Today in History:

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

Page 829 Chapter XXXIX. THE GETTYSBURG CAMPAIGN.

called by an order at 11 a. m. Although exposed without shelter to the enemy`s fire from and flank, so eager was their attack that a few of their men advanced too far, and fell by our own artillery fire. At 6 a. m. the Twenty-eighth Pennsylvania, and Fifth Seventh, and Twenty-ninth Ohio, of Candy`s brigade, were ordered into the entrenchments, to relieve some of Greene`s regiments which were out of ammunition, and went in with loud cheering, keeping up the continuous fire while the relieved regiments passed to the rear between the files. At 7. 30 o`clock Lockwood`s brigade, of the First Division, 1, 700 strong, reported to me as a support, and was rested in line in the woods about 25 yards in rear of Greene`s breastworks. This brigade, composed almost entirely of untried troops, was engaged for a short time as a relief to other regiments, and rendered efficient service. About 8 a. m. the enemy redoubled their efforts, and, massing all the force against us that the ground would admit, pressed forward with an evident determination to carry the position at all hazards. Our entire line was hotly engaged, and, fearing that the overwhelming force might prove too much for us, General Slocum was solicited for re-enforcements, and General Alexander Shaler`s (First) brigade, Third Division, Sixth Corps, reported at 8. 45 o`clock, and was posted as a reserve. Ten minutes before the arrival of this brigade, the Fourteenth Brooklyn and One hundred and forty-seventh New York Volunteers (both together about 150 strong) reported again from General Wadsworth`s division, and were sent in to re-enforce Kane`s brigade, on the right. They were shortly afterward relieved by Candy`s and Lockwood`s troops. Instructions having been given me not to actively engage Shaler`s brigade, unless unavoidable, only a portion of it was employed briefly. Those engaged displayed the accustomed gallantry which has enrolled Shaler`s brigade among the best veterans of the army. At 9 a. m. the One hundred and twenty-second New York (Colonel Silas Titus), of this brigade, relieved the One hundred and eleventh Pennsylvania, of Kane`s, which had been engaged in the front line all the morning, and whose ammunition was failing. The Eighty second Pennsylvania (Colonel Isaac C. Bassett), Shaler`s brigade, relieved the One hundred and twenty-second New York after our occupancy of the breastworks. At 9. 20 o`clock the Twenty-third Pennsylvania (Colonel John F. Glenn), of the same, was placed in support of the front line, about 150 yards to the rear, and subsequently five companies of it were deployed by my order in rear of the works, and advanced into them. Toward the close of the engagement, a portion of them was pushed out a few spaces as skirmishers, but the impracticability of feeling the enemy with skirmishers was demonstrated by their increased fire, and they were withdrawn. The Sixty-fifth (Colonel Joseph E. Hamblin) and Sixty-seventh New York (Colonel N. Cross) and Eighty-second Pennsylvania were placed well to the front, after the enemy had been driven back, to resist any renewed demonstration of hostility on the part of the enemy, while several already overworked regiments of my division were allowed a much needed respite for their energies, which had been so many hours stretched to their utmost tension. They were not, however, called upon for further active operations. About 2 o`clock the brigade was ordered to rejoin its corps. While subject to my orders it behaved with admirable coolness, and manifested to an eminent degree the possession of the greatest attributes


Page 829 Chapter XXXIX. THE GETTYSBURG CAMPAIGN.