Today in History:

262 Series I Volume XXVII-I Serial 43 - Gettysburg Campaign Part I

Page 262 Chapter XXXIX. N. C., VA., W. VA., MD., PA., ETC.

First Corps. General Sedgwick could only spare me the First New Jersey brigade (General Torbert), which was placed in position on the left of General Caldwell. My own batteries, occupying important positions in the center and right center, might not with propriety be removed, and I therefore applied and obtained permission to call upon the Artillery Reserve for batteries. By about 12 o'clock I considered my line between the left of General Hancock's and the right of General Sykes'as very secure, having in position the infantry above mentioned, batteries from the Artillery Reserve, from the Third Corps, and one battery from the Sixth Corps. I must mention that the Third Corps, under Major-General Birney, which had suffered severely in the previous day's fight, I found posted directly in rear of my line of battle, and I made arrangements with General Birney to draw upon him for such support as might be needed; and I take advantage of this opportunity to express my obligations for the cheerful and handsome manner in which he responded to every call made upon him. Near 1 p. m. the enemy opened with about one hundred and twenty guns upon the position of the army, and kept up an incessant fire for a long period. This was intended to demoralize our troops and to cover the onset of their assaulting columns. They failed in their first object, our troops sustaining this terrific fire with admirable equanimity. At length their columns of attack began to move; one heavy column, a division, by General Stannard's report, marching by battalion front, directed itself upon the front of the Third (Doubleday's) Division, First Corps, but meeting with a warm fire from his front line of battle, composed of the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Sixteenth Vermont Regiments, the Twentieth New York State Militia, and the One hundred and fifty-first Pennsylvania Volunteers, swerved to the right to attack General Hancock. General Stannard immediately changed front forward, and, falling upon their flank, routed them, taking a large number of prisoners. This had hardly been done, when another column, attempting the left of General Doubleday's front, was attacked in flank in a similar way and nearly the whole column killed, wounded, or captured. For these brilliant episodes of the battle, I respectfully call the attention of the general commanding to the reports of Major-General Doubleday and Brigadier-General Stannard. I wish to call particular attention to the conduct of the regiments above mentioned, and to the skillful manner in which they were handled on this day, as being greatly instrumental in overthrowing the enemy's grand attack and in gaining for us a glorious victory. Brigadier-General Stannard, who was wounded the day before, refused to quit the field, and highly distinguished himself by his coolness and skill. Major-General Doubleday narrowly escaped with his life, having suffered a severe contusion from a fragment of a shell. With the first movement of the assaulting column of the enemy, I called upon General Birney for troops to form a reserve, first for one and subsequently for another division, which were promptly sent. With a portion of these troops I re-enforced General Hancock, who

was severely pressed by heavy masses of the enemy, holding the remainder in readiness to fall upon the enemy should they succeed in penetrating our lines-a contingency which fortunately did not occur. The Second Division, under General Robinson was moved to sustain General Hancock's right, but did not become engaged. The First Division was also not engaged. The batteries of the corps, in


Page 262 Chapter XXXIX. N. C., VA., W. VA., MD., PA., ETC.