FROM January 20th, 1863, until the latter part of the following April, the Regiment remained in camp at Brooks' Station, in the brigade temporarily under command of Col. J. C. Lee, of the 55th Ohio.  The division was commanded by Gen. N. C. McLean.  Battalion and brigade drills were had daily, in preparation for the spring campaign, which, under Major General Hooker, promised to be unusually active.
     In the reorganization of the army we were placed in the eleventh corps, which was formed mostly of troops that had been under command of Gen. Franz Sigel.  Gen. O. O. Howard was the corps commander.  Some alterations had occurred in our brigade.  The 73d Ohio had been transferred to another division, and the 107th Ohio and 17th Connecticut, a new regiment, just come to the front, had been added to the brigade; three of the old regiments remained, viz., 25th, 55th and 75th Ohio.  Before the campaign fully opened, Col. J. C. Lee returned to the command of his regiment, and Brig. Gen. N. C. McLean, late colonel of the 75th Ohio, to the brigade, leaving the division to the command of Major General Devins.  As before stated, Gen. O. O. Howard commanded the corps.  Some dissatisfaction existed among the German troops, occasioned by the removal of their favorite commander, Gen. Franz Sigel, and Howard was looked upon with considerable disfavor.  The free-thinking element of the corps took but little stock in the ministerial reputation of the new commander.  They felt that a representative countryman had been unjustly deprived of his command, and therefore entered upon the campaign with less enthusiasm than would have been shown had Sigel occupied his old position as their leader.  This feeling, however, occasioned no part of the disaster which befell the eleventh cops on the 2d of May, 1863.  Twenty years have elapsed since the battle of Chancellorsville, during which time it has been convenient to attribute the result of that campaign to the demoralization of the corps.  It is time justice should be done, by calling attention to the actions of Generals Howard and Devens, and the position occupied by the first division, upon which the disastrous assault was made.
     On the 27th of April, 1862, the corps marched toward Chancellorsville via Hartwood Church, Kelly's and Germania fords, and reached Chancellorsville April 30th, and was placed in position near Hatch's house.
     It is a remarkable incident that the 25th Ohio left camp at Brooks' Station with 443 officers and men and on the evening of the last day's march, took 444 men into camp, one man from the hospital, Oliver W. Williams, hospital steward, having joined the Regiment, and not one having straggled from the ranks during the march.
     Devens' division formed the extreme right of the army, with Von Gilsa's brigade on the right, two regiments facing west and the other southwest.  McLean's brigade was on the left, about one mile from the Chancellorsville House; the 55th Ohio in line on the right of the brigade, the 107th Ohio in line in the center, and the 17th Connecticut in line on the left, excepting that three companies, under Lieut. Col. Walter, of this regiment, were advanced a few yards, and occupied the garden east of Hatch's house, with a picket fence, against which they threw some brush and dirt, to form slight breastworks.
     These three regiments faced southwest, and were on that side of the dirt road.  A rail fence running along that side of the road was utilized as far as possible in making breastworks.  The 75th Ohio was in rear of the 55th, formed in column by division, and the 25th Ohio occupying same formation in rear of the 107th, both facing southwest.  In front of our brigade were open fields for half a mile, extending to the wilderness on our right.
     When the pickets, detailed the night before from the Regiment, were relieved in the morning, a sergeant of unusual intelligence in charge of them, Abe Heed, of Company A, reported to Colonel Richardson that large bodies of troops had passed in our front to the right during the night.
