Today in History:

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

Page 537 Chapter XXXIX. THE GETTYSBURG CAMPAIGN.

the term, and that it possesses in the grade of commissioned officers men whose skill, courage, and accomplishments would grace any service.

Very respectfully, l your obedient servant,

A. A. HUMPHREYS,

Major-General of /volunteers, Commanding Division.

Lieutenant Colonel O. H. HART, Assistant Adjutant-General, Third Corps.


Numbers 159. Report of Brigadier General Henry Prince, U. S. Army, commanding Second Division.


HEADQUARTERS SECOND DIVISION, THIRD CORPS, Camp near Beverly Ford,
Va., August 21, 1863.

CAPTAIN: By a circular from headquarters Army of the Potomac, dated August 12, 1863, a report of the operations of this command is required, to extend from june 28 until arriving in the vicinity of Warrenton, July 25, The report thus required for the portion of the time including the battle of Gettysburg and to July (, is, as I am informed by him, made by Major General A. A. Humphreys, U. S. Volunteers, who turned over the command on that date to Brigadier General Joseph B. Carr, U. S. Volunteers. On the evening of July (, I bivouacked with this division on the top of South Mountain, and I assumed command of it, by orders from corps headquarters, at that place on the morning of the 10th. The operations of my command from July 9 to the arrival at Warrenton are as follows: July (. -General Carr assumed command of the division, which marched at 5 a. m. from Frederick to Middletown, Fox's Pass of the South Mountain, across the mountain, and bivouacked at 7. 30 p. m. on its west verge. July 10. -At 6. 30 a. m. General Prince assumed command of the division. The division marched at 9. 30 a. m. ; passed through Keedysville, where it crossed the Little Antietam on a stone bridge, and bivouacked a mile from the bridge at 7. 15 p. m., on top of the hill. At 10. 50 p. m. left bivouac, by orders from corps headquarters, to proceed forthwith to Boole's Mill. Recrossed the Antietam, and turned up stream. Bivouacked at 3 a. m. on the high land, upon the Boonsborough and Williamsport turnpike. The bivouac was necessarily in a wheat-field, the stacks of which the men slept on, which were thus trampled considerably. Some of the wheat was fed to horses, which would otherwise have been without feed, the route by which we marched being choked by teams, keeping ours back. I am particular in stating the circumstances of this injury to wheat, as formal complaint was made in regard to it, reflecting on the division. I myself had nothing but wheat to sleep on. July 11. -Left bivouac at 6 a. m. Marched to Beaver Creek, and bivouacked there in rear of the First Division of Third Corps. At 4. 30 p. m. returned 1 mile on the road, and, taking left hand at forks, forded Beaver Creek. Crossed the Antietam on a stone bridge at Boole's Mill. Bivouacked three-quarters of a mile below the mill, on the Antietam.

July 12. -Moved forward 2 miles, and occupied the west verge of


Page 537 Chapter XXXIX. THE GETTYSBURG CAMPAIGN.