the heavy fire immediately opened by the enemy, the design of feeling them with skirmishers was found impracticable. Skirmishers were advanced, however, about 15 paces, but were shortly afterward withdrawn. At 11 a. m. the Sixty-seventh New York Volunteers, Colonel Nelson Cross commanding, marched into the woods and forward to the breastworks, from which the enemy were then fleeing. They succeeded in capturing about 20 prisoners. At 11. 15 o'clock the Sixty-fifth New York Volunteers, Colonel Joseph E. Hamblin commanding, occupied a position as support to the Twenty-third Pennsylvania Volunteers, of this brigade. At 11. 30 a. m. the Eighty-second Pennsylvania Volunteers, Colonel I. C. Bassett commanding, advanced to the front line, relieving the One hundred and twenty-second New York, and occupying the position until relieved by a portion of General Geary's command at about 3 p. m. At this hour the brigade was reformed under my command. I annex a list of killed, wounded, and missing during the engagements. *

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

ALEXANDER SHALER,

Brigadier-General, Commanding Brigade.

ASSISTANT ADJUTANT-GENERAL,

Second Division, Twelfth Corps.

Numbers 233. Report of Colonel Horatio Rogers, jr., Second Rhode Island Infantry, Second Brigade.

HEADQUARTERS SECOND RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS,
Near Hagerstown, Md.,

July 10, 1863.

GENERAL: I have the honor to respectfully report that the regiment which I have the honor to command has been constantly moving since June 6. The demonstration on the south side of the Rappahannock, below Fredericksburg, to keep the enemy's troops in that neighborhood, consumed little more than a week, as we recrossed to the north side of the river on the night of June 13. We at once began our march northward, with the rest of the Sixth Corps, via Dumfries, Fairfax Court-House, Centreville, Dranesville, Edwards Ferry, Poolesville, New Market, and Manchester, halting here and there a day or two. Passing through Maryland, we pushed into Pennsylvania, and arrived in the vicinity of Gettysburg on the afternoon of July 2, where we found a battle then going on. We were at once put into position on the extreme left, and lay on our arms all night on the field of battle. The next day, July 3, was the hottest of the battle, and this was the severest engagement of the war. The brigade to which we are attached was constantly in posts of danger, but being used as a reserve, it was always sent to the points most pressed, and, though

---------------

*Embodied in revised statement, p. 181.

---------------