hooker would fight the army of Northern Virginia on ground of his choosing. Daniel Crotty was now a corporal. And the third Michigan crossed with the third Corps on 28, April, 1863. And on the morning of two may attack to general Anderson's division. And a southernly direction along a road, passing through a densely wooded area. Called the wilderness. And in vicinity of the chancellor house. According to corporal Crotty. The red diamond division has a position on the Richmond road commanded by our Gallant Burney. Huh. We see over the valley beyond long wagon trains moving south. Now they are on the move and flying. Sure. Our division is ordered forward. And get into the Cedar woods where we strike some rebels who fire into us. But we go for them with the bayonet. They fall back and we advance fighting all the way for about three miles. They pull up behind some works and we halt in front. The rebel train keeps moving on and we lie still for some cause or other. Our regiment is ordered to lie down and we are in such a position that the rebels have a good chance to fire on us. Just as a quick side note concerning the red diamond division as corporal Crotty stated. This was in reference to the new core badge designations within the union army. Every Corps had a unique badge with the three divisions of each core. Assigned a color. Every first division in the army had a red badge color. Second division white and third division blue. The third core badge was a diamond. Therefore the first division. Was the red diamond division. At this point, the third Michigan was at Catherine's Foundry. Or furnace. And facing south with the rest of their division. Though they saw initial success that day, the fight was far from over. While lying still. We hear all at once a tremendous firing in our rear. It sounds in the direction of the position we left in the morning. Can it be possible? The enemy is in our rear. Such is the fact for we soon find out that the rebel general Jackson has got round behind us. And is fighting the 11th core under Howard. Who was in the position we left. Now we are in a pretty condition rebels in our front and rebels in our rear. We must get out of this or else be gobbled up. So getting back, we change our front of the morning to the rear at night. The 11th core are driven from their position. Night puts an end to all fighting. And we take a position in an open field. And try to rest our fatigue. The flank attack of the Confederate second Corps was a complete success and the third Corps had to retreat under pressure from Anderson's division in front. The third core was now in the same vicinity. They started that morning. Still facing south with the third Michigan. Around the hinge where the third Corps met the 12th core facing west. That night did not stop the fighting for the third Michigan. As the third Corps conducted a night assault upon Confederate positions. At about 12 o'clock and according to the brigade commander, it was 10:00 PM. We got the order to fall in and it is made known to us that a midnight charge is on foot to dislodge the enemy and take back their ground. The awful grand juror of the scene defies description. Our first line, having their guns primed. It is the intention when they come to the enemy to fire. And the other lines to charge with the cold steel. Deal. The order is quietly given to forward. And the whole mass move into the woods, which are thick and dark as Haiti. No one knows where to strike the rebel lines. Some commenced to fire others, follow suit. And all blaze away. Not knowing what at. And seem to be one vast square of fire. All begin to yell and cheer some go forward, some go to the right and some to the left. The rebels open with their artillery and ours reply from the fields. By this point, the third core night assault soon began to unravel. All is utter confusion and no one knows where we are going. I find myself with others charging on some works. We get over them thinking they belong to the enemy, but we soon find out that we have been charging our own works occupied by the 12th Corps. Who thought the rebels wanted their works and they left them in peace for their old friends. Whoever took part in the fizzle in the woods on the night of the 2nd of May, we'll remember it as long as they live. After a while we make our way to the field where we started from. This night assault was a failure along the whole front. And it seems the term fizzle was shared in a way by the brigade commander of the third Michigan. Colonel Samuel B Haman. The rifle pits were carried in the face of a terrible fire from both friend and foe. At least such as the opinion, entertained by the officers and enlisted men of my command. Corporal Daniel Crotty personally attributes this failed assault as a contributing factor in the mortal wounding of general Jackson that night. Which was not even one mile north. They gathered the following information from Confederate prisoners. It was in this melee in the woods that the notorious Stonewall Jackson received his death wound. The rebels themselves claim. They gave it to him. But we don't care how he got it. So long as he is out of the way. For he was the terror of our army. Army. And he continues. When he Jackson. Heard the firing in the woods, he wrote out on one part of his own lines. And was going by another post. The rebels were so excited by the firing in the woods that they thought it was Yankees on the charge. They