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1009 Series I Volume XXVII-I Serial 43 - Gettysburg Campaign Part I

Page 1009 Chapter XXXIX. THE GETTYSBURG CAMPAIGN.

CHARGE, AND SUBSEQUENTLY TURNED IT OVER TO GENERAL KILPATRICK. * THE ENEMY, FINDING HIMSELF REPULSED, OPENED UPON THE TOWN WITH ARTILLERY. SKIRMISHERS WERE IMMEDIATELY SENT FORWARD, AND A RESERVE FORCE PLACED AT THE OUTER EDGE OF TOWN. ON RETURNING TO THE OTHER SIDE, WHERE THE REST OF THE BRIGADE WERE DRAWN UP IN LINE, I WAS ORDERED TO ACT AS A SUPPORT TO ELDER'S BATTERY. FINDING THAT OUR POSITION ENDANGERED THE TOWN, WE MOVED AROUND TO THE EASTERN SIDE, WHEN, THE SECOND BRIGADE HAVING RETURNED, I WAS ORDERED BY GENERAL KILPATRICK TO FLANK THE ENEMY'S POSITION, AND CAPTURE THE BATTERY, IF POSSIBLE, AND TO ORDER AN ADVANCE OF THE SKIRMISHERS ON THE RIGHT, WHICH WAS DONE. THE ENEMY, FINDING WHAT OUR INTENTIONS WERE, RETREATED, AND WE IMMEDIATELY STARTED IN PURSUIT, BUT FAILED TO COME UP WITH HIM. WE WERE THEN ORDERED BACK, AND WENT INTO BIVOUAC OUTSIDE THE TOWN. I REGRET TO STATE THAT, IN THE FIRST CHARGE, ADJUTANT GALL WAS KILLED AND MAJOR WHITE SEVERELY WOUNDED. THE OFFICERS AND MEN BEHAVED NOBLY. OUR LOSS WAS 2 OFFICERS KILLED, 2 ENLISTED MEN KILLED, 25 WOUNDED, AND 10 MISSING.

BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG, PA., JULY 3.

AT ABOUT 7 O'CLOCK ON THE MORNING OF JULY 3, THE COMMAND WAS ORDERED TO MOVE, AND MARCHED TOWARD THE LEFT OF OUR LINE OF BATTLE. ON ARRIVING UPON THE FIELD, WE WERE ORDERED INTO POSITION AS SUPPORTS FOR ELDER'S BATTERY. SOON AFTER TAKING POSITION IN THE EDGE OF SOME TIMBER, THE ENEMY OBTAINED THE RANGE SO EXACTLY AS TO THROW THEIR SHELLS INTO OUR MIDST, DOING CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE. GENERAL FARNSWORTH THEN ORDERED ME TO GET UNDER COVER OF A RIDGE A LITTLE MORE TO THE LEFT, WHICH WAS DONE. SHORTLY AFTER, I WAS ORDERED TO DIVIDE MY COMMAND INTO TWO SECTIONS, AND SEND MAJOR BACON WITH ONE ON THE RIGHT, WHILE I TOOK THE OTHER ON THE LEFT, OF THE EIGHTEENTH PENNSYLVANIA, AND, IN CONNECTION WITH THEM, MAKE A CHARGE UPON ONE OF THE ENEMY'S GUNS, WHICH WAS VERY TROUBLESOME. WE MOVED FORWARD SOME DISTANCE, WHEN THE ENEMY REMOVED THE PIECE, AND WE WERE ORDERED BACK, AND TOOK UP A POSITION IN REAR OF OUR BATTERY, AND STOOD TO HORSE DURING THE REMAINDER OF THE FIGHT. AT NIGHT WE WITHDREW A SHORT DISTANCE TO THE REAR, AND DID PICKET DUTY UPON THE FIELD.

BATTLE OF SMITHSBURG, MD., JULY 5.

AS THE COMMAND WAS IN LINE AWAITING THE ORDER TO MARCH, THE ARTILLERY OF THE ENEMY OPENED TO THE RIGHT OF THE TOWN, WHEN I WAS ORDERED WITH ELDER'S BATTERY TO TAKE POSITION IN REAR OF THE TOWN. I POSTED THE REGIMENT IN A CORN-FIELD ON THE LEFT OF THE BATTERY, AND FOR A SHORT TIME WAS EXPOSED TO THE ENEMY'S SHELLS, WHICH DID NO DAMAGE, HOWEVER. AFTER A TIME I WAS ORDERED TO TAKE POSITION UPON A HIGH RIDGE TO THE LEFT ABOUT HALF A MILE, AND THE FIRST SQUADRON, UNDER CAPTAIN MCGUINE, WAS SENT FORWARD TO RECONNOITER, AS THERE WERE EVIDENCES OF A FLANK MOVEMENT BY THE ENEMY; BUT AT DUSK THE RECONNAISSANCE, BEING COMPLETED, REPORTED THE ENEMY RETREATING. WE THEN TOOK UP OUR LINE OF MARCH, AND ARRIVED AT BOONSBOROUGH AT 12 P. M., WHERE WE WENT INTO BIVOUAC.

BATTLE OF HAGERSTOWN, MD., JULY 6.

AT 8 A. M. ORDERS WERE RECEIVED FOR THE COMMAND TO MARCH, AND WE MOVED ON TOWARD HAGERSTOWN. ARRIVED WITHIN A MILE AND A HALF OF

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* A MEDAL OF HONOR AWARDED TO SERGEANT BURKE FOR THIS SERVICE.

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64 R R-VOL XXVII, PT I


Page 1009 Chapter XXXIX. THE GETTYSBURG CAMPAIGN.