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Gettysburg (July 1st - 3rd, 1863)Gettysburg, as Tom Reed saw it Wednesday, July 1st - We moved at daylight and returned to Gettysburg, and formed a line of battle. Company A was sent out skirmishing. We found the enemy. Then all the troops were ordered forward, and we charged and routed the Yankees and drove them through Gettysburg, and if General in command had pursued them a little farther our victory would have been complete. My dear friend, L. B. Bonnard, went into this fight wearing a three-story white silk hat and he was shot to death on the picket line; he did not get into the general engagement. While we were chasing the Yankees and getting in behind the houses, I saw their flag fall nine times. We would shoot it down and they would grab it up and run, till finally them scoundrels got it behind the houses and were gone. I will say right here that a man will stay longer and stick closer to his colors than he will to his brother. Before we had this little encounter, I ran down to a plank fence and the Yankees were running across an old field and looked to be as thick as you ever saw black birds fly, and as they ran I took three fair cracks at them. I don't know whether I killed one or not, but I hope I did not. Well, we slept on the streets with our guns in our arms. Thursday, July 2nd - We lay in line till late in the evening, when we were ordered to fall in and were hustled around to the heights, which we charged and took, but our support not coming up in time, we had to fall back. We slept again in the streets on our arms. July
3rd - Still in Gettysburg in line of battle.
I was Ordered to take a detail of men and go and have a lot of rations
cooked. While we were getting
ready, and while I was going into a house, whack! Went something.
Then I heard something drop on the floor on the other side of this house
I went and picked it up, and it was a ball shot from one of those globe-sighted
guns. The
ball had struck the wall of the house some two feet from the door, and about two
feet up from the floor. He had come
that night getting me, and I know he was at least a half of a mile away. The way those devils did was to climb up those trees with
their guns and spy-glasses, and pop away at us.
Other Names: None Location: Adams County Campaign: Gettysburg Campaign (June-August 1863) Date(s): July 1-3, 1863 Principal Commanders: Maj. Gen. George G. Meade [US]; Gen. Robert E. Lee [CS] Forces Engaged: 158,300 total (US 83,289; CS 75,054) Estimated Casualties: 51,000 total (US 23,000; CS 28,000) Description: Gen. Robert E. Lee concentrated his full strength against Maj. Gen. George G. Meade’s Army of the Potomac at the crossroads county seat of Gettysburg. On July 1, Confederate forces converged on the town from west and north, driving Union defenders back through the streets to Cemetery Hill. During the night, reinforcements arrived for both sides. On July 2, Lee attempted to envelop the Federals, first striking the Union left flank at the Peach Orchard, Wheatfield, Devil’s Den, and the Round Tops with Longstreet’s and Hill’s divisions, and then attacking the Union right at Culp’s and East Cemetery Hills with Ewell’s divisions. By evening, the Federals retained Little Round Top and had repulsed most of Ewell’s men. During the morning of July 3, the Confederate infantry were driven from their last toe-hold on Culp’s Hill. In the afternoon, after a preliminary artillery bombardment, Lee attacked the Union center on Cemetery Ridge. The Pickett-Pettigrew assault (more popularly, Pickett’s Charge) momentarily pierced the Union line but was driven back with severe casualties. Stuart’s cavalry attempted to gain the Union rear but was repulsed. On July 4, Lee began withdrawing his army toward Williamsport on the Potomac River. His train of wounded stretched more than fourteen miles. Result(s): Union victory
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