Today in History:

133 Series I Volume XXVII-II Serial 44 - Gettysburg Campaign Part II

Page 133 Chapter XXXIX. THE GETTYSBURG CAMPAIGN.

Question. Was any order given as to destroying the stores, wagons, &c., left at Winchester?

Answer. No order, to my knowledge . There was nothing of any consequence to destroy ; we had been ah half rations for two day . I mean that we had half rations of bread, of meat ; we had full rations of everything else.

Question. Did any of the field-battery commanders appeal to you to be permitted to take away their guns?

Answer. No, sir; I have no recollection whatever of any artillery officer asking permission to take away his guns, on stating that he was able to do it. Captain Carlin regretted leaving his battery very much, but he did not express a belief that I did not see Captain Alexander at any time after the evacuation was determined on.

Question. On Sunday, before the retreat, did you observe any force of the enemy on the Berryville road? Was there any fighting in that direction, and at what time?

Answer. I did notice the enemy on the Berryville road on Sunday, and we commenced skirmishing with them at about 10 a. m. ; that skirmishing continued until dark. It became so warm during the day that we sent two regiments and one howitzers there . I only saw their line of skirmishers . Toward night the warmest portion of our skirmishing on that side of the town was on the Berryville road.

Question. Was Battery L supported by the force usual and proper for a battery not threatened with immediate attack? What notice was there of the enemy's advance in that direction at the time the battery was taken?

Answer. I think the battery was properly supported with infantry, considering its proximity to the main force . The first notice we had of the enemy being there was the opening of his batteries on that position . A cavalry reconnaissance had returned two hours previous, under Lieutenant-Colonel Moss, who reported no enemy between the Pughstown and Romney roads .

Question. To what officer did you give the command to stop the troops going off on the left, as you have stated?

Answer. I gave it to Captain Baird, aide-de-camp.

Question. Would not the retreat have been entirely successful, in your judgment, if the Third brigade had obeyed orders and come up promptly?

Answer. It would .

Question. If there had been wagons and artillery with the troops, would you not in all probability have taken the road instead of passing over fields and through woods, and could not the column have marched in much better order and with greater security to all, and, if there had been artillery, could not the troops have passed then by the road.

Answer. It is my belief that if we had wagons and artillery, we would have been engaged with the enemy before getting out of the town, and that the artillery and wagons would have been abandoned there . If we had been permitted by the enemy to have marched on the road, we could have moved with greater facilities and in better order on the road than by the route we took . Had artillery been at our service at the time of the engagement, I believe we could have forced our way by the road . The only rebel battery that I saw on the retreat was one posted on the Summit Point road, I think . There may have been more than one battery posted there, but that is all the artillery I saw.

Question. If by possibility you could have taken artillery from Winchester, had you ammunition enough to have made the artillery essentially serviceable along your whole route from Winchester to Harper's Ferry?

Answer. Our supply was very slim, but what we had was of a

kind that would have been very serviceable .


Page 133 Chapter XXXIX. THE GETTYSBURG CAMPAIGN.