Today in History:

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

Page 857 Chapter XXXIX. THE GETTYSBURG CAMPAIGN.

regiments rendered good service, being sent into the trenches to relieve our regiments as their ammunition was exhausted and their muskets required cleaning. At the close of this night attack, we occupied all the trenches of the Third Brigade. colonel Ireland had withdrawn his regiment from Kane's trenches, and formed a line with his left in our intrenchments, and in continuation of our line toward a stone wall, which was parallel to Kane's line and about 200 yards in its rear, behind which we found the enemy posted. About 10 o'clock I was informed that General Kane, with his brigade, was returning to his position, and immediately sent a staff officer to advise him that the enemy were in his intrenchments, and to bring him round by the rear to my right, He had, however, already been fired on by the enemy on our right. General Kane soon arrived, and gallantly assisted us by placing his small, but very reliable, command on my right, securing that flank. The First Brigade returned to our support at 1. 30 a. m. on the 3d, and took position in support of our right. At 4 a. m. our artillery, which had been posted to attack the enemy in the intrenchments of Kane's brigade and William's division, opened, and the attack was general on our line, and continued until 10. 30 a. m., when the enemy retired, their pickets remaining in our front until the night of the 4th, when they retired. The enemy were early in the day driven from our intrenchments on our right, which were occupied by Kane's brigade and Williams' division. At 7. 30 a. m. General Lockwood, with his brigade-First Maryland Home Brigade, Colonel Maulsby; First Eastern Shore, of Maryland, Colonel Wallace; One hundred and fiftieth New York, Colonel Ketcham, about 1, 700 men-came to our support from Williams' division and rendered efficient service. The First Maryland Home Brigade and the One hundred and fiftieth New York were distinguished for their good conduct. Colonel Creighton, of the First Brigade, with his regiment (Seventh Ohio), arrived to my immediate support at 6 a. m., and was at once sent into the trenches. The Twenty-ninth Ohio, Captains Hayes, of the First Brigade, arrived soon after, followed by the Fifth Ohio, Colonel Patrick, and Sixty-sixth Ohio, Lieutenant-Colonel Powell. The troops from the First and Eleventh Corps were returned to their commands as soon as their place was supplied by Lockwood's and Candy's brigades, having rendered good service and efficient aid. The regiments in the intrenchments were relieved from thirty to ninety minutes by others with fresh ammunition and clean arms, going forward at a double-quicks and with a cheer, the regiments relieved falling back through their files when they arrived in the trenches, so that the fire was kept up constantly and efficiently over our whole line, and the men were always comparatively fresh and their arms in good order, the regiments relieved going to work with alacrity to clean their arms as soon as in rear. Our own regiments engaged were New York Volunteers, viz: Sixtieth, Colonel Abel Godard; One hundred and second, Colonel J. C. Lane (who was severely wounded on the night of the 2nd instant while gallantly discharging his duty, and obliged to resign the command to Captain L. R. Stegman); Seventy-eighth, Lieutenant-Colonel Hammerstein; One hundred and thirty-seventh, Colonel David Ireland, and One hundred and forty-ninth, Colonel H. A. Barnum. Colonel Barnum, who is still suffering from a severe wound received at Malvern Hill, with great resolution kept the field during the action, and part of the


Page 857 Chapter XXXIX. THE GETTYSBURG CAMPAIGN.