Today in History:

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

Page 423 THE GETTYSBURG CAMPAIGN. Chapter XXXIX.

collected together all the fragments of regiments and companies from other commands, and formed them upon the same line with my own regiment, and stationed pickets in front. In this position I remained until just before daylight on the morning of July 3, when I was ordered by General Benning to move my regiment back to the stone wall from which he had ordered me the night before. I remained in position behind this wall until late in the evening of July 3, keeping a body of skirmishers in my front. In the latter part of the evening, the enemy pressed so heavily upon my skirmishers that I was compelled to re-enforce them with two additional companies, and very soon thereafter a heavy skirmish commenced. The enemy had commenced moving around upon my left in heavy force. The troops upon my left having been withdrawn, I notified General Benning at the movement being made by the enemy. He immediately came down to my position, and there received orders, through a courier, to move the left of his brigade so as to unite which the right of General McLaw's division. Brigadier-General Benning ordered me to move to the position pointed out by the courier, which order I obeyed at once, calling in most of my skirmisher. The new position to which I had been ordered and occupied left a space of fully a quarter of a mile between my right and the then left of General Benning's brigade. This place was entirely unoccupied, excepting by a few skirmishers from my regiment. I had gained my new position but a short time when a brisk skirmish commenced between the enemy and my left wing. At this time, I received the enemy and my left wing. At this time, I received an order from General Benning by one of his couriers to hold the hill I was on, and that General McLaws would support me on the left. By the courier who brought me this order, I notified General Benning that I could see nothing of General McLaws, but instead of finding his troops upon my left, that the enemy were moving around upon my left in heavy force. After this time, I received no further orders or notice from any one of the movement of our troops. The enemy came up rapidly in heavy force, turning my left entirely, and also advancing in front and moving upon my right in the space between my right and the left of the position where I had left the balance of our brigade. After fighting in this position until I saw the enemy had greatly the advance of by his flank movement, I drew my line of battle back about 70 or 80 yards, changing at the same time my front, At this position I secured my men as best I could behind rocks and tress, seeing I was compelled to fight greatly superior numbers. In this position, I had a desperate fought, the enemy moving upon my right and left flanks and front. I fought them until they had gotten within 20 to 40 yards of my men. Seeing no re-enforcements coming to mu relief, and finding that in a few moments more my whole regiment would be either killed or captured, I ordered a retreat through the only space left open to me by the enemy. After falling back 300 or 400 yards, I rallied my regiment behind a stone fence, and there checked the advance of the enemy; but, after fighting in this position for a time, the enemy made the same movement upon this position from a time, the enemy made the same movement upon this position that he had done upon the one I had last left, by throwing a force around my left flank and moving up on my right flank, by this means hoping to surround me and entirely cut off all means of retreat. As soon as I saw that the position of the enemy rendered my position untenable, I again ordered my men to retire.


Page 423 THE GETTYSBURG CAMPAIGN. Chapter XXXIX.