Episode 15: 1LT William Hewitt and the 12th West Virginia at the Third Battle of Petersburg

First Person Civil War Podcast

At the Third Battle of Petersburg, 2 April 1865, 1LT William Hewitt and the 12th West Virginia were tasked with assaulting Fort Gregg, immediately following The Army of the Potomac's VI Corps assault and breakthrough against Confederate positions around Hatcher's Run.
The first assault upon Fort Gregg was unsuccessful, and 1LT Hewitt and the 12th West Virginia were tasked with supporting the second attempt to capture it. The Regiment advanced about 500 yards to Fort Gregg and engaged the Confederates, mostly North Carolinians from BG James Lane's Brigade. After several color bearers were killed or wounded, 1LT Curtis rescued the Regimental Colors which had fallen into the fort, alongside two other color bearers: CPL Apple and PVT McCauslin. The West Virginian's were the first regiment to plant their colors in Fort Gregg, and PVT Reeder captured a flag from one of the North Carolina regiments.
For their actions during the assault on Fort Gregg, 1LT Curtis, CPL Apple, PVT McCauslin and PVT Reeder all received the Medal of Honor.
Sources used for this episode:
Hewitt, William. History of the Twelfth West Virginia Volunteer Infantry: The Part It Took in the War of the Rebellion 1861-1865. Twelfth West Virginia Infantry Association: 1892. https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcmassbookdig.historyoftwelfth00hewi/?sp=13&st=image&r=-1.456,-0.012,3.911,1.887,0.
Lane, James H. “Defense of Fort Gregg Official Report.” Southern Historical Society Papers (January 1877): 19-28. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nc01.ark:/13960/t3b00gx51&seq=1.
Davies, George B. Perry, Leslie J. and Kirkley, Joesph W. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Ser. 1, Vol. 46, Pt. 1, Sec. 2. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1894. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924079575340&view=1up&seq=7.
Congressional Medal of Honor Society. “Josiah M. Curtis.” Accessed March 29, 2024. https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/josiah-m-curtis.
Ibid. “Andrew O. Apple.” Accessed March 29, 2024. https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/andrew-o-apple.
Ibid. “Joseph McCauslin.” Accessed March 29, 2024. https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/joseph-mccauslin.
Ibid. “Charles A. Reeder.” Accessed March 29, 2024. https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/charles-a-reeder.