     Richardson reported this fact immediately to General McLean, and with the approval of that officer, sent out four scouts - Sergt. Abe Heed, privates James Justus, John T. Peck and William Lindner - of tried courage and fidelity, from in front of our picket line.  They proceeded to our extreme right - until fired upon by the enemy's pickets, and retuned with the astounding intelligence that the rebels were massing heavily on the right and rear of the division, and not more than half a mile from the outer regiment, and not much over one mile from division headquarters.  Colonel Richardson conveyed this intelligence, to General McLean, who reported it to General Devens.  An hour passed without any new disposition being made to meet the threatened attack, when Colonels Richardson and Lee both visited General McLean at his headquarters, to ascertain if any orders were to be issued.  General McLean suggested that they, with him, go to General Devens and reiterate the information.  That general, however, seemed utterly unable to appreciate the gravity of the situation, and in fact treated the information with disrespect, and suggested to General McLean that the proper place for his colonels were with their regiments.  With such insulting neglect, Colonel Richardson returned to his regiment, and although it was early in the afternoon, he ordered the company cooks to immediately prepare supper, privately conversed with his officers as to what they should do under certain circumstances, and in fact prepared them for a surprise which he knew would overwhelm the division.  There was not a private soldier in the 25th Ohio but knew by four o'clock on the afternoon of May 2d that this condition of affairs existed.
     But this was not the only intelligence received of the movements of Stonewall Jackson.  In spite of his precautions to conceal his march, it was observed by officers and men of General Birney's command, and at once reported to General Hooker.  Although Hooker did not regard it as a flanking movement on the part of the enemy, for the very audacity of such a step upon the part of Lee did not render it probable, he was compelled to believe that either that general was making a retreat, or adopting some new plan of attack or defense.  But to provide against the contingency of a flank attack, at ten o'clock on the morning of the 2d of May, he sent a written dispatch to General Howard directing him to examine the ground around his position, with a view of meeting a flank attack.  He was told in the dispatch that the commanding general had good reason to suppose that the enemy was moving on his right, and that he should advance his pickets well for the purposes of observation.   Notwithstanding this dispatch, no precautions were taken against the impending danger.  We now have the unpardonable stupidity of two general officers, a division and corps commander, absolutely ignoring - the one positive intelligence of the immediate presence of a large body of the enemy, the other a direct order from his superior officer to ascertain if such a condition of affairs did exist.  The dispatch from Hooker to Howard was received by the latter not later than 1:30 a.m., while Devens received his information from Colonel Richardson the first time through General McLean at one o'clock, and again in the presence of McLean, Lee and Richardson, not later than three o'clock.
     From 10:30 a.m. to 6 pm., when the assault was made, there was more than enough time for Devens' position to have been made absolutely impregnable.  This singular thing about this who matter is, that neither Devens nor Howard seemed to have any curiosity to gratify.  There is no proof on record that any attempt was made to ascertain the truth or falsity of the reports.  The subsequent rout of the division was possible only from the grossest neglect of all military precautions, and there is no doubt but that the disaster resulted from Howard's and Devens' absolute disregard, under repeated warnings received by them during the eight hours preceding the assault.  Howard scouted the reports and Devens insulted the informants.
     The writer was present when Richardson informed Devens of the reports brought in by his scouts, and heard Devens say to McLean, "I guess Col. Richardson is somewhat scared; you had better order him to his regiment."
     Fitz John Porter was dismissed from the army in disgrace, and barely escaped death for less fault.  Devens has sine been Attorney General of the United States, and now holds a high federal appointment in Massachusetts.
