them by our still advancing regiment. The ground over which the first of the charge was made was a sort of sale, covered with rocks, thickly interspersed with bushes, scrub oaks, and trees. Beyond was open ground, ascending toward the west. As we emerged upon the open ground, we were met by a terrible storm od grape and canister. With out an instants hesitation the enemy regiment sail advanced until they had driven the enemy from the possession of the four cannon previously captured by the rebels. The Thirty-ninth New York Volunteers afterward brought in those guns. In obedience to the order of Colonel Willard, the regiment then came to the right-about, and at quick time, the rebel fire of shell and canister continuing, moved back to the position it held before charging. Skirmishers were thrown out to the front, and, after about half an hour, the regiment moved back to its original position. Some idea of the fire under which the regiment passed during the charge may be formed from the fact that the right company {A
lost 33 men killed and wounded; the next two companies to the left lost 27, killed and wounded. We lost Lieutenant A. W. Proseus, of Company E, during this charge, a gallant officer, who was leading his company forward. The next morning {July 3
the regiment fell in at 3 a. m., the enemy having commenced a furious shelling upon our position at that time, which fire died away at about 9 a. m. The quiet which then succeeded was unbroken until about 1 p. m., when there was opened upon our position a cannonading and shelling unparalleled, it is believed, in warfare. During the hottest of this fire the regiment formed and marched by the right flank up to the crest of the hill, and formed a line of battle in rear of the Twelfth New Jersey, who were lying under the shelter of a low stone wall, We here lay down upon the ground, the shot and shell filling the air above our heads and often striking among us. we lost a number of men during this shelling, among them Lieutenant John H. Drake, of Company F, an officer loved and lamented by the whole regiment. After this infernal shelling had lasted for about two hours, we rose to our feet to meet the assault of the enemy, who were seen advancing in three heavy compact lines, preceded by a cloud of skirmishers. Not a man flinched, but every brow was knit and lip compressed with stern determination to win or die, and win they did. The number of dead and wounded in front of our position after the battle was over and the rebel mass had been hurled back showed the accuracy of our fire. Over 400 prisoners were counted by one of our officers as taken by the regiment. A number of stand of colors were also captured, but it is impossible to state the number. I may add that during the whole of both these days of battle the One hundred and eleventh had skirmishers in front of their position continually. Owing to the loss and absence of commissioned officers and of the non-commissioned officers having the regimental and company rolls in their charge, it is impossible to give a correct statement of our loss. From the best information I can obtain, we took into the action about 400 men, rank and file. Our loss in killed is 57, and wounded and missing 171. In the killed are included First Lieutenant John H. Drake, Company F; Second Lieutenant Granger, Company D; First Lieutenant Proseus,