Today in History:

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

Page 415 THE GETTYSBURG CAMPAIGN. Chapter XXXIX.

about 400 yards in our front. The part of it in our front I took to be Law's brigade, and so I followed it. In truth, it was Robertson's Law's being farther to the right. This I did not discover until late in the fight, a wood on the right concealing from me most of Law's brigade. My line continued to follow the first lane, halting once or twice to preserve its interval. At length I saw that the first line would not be able alone carry the peak, so I advanced without halting again. When my line reached the foot of the peak, I found there a part of the First Texas, struggling to make the ascent, the rest of the brigade having gone to the right and left-the Fourth and Fifth Texas to the right, and the Third Arkansas to the left. The part of the First Texas referred to falling in with my brigade, the whole line commenced ascending the rugged steep and (on the right) crossing the gorge. The ground was difficult-rocks in many places presenting, by their precipitous sides, insurmountable obstacles, while the fire of the enemy was very heavy and very deadly. The progress was, therefore, not very rapid, but it was regular and uninterrupted. After awhile the enemy were driven from their three front guns. The advance continued, and at length they were driven completely from the peak, but they carried with them the three rear guns on its summit, its sudden descent on the other side favoring the operation, so that we captured only the three front guns. These were 10-pounder Parrotts. A number of prisoners also were taken-more, I suppose, than 100. The peak being thus taken and the enemy's first line driven behind his second, I made my dispositions to hold the ground gained, which was all that I could do, as I was then much in advance of every other part of our line of battle, and the second line of the enemy on the mountain itself was in a position which seemed to me almost impregnable to any merely front attack even with fresh men. Indeed, to hold the ground we had appeared a difficult task. The shells of the enemy from the adjacent mountain were incessantly bursting along the summit of the peak, and every head that showed itself was the target for a Minie ball. Several attempts by flank movements were made to dislodge us, but by the gallantry of the regiments on the right and left they all failed. We held the position until late next day, when we were ordered back to the crest of the wooded hill from which we first saw the enemy on the day before. Our loss was heavy, not less than 400 killed, wounded, and missing. Of this number, an unusually large proportion were killed and badly wounded. Among the killed were Colonel John A. Jones, of the Twentieth Georgia, and Lieutenant Colonel William T . Harris, commanding the Second Georgia. Colonel Jones was killed late in the action, not far from the captured guns, after the enemy's forces were driven from the position and they had themselves opened upon it with shell from their other batteries, a fragment of one of which, glancing from a rock, passed through his brain. He had behaved with great coolness and gallantry. He fell just as success came in sight. Colonel Harris was farther to the right, where he and his regiment were exposed to the terrible fire of the two pieces which swept the gorge, as well as to the infantry fire the enemy's left. A ball passed trough his heart, killing him instantly. His gallantry had been most conspicuous. I had no means of ascertaining the precise loss of the enemy. In killed and wounded it must have been large. Dead and wounded


Page 415 THE GETTYSBURG CAMPAIGN. Chapter XXXIX.