Today in History:

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

Page 467 Chapter XXXIX. THE GETTYSBURG CAMPAIGN.

being out the night before on picket some 2 miles back, and rejoined the brigade. During the forenoon we supported Woodruff's battery, regular artillery, until our position was changed farther to the left, to support Arnold's [First Rhode Island] battery. Here we remained all night, with a slight change of position, throwing out pickets to the front. During the day the regiment was at times under a heavy shell fire, but met with no loss, excepting in the case of Captain Coit, who was seriously injured accidentally by a runaway horse. On the morning of the 3d, two companies were advanced as skirmishers, under the command of Captains Townsend and Lucas, who maintained their ground nobly until the grand attack of the afternoon, when they were driven in by the advancing lines of the enemy. In the forenoon the regiment was ordered to take and hold two building, a large barn and house, outside of our lines of skirmishers, a little to the right of our position, from which the enemy were seriously annoying our troops. The barn was gallantly charged and taken by four companies, under the command of Captain Moore, the remainder of the regiment, commanded by myself, making the attack upon the house. The whole distance from our lines to these buildings being commanded by the enemy's sharpshooters, we met with some loss in the attack. It was here that Lieutenants Seward and Seymour were wounded. While the regiment was within these buildings and firing from them upon the enemy, a case shot entered the upper part of the barn and exploded, killing and wounding some of our men. Having received orders to destroy these buildings, they were fired in several places, after removing from them our killed and wounded. We then returned to the picket reserve, bringing off all our wounded and arms. Being again ordered to support Arnold's battery, we formed on its right, where we remained under the terrific shell fire of Friday afternoon, from 1 p. m. until the battery retired, when I moved the regiment forward and to the left, to cover the space previously occupied by the battery. About this time two lines of battle, extending across the plain for more than a mile, preceded by a line of skirmishers and re-enforced on the right and left by a third line, were observed to emerge from the woods, about one-third of a mile distant and running parallel to our front, and advanced steadily across the intervening plain. The spectacle wa magnificent. They advanced in perfect order, the line of skirmishers firing. Our men were formed in a single line along an almost continuous line of low stone wall and fence, which offered considerable protection from the enemy's fire. When the first line of the enemy had advanced to within about 200 yards, our fire opened almost simultaneously along our whole line. The enemy's first line was broken and hurled back upon the second, throwing that also into confusion. Detached portions of the line were rallied, and for a short time maintained their ground, but being rapidly mown down by our terribly destructive fire, they commenced falling back. A portion of this regiment then charged upon the retreating rebels, capturing five regimental battle-flags and over 40 prisoners. There also came into the lines of this regiment about 100 or more of the enemy, some of whom were wounded, and gave themselves up. Among the officers who personally surrendered to me were the following: Colonel John A. Fite, Seventh Tennessee, and Lieutenant Colonel N. J.


Page 467 Chapter XXXIX. THE GETTYSBURG CAMPAIGN.