     The first notice our troops had of the approach of the enemy was the rapid flight of a large heard of dear, which came out of the wilderness and passed along the front of the second brigade, followed almost immediately by the overwhelming onslaught of Stonewall Jackson's veteran troops upon an unprepared division, occupying a weak line of defense, and facing in a different direction from which the attack was made.  Some of the regiments had their guns stacked, and men were eating, making coffee, playing cards, cleaning guns, and engaged in the usual avocations of camp life when the enemy are a thousand miles away.  This was the case in many of the regiments, and in all of the regiments of the brigade on the right, Von Gilsa's, which received the first attack.  But Cols. Lee and Richardson, knowing the deadly danger hovering over the division, had their regiments well in hand, and were anxiously awaiting the expected attack.  Several shells coming directly down the road followed almost immediately by canister and musketry, proclaimed the rapid advance of the enemy.  The writer of this was an aid on the staff of Gen. McLean, and when the attack was made he was lying on the grass in front of Hatch's house, holding his hose by the reins, in readiness for immediate use.  Hearing cheers and laughter, he raised on his elbow to ascertain the cause, and found it to be the frightened deer rushing in front of the brigade; while watching them, and dimly conscious of the cause, a solid shot came from the right and struck the body of the apple tree under which he was lying.  Gen. McLean sprang on his horse and started down the road to the right of the brigade, accompanied by his staff officers, and almost immediately followed by Gen. Devens; the soldiers from the first brigade were coming to the rear in the utmost confusion, crushed by the first assault.  After the first rush the enemy stopped for a minute or two to get in some kind of order, and in that interval, which was hardly distinguishable, Col. Lee asked for permission to change the front of his regiment, saying that his men were being shot in the back; receiving no response, although McLean and Devens were within ten feet of him, he called out for his men to get upon the other side of the light works they had thrown up.
     The 75th Ohio was lying massed in column by division with its flanks exposed to the murderous fire, and in five minutes had lost every field officer, and two-thirds of the regiment lay dead or wounded.
     By this time the first brigade was coming back in waves of panic-stricken men, not stopping to throw aside their equipments, but slashing and confining straps with their knives.  To them, resistance was simply impracticable.  The best and bravest troops that ever existed would, under the same circumstances, have been terrorized.  The regiments of the second brigade opened their ranks for the fugitives.  Amidst this dire confusion, an order was carried to Col. Richardson to change front and deploy.  The Regiment executed teh movement gallantly, although it took them under the merciless fire, from which there was no hope of escape.
     Many of the 55th and 75th Ohio fell into the ranks of the 25th, which remained in line keeping up a stubborn fire, until the broken, flying fragments of the first brigade had passed, and the enemy had encircled it on three sides.  Then the order to retreat was given, and more than half the Regiment engaged left bleeding and dying on the ground where the line had maintained.  Darkness, fresh troops well handled, principally of the twelfth corps, and massed artillery, checked the rebel advance, and thus ended the first day's battle.
     At the commencement of the assault, only 330 men were in line, two companies being on picket in front, and escaping with small lose.
     That night the corps was re-organized, and the next morning placed in the intrenchments, where it remained until the morning of the 5th, when it was moved across the river, and the same day marched to its old camp at Brooks' Station.
     Every regiment in the brigade suffered the loss of one or more field officers.   Col. Noble, of the 17th Connecticut, was severely wounded, and Lieut. Col. Walter killed.  Col. Riley, of the 75th was killed, and Col. Richardson was severely wounded in the shoulder, and for some time the wound was considered a mortal one.  He finally recovered with the loss of the use of his right arm, and until the close of the war had command of Champ Chase, Ohio.

