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

Page 391 Chapter XXXIX. THE GETTYSBURG CAMPAIGN.

battle. The enemy shelled us at intervals during the morning, and at 10 a. m. opened with a severity which good military judges have pronounced to be the severest artillery fire of the war. Under cover of his artillery the enemy advanced and charged upon our lines, but was everywhere repulsed with terrific slaughter, and finally compelled to retire dismayed and routed. Numbers of the enemy threw down their arms, and, rushing into our lines, surrendered as prisoners of war. We were engaged in perfecting and repairing the breeches made in our breastworks on the evening of the 3d, and on the 4th in collecting arms and equipments left on the battle-field. On the morning of the 5th, our pickets having discovered that the enemy was falling back, a reconnaissance was made, and found that the enemy was in full retreat toward the Potomac. We held our position until the evening of the 5th, details in the meantime being engaged in burying the dead and attending to the wants of the wounded left on the battle-field. We then moved in the direction of Frederick, Md., under orders from headquarters/ In conclusion, I am proud to say that the Eighty-eighth acted in this fight as it has always done on former occasions when it has met the enemy.

DENIS F. BURKE,

Captain, Comdg. Eighty-eighth New York Volunteers.

Lieutenant W. S. BAILEY,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General Second Brigade.


Numbers 87. Report of Major St. Clair A. Mulholland, One hundred and sixteenth Pennsylvania Infantry.

IN CAMP, SANDY HOOK, MD.,

July 17, 1863.

SIR: I accordance with section 742, paragraph 36, page 107, Revised Army Regulations, I have the honor to submit the following report of the part taken by my command in the action at Gettysburg, Pa., July 2 and 3: After a long and fatiguing march, we arrived on the evening of the 1st instant within about 3 miles of Gettysburg, and by order of General Caldwell, our division commander, encamped for the night in a neighboring field. Shortly after daybreak on the morning of the 2d, in compliance with orders received, the brigade of which my regiment, has the honor of being a part moved up to a field within sight of the enemy's pickets. Our division was ployed in mass in column of regiments, my regiment being placed in the front line. Here we stacked arms, and ordered the men to rest. We remained in this position during the forenoon of the 2nd instant. Heavy firing was heard at intervals on our right during the day, although everything remained quiet in the vicinity of my command until about 3 p. m. About this time firing commenced on our left, I think about threefourths of a mile distant. The firing had continued about an hour when orders came for us to fall in. We at once took arms, and were


Page 391 Chapter XXXIX. THE GETTYSBURG CAMPAIGN.