Today in History:

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

Page 509 Chapter XXXIX. THE GETTYSBURG CAMPAIGN.


HEADQUARTERS STEUART'S BRIGADE, June 18, 1863.

MAJOR: No flags were captured in the recent battle near Winchester by the Third North Carolina Regiment and by the Tenth Virginia. Four stand of colors were captured by the First North Carolina, of which one was given to Lieutenant [William P.] Zollinger, Company A, First Maryland Battalion Infantry, as officer of the guard at court-house in Winchester, and ther left by him. One was taken by members of the Fourth Brigade, under the circumstances stated in the accompanying report. Two were turned over at these headquarters, and are hereby turned over to division headquarters-one a common flag. It is not known from whom the flags were captured. The other two regiments of the brigade were not engaged.

I am, captain, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
GEO. H. STEUART,

Brigadier-General.

Major B. W. LEIGH,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Johnson's Division.

HEADQUARTERS STEUART'S BRIGADE, September 2, 1863.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to make the following report of the part taken by my brigade in the battle of Gettysburg: We reached the battle-field of July 1 toward evening of that day, and, marching through a part of the town and along he Gettysburg and York Railroad, formed line of battle to the northeast, our front facing the south and our left wing in a skirt of woods. The Fourth and Second Brigades were on our right, the Stonewall on our left. We slept on our arms that night. At about # p. m. the following day, the enemy's and our own batteries opened fire, and the shelling was very heavy for several hours. The brigade, however, suffered but little, being protected by the woods and behind rising ground. Our pickets, which had been stationed 300 yards in front of our line the night previous, were relieved at about 5 o'clock by four companies of skirmishers from the Twenty-third Virginia, and shortly afterward the brigade was formed in line of battle and moved forward. The hill where the enemy was strongly intrenched, and from which we were ordered to drive him, lay in a southwesterly direction from our position, and accordingly our left wing was obliged to swing around by a right half-wheel, and the brigade thus formed front toward the west by south. The enemy's skirmishers fell back rapidly as we advanced through the fields and across Rock Creek, they suffering slightly, and inflicting little or no injury. The right wing of the brigade crossed the creek considerably in advance of the center and left wing, owing to the fact that the order to move by a right half-wheel was not immediately understood on the left, and also to the greater number of natural obstacles to be overcome by that part of the brigade. The slope of the hill above referred to at the point where the brigade crossed the creek commences about 50 feet from the bank, and, being thickly wooded, the charge of our right wing was made under great disadvantages. The Third North Carolina and First Maryland Battalion, which were now entirely separated


Page 509 Chapter XXXIX. THE GETTYSBURG CAMPAIGN.