fired a volley and killed one of the best generals in their army. So our fizzle was the cause of doing some good after all. There were indeed a series of events at the place where Jackson was shot that directly attributed to the mortal wounding of general Jackson. At several instances before Jackson went on his recon. Union and Confederate forces clashed at that place. But this night assault, the third Michigan participated in was not related. In fact, as the third Michigan set out. Jackson was already wounded at approximately 9:30 PM. Three may proved yet another day of setbacks for the third Michigan and the army of the Potomac. At four o'clock on the quiet Sabbath morning of the 3rd of May we look towards the woods and see our skirmishers emerge. They're from. Followed close by solid masses of rebel infantry. And an instant we are in line. Artillery open out on them. But they don't seem to care for anything. As they set up a hellish yelling. And this was the famous rebel yell. As they set up a hellish yelling and come for us. We open our small arms on them. And cause some to fall to mother earth to rise no more. They close the gaps and still they come on. We get the order to fall back. Which has done in good order. Loading and firing as we go. The third Michigan and the rest of the third core proceed to form around the Chancellorsville house. But even here we're pushed out of their positions. Falling behind a line in front of the Chancellorsville house. We get the order to light down. Which has done gladly for a few minutes, rest. The rebels, pour their shot and shell into our midst and many, a poor fellow rolls over. Without a groan. Our front gives way again. And we are on our feet once more. Ready to receive the charge of the victorious enemy. The enemy charge on us in eight or 10 lines deep. Our artillery opens out on them and then musketry mowing down fearful gaps in their ranks. But on they come. And back we have to get again. It was only a defensive line, further north of the Chancellorsville house. Did the army of the Potomac stand firm against further Confederate attacks. Which was at 12:00 PM. According to corporal Crotty. The third Michigan stayed in this position until six may, 1863. When the army recross the Rappahannock river. Which marked the end of the battle of Chancellorsville. This was the second major defeat in a row for the army of the Potomac. And was the only battle general hooker wasn't command of that army. Corporal Daniel Crotty remained a color bearer through the end of the war. He went on to the battle of Gettysburg in early July. And in the wake of the New York draft riots. The third and fifth Michigan regiments, the fifth was another regiment in the same brigade. Traveled to that city to help enforce the draft. These regiments arrived in August. Well, after the conclusion of the riots, And helped enforce the August draft without incident. The third Michigan continued its service in the army of the Potomac through the Overland campaign. And due to heavy casualties consolidated with the fifth Michigan for the rest of the war. Corporal Crotty received a wound to Petersburg, but remained in the army through Lee's surrender at Appomattox courthouse. And ended the war, a color Sergeant. I must say that I am impressed that color, Sergeant Daniel Crotty managed to survive so many years and bloody battles as a regimental color bearer. Union regimens carried into battle the United States flag and their regimental flag. And served as the place for the men of the regiment to rally around during a battle. Given that he carried a large flag into the massive battles of the Eastern theater. It's nigh on a miracle. He survived to the end of the war. Daniel G Crotty returned to Michigan after the war and became active within the newly formed grand army of the Republic. Which was a veterans organization, much like today's veterans of foreign wars. He became the commander of the Fairbank's post number 17, located in Detroit. Where he also raised a family and died in 1921. Daniel G Crotty wrote the source used for this episode in 1874. Entitled. For years campaigning and the army of the Potomac. Thank you for listening to the sixth episode. The link to color. Sergeant karate's book is now on the source page. Below the union and Confederate sources. I've also included links to two more books. It was common for both union and Confederate organizations to give themselves their own names, which were compiled in two books. The first one is list of synonyms of organizations in the volunteer service of the United States. And the second local designations of Confederate troops. The links to all three of these books are located at the podcast website. First person, civil war, podcast.com. And the social media posts on Facebook, Instagram, and X this week. You can see a picture of the remains of the Katherine furnace. Which was the third Michigan's for this advance. And the second picture is a sketch by Alfred are valid. Who was present at Chancellorsville. He depicted the third and fifth course. In line of battle on three may and their final positions. The podcast received a generous donation this past week. Your contribution is greatly appreciated. Sergeant Jay Jay McDaniel of company M. Seventh, South Carolina. Provides next week's first person accounts. At the battle of Antietam. My name is bill Coughlin. And thank you for listening to first person civil war podcast.
