Today in History:

1021 Series I Volume XXVII-I Serial 43 - Gettysburg Campaign Part I

Page 1021 Chapter XXXIX. THE GETTYSBURG CAMPAIGN.

PENNINGTON'S BATTERY (M, SECOND U. S. ARTILLERY), ELDER'S BATTERY (E, FOURTH U. S. ARTILLERY), HEATON'S BATTERY (B AND L, SECOND U. S. ARTILLERY), AND CAPTAIN MARTIN'S (SIXTH INDEPENDENT NEW YORK) BATTERY OF HORSE ARTILLERY-TO GENERAL PLEASONTON, COMMANDING CAVALRY CORPS. IN OBEDIENCE TO INSTRUCTIONS FROM GENERAL PLEASONTON, TWO BATTERIES (PENNINGTON'S AND ELDER'S) WERE DETAILED, AND LEFT CAMP AT DAYLIGHT ON THE 29TH, TO REPORT FOR DUTY WITH THE THIRD DIVISION, CAVALRY CORPS. THESE TWO BATTERIES HAVE BEEN ON DUTY WITH THIS DIVISION SINCE THAT TIME, AND MAKE THEIR REPORTS THROUGH ITS COMMANDING OFFICER. AT 8 A. M. I WAS READY TO MOVE WITH THE REMAINING TWO BATTERIES (HEATON'S AND MARTIN'S), BUT OWING TO THE ROAD BEING BLOCKED WITH TROOPS AND WAGON, I WAS UNABLE TO MOVE UNTIL 4 P. M. AFTER MARCHING ABOUT 2 MILES, WAS JOINED BY CAPTAIN DANIELS, COMMANDING NINTH MICHIGAN BATTERY, WHO REPORTED TO ME, AND WAS ASSIGNED TO MY BRIGADE BY ORDER OF THE GENERAL COMMANDING CAVALRY CORPS. CONTINUING THE MARCH, I ARRIVED AT MIDDLEBURG, MD., AT 2 A. M. THE 30TH, WHEN I FED, AND RESTED MY COMMAND UNTIL 9 A. M., AND THEN MARCHED TO TANEYTOWN, ARRIVING AT 4. 30 P. M., AND REMAINED ENCAMPED AT THE LATTER PLACE UNTIL 11. 30 P. M. JULY 1, WHEN I MARCHED, AND ARRIVED NEAR THE BATTLE-GROUND OF GETTYSBURG AT 5. 30 A. M. ON THE 2D, AND REPORTED TO THE GENERAL COMMANDING THE CAVALRY CORPS, AND BY HIS DIRECTION HELD MY BATTERIES IN RESERVE NEAR THE BATTLE-GROUND UNTIL NEARLY DARK, WHEN, BY HIS DIRECTION, I MOVED BACK ABOUT 2 MILES ON THE BALTIMORE PIKE, AND ENCAMPED FOR THE NIGHT. ON THE MORNING OF THE 3D, I AGAIN MOVED TO THE FRONT, AND OCCUPIED THE SAME GROUND AS THE DAY PREVIOUS, AND, BY DIRECTION OF GENERAL PLEASONTON, I REPORTED TO BRIGADIER-GENERAL TYLER, TO ASSIST HIM WITH THE RESERVE ARTILLERY. WHILE OUT WITH GENERAL TYLER EXAMINING OUR LINES, WITH A VIEW OF SELECTING POINTS FOR ARTILLERY, THE ENEMY OPENED FIRE WITH ALL HIS BATTERIES, AND WE RETURNED TO OUR COMMANDS. FINDING THAT THE RESERVE OCCUPIED A VERY EXPOSED POSITION, IT WAS ORDERED TO FALL BACK TO WHERE IT COULD GET COVER FROM THE FIRE OF THE ENEMY. WHILE EXECUTING THIS MOVE, GENERAL TYLER'S HORSE WAS SHOT AND KILLED UNDER HIM. FROM THE EXTREME HEAT AND OVER-EXERTION, GENERAL TYLER RECEIVED A SUNSTROKE, WHICH PROSTRATED HIM FOR THE TIME, AND HE TURNED OVER THE COMMAND OF THE ENTIRE RESERVE TO ME. SOON AFTER THIS (ABOUT 12M.), THERE BEING AN URGENT DEMAND FOR RIFLED ARTILLERY, AND HAVING NO OTHER AT MY DISPOSAL, I SENT FORWARD THE BATTERY OF HORSE ARTILLERY (NINTH MICHIGAN) COMMANDED BY Captain J. J. DANIELS, WHO REPORTED TO GENERAL NEWTON, AND WAS PLACED IN POSITION BY HIM, WHERE HE REMAINED, DOING GOOD EXECUTION, UNTIL THE CLOSE OF THE BATTLE. CAPTAIN DANIELS' LOSS IN THIS ENGAGEMENT WAS 1 MAN KILLED, 4 WOUNDED, AND 23 HORSES KILLED. CAPTAIN DANIELS BIVOUACKED FOR THE NIGHT ON THE FIELD WHERE HE HAD FOUGHT. CAPTAIN DANIELS IN HIS REPORT OF THIS ENGAGEMENT (A COPY OF WHICH REPORT I HEREWITH INCLOSE) DOES NOT PARTICULARIZE ANY OFFICERS OR SOLDIERS OF HIS BATTERY, BUT SPEAKS OF ALL IN TERMS OF THE HIGHEST PRAISE FOR THEIR COOLNESS AND STEADINESS UNDER FIRE. CAPTAIN DANIELS AND THE OFFICERS AND MEN UNDER HIS COMMAND DESERVE ALL THE MORE CREDIT, AS THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME HIS BATTERY HAD EVER BEEN ENGAGED GENERAL TYLER HAVING RECOVERED SO AS TO RESUME HIS DUTIES, ABOUT DARK I MOVED BACK ON THE BALTIMORE PIKE WITH MY TWO REMAINING BATTERIES TO THE CAMP OCCUPIED BY ME THE NIGHT PREVIOUS, AND WAS JOINED BY CAPTAIN DANIELS ON THE 4TH.


Page 1021 Chapter XXXIX. THE GETTYSBURG CAMPAIGN.