CASUALTIES IN BATTLE OF CHANCELLORSVILLE

KILLED:
Co. A:
Privates:
Levi Butler
William T. Lockwood
John Zane
Co. C:
Privates:

August Fisher
John W. Harrison
Lafayette Henthorn
Isaac F. Hutchinson
Joseph P. Noll
James Province
Co. E:
George F. Alford
Joseph C. Wright
Co. F:
Private John T. Hancock
Co. G:
Private Edgar A. Way
Co. H:
Private James S. Wiley
Co. K:
:Lieut. Alex Sinclair:
Private Anthony Jeremy

MISSING:
Co. A:
Lieut. William A. Whitcraft
Sergt. William B. Wright
Corporal Hiram Nichol
Privates:
Hiram S. Hahn
Benjamin R. Johnson
William Linder
Co. B:
Lieut. Isaac M. Kirk
Sergt. Hugh McConville
Privates:
J. J. Hopton
A. J. Lloyd
James B. Trigg
Co. C:
Privates:
Henry M. Link
John Tisher
Co. D:
Privates:
Christopher Hughes
Joseph Waters
Soloman Workman
Co. E:
Private Henry Barnup
Co. F:
Sergt. John McKinley
Corporal John C. Maxwell
Private Thomas Evans
Co. G:
Private Charles F. Roginson
Co. H:
Privates:
Samuel B. Marquis
George W. Reed
William H. Timberlake
T. Timberlake
Co. I:
Privates:
William H. Beymer
John Beall
James W. Calvert
Samuel J. Davids
Joseph W. Monland
George W. Shafer
Co. K:
Sergt. E. L. Viers
Privates:
Calvin Carpenter
William H. Dean
William S. Halloway
Werter H. Shaffer

WOUNDED:
Field and Staff:
Col. William P. Richardson
Lieut. Col. Jere. Willialms
Sergt. Major Hezekiah Thomas
Hospital Steward Oliver W. Williams
Co. A:
Lieut. William A. Whitcraft (mortally)
Second Lieut. Israel White
Sergt. Abram Heed
Sergt. Samuel R. Stewart
Corporal William Peck
Privates:
Joseph Acres
James C. Bolan
Richard M. Fulton
William Simpson
John Wyer
Co. B:
Lieut. George W. Martin
Sergt. F. A> Masters
Corporal John O. Archbold
Corporal H. N. Ford (mortally)
Corporal Nathan Morris
Privates:
Joseph Brown
John C. Duff
John M. Hinds
Henry Jones
Mark Lawrence
J. L. Patton
Frederick Rose
Israel Rucker
William H. Stine
J. B. Vaughn
Co. C:
Sergt. Francis Armstrong
Sergt. William H. Kast
Corporal Thomas Batton
Corporal George Beach
Corporal John Frey
Privates:
Henry Armstrong
Jacob H. Bailey
William Craig
Alex. Dunn
George Trick
August Tisher (mortally)
Israel N. Headley (mortally)
Franklin Long
Alexander W. Lowe
Co. E:
Sergt. John A. Stump
Privates:
James Bacon
Frederick T. Beagle
George Dugan
August Freet
Richard D. Phelps
Henry Smuck
Joel Spohn
Alfred T. Stump
Lewis Zeigler 
Co. F:
Privates:
Michael Cantwell
George Harmon
David C. Ingles
William H. Irwins
James M. Jones
John M. Kehr
David S. McKinley
John Williams
Co. G:
Lieut. C. E. Randall
Sergt. Blyden H. Boyce
Sergt. J. C. Livinsparger
Corporal A. J. Ames
Corporal F. A. Lumbar
Privates:
John M. Dickie
L. D. Fisher
William R. Gray
E. L. Karns
Robert Longmore
William McGee
H. Perkins
J. W. Smith
George Taylor
George White
Co. H:
James Hyler
Sergt. George Newman
Sergt. John E. Timberlake
Corporal John L. Dunn
Corporal John T. Painter
Corporal Robert W. Spurrier
Privates:
Michael F. Danforth
Zeno F. Davis
Jefferson Fouts
John Gellespie
Newton Livezey
William N. Mills
Thomas B. Sheets
Co. K:
Sergt. William P. Scott
Corporal John Klinck
Corporal Lyman G. Stone
Privates:
Martin Bender
Christ. Bowman
George Brown
Lawrence Burnes
Sumner B. Felt
Michael Herbert
Andrew Hutchins
Shubert Hutchins
Enos Kameron
Morrison Lewis

     Many of the missing were killed and wounded.  Company D, which took part in this battle, was a small company of recruits; it was not recognized as an organization, and the men were, shortly afterwards assigned to other companies in the Regiment.
     Surgeon Louis G. Meyer remained upon the battlefield, purposely allowing himself to be captured, in order to personally care for our wounded.  He was exchanged in a few days.  His action is deserving of the highest credit.