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HDQRS. THIRTY-FIRST REGIMENT NEW YORK VOLS.,
Crampton's Pass, September 16, 1862.
WILLIAM RUSSELL, JR.
Aide-de-Camp and Assistant Adjutant-General, Third Brigade
SIR: I respectfully report the part taken by the Thirty-first Regiment New York State Volunteers, which I had the honor to command in the storming of Crampton's Pass in the afternoon of September 14, 1862:
I was ordered to deploy my regiment in line of battle on the left of the Thirty-second Regiment New York State Volunteers, which placed me on the extreme left of the storming force, and advanced to the attack. The regiment advanced in good order, notwithstanding the numerous fences in their way, and the heavy fire of shell and musketry had no effect to disorder my line.
I took up position on the left of the Sixteenth Regiment New York Volunteers, skirmishers of the Twenty-seventh Regiment New York Volunteers falling back to the rear, who were receiving a heavy fire from the enemy, concealed behind a stone wall on the road and barn back of the road. I remained in this position until I saw the troops on my right moving forward, when I instantly gave the order to charge, which was promptly obeyed by jumping a fence and passing through a corn-field with an unearthly yell. The enemy before us broke and fled right and left.
Seeing a movement on my left by troops of General Smith's division, I expected those who had fled in that direction would be turned back upon me. I changed my front to receive them. They were either captured by General Smith's troops or made their way over the mountains to the left of the gap.
While in this position, I received orders to push on through the gap to my right. I faced about, marched the regiment down to the road, my previous position having brought my right up to an inaccessible part of the mountain, and with all possible haste arrived at the summit, where, by your orders, I was placed in line to defend the fork of the roads, in which position I remained until after dark, when I was ordered down the road leading to the right, on picket duty for the night.
The officers and men without an exception behaved in a most gallant manner. I am well satisfied that the Thirty-first Regiment New York State Volunteers can be relied upon for any work that any troops can perform.
The casualties are 1 killed and 5 wounded. During the afternoon and the next morning we captured 130 prisoners, many of them officers.
Respectfully, your obedient servant,
FRANCIS E. PINTO,
Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding.
Source: OFFICIAL RECORDS: Series 1, Vol 19, Part 1 (Antietam - Serial 27) , Pages 398 - 399