Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 08.djvu/331

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Gettysburg.
319

regiment, was seriously wounded, and left upon the field. I am pleased to say that recent information received, gives assurance of his ultimate recovery. This regiment suffered more severely than any other in the command; being on the extreme left, it was exposed to a heavy enfilade, as well as direct fire; the colors were shot down no less than seven times, and were finally taken.

During the morning of Friday, 3d, my brigade remained quietly in its original line of battle. Late in the afternoon it was moved forward five or six hundred yards, to cover the retreat of Pickett's division, which had assaulted the enemy's position at the same point where my brigade had advanced the day before, and had been forced to retire. Soon after I was ordered by General Lee to move my brigade to the right, several hundred yards, and form in rear of Wilcox's brigade, to support the latter in case the enemy should advance upon it, which was now threatened. In this position I remained until after nightfall, when I retired to my original position, in line of battle, upon the hill. On Saturday, the 4th, my command remained quietly in line until about sunset, when I was ordered to take up the line of march for Fairfield. We reached the latter place about midnight, marching through drenching rain, and then I received orders to move on to Monterey gap, in South mountain, and support Iverson's brigade, which had been attacked in the mountain while guarding a large wagon train. About daylight I came upon the rear of the train, on the top of the mountain, but found the road so completely blocked up as to prevent my further progress. I halted my command and permitted my men to lie down and take a little rest, while I rode to the front to ascertain the exact condition of affairs.

I found General Iverson near Monterey, and not far from the Waynesboro' turnpike, and from him learned that all danger to the train had passed. I directed him to move on in the direction of Waynesboro' as rapidly as possible, so as to enable our troops to get through the mountain pass.

Shortly after this, Major-General Anderson came up and assumed the further direction of the day. From this time until we recrossed the Potomac my brigade lost not a single man. In the very severe and fatiguing march of the night before recrossing the river my entire command displayed a patient endurance of physical suffering and heroic fortitude rarely exhibited by any troops. A detailed list of the casualties of my brigade was forwarded to you immediately after the battle, and is therefore omitted in this report.