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me. There are now but twenty-two line officers, and two hundred and thirty-three enlisted men, for duty in the brigade.
"Our loss has been four hundred and fifty-five, aggregate, killed, wounded and missing. I think a large number of the missing are men who have been captured unhurt, as there were a large number of men exhausted by the rapidity with which the first charge was made, who were unable to keep up on the retreat.
" We held our position until the night of the 4th, when we with- drew and marched all night in the rain, and over the worst roads I have yet seen. On the 5th, we crossed South Mountain and con- tinued our march toward Hagerstown, where we arrived on the morning of the 7th.
" Here we remained until the loth, when we again moved on, and on the nth formed line of battle on Salisbury Ridge, along Antietam creek, between Frankstown and Williamsport. Here we awaited the enemy's assault until the morning of the I4th, when we withdrew, and recrossed the Potomac early next morning. After crossing, we rested here until the morning of the i6th, when we moved to this point, where we have been in camp ever since. Where we will go next, I can't venture to predict. Rumors are rife of another crossing into Maryland, but I hardly think it probable.
"We are all looking anxiously for your return, and hope that your health may soon permit you to return to us again.
" Hoping soon to see you fully restored to health, and with us again, I am, General,
" Yours respectfully,
"DAVID LANG."
Colonel Lang soon after this wrote a letter to the editors of the Richmond Enquirer, which was published in that paper, to correct an erroneous statement of "P. W. A.," the army correspondent of the Savannah Republican, in his report of the battle of Gettysburg. Colonel Lang's letter was as follows:
"CAMP NEAR CULPEPER C. H., VA., July 26, 1863.
" To the Editors of the Richmond Inquirer:
" GENTLEMEN Having just received and read the Enquirer of the 25th inst., I am surprised to see through your columns, that so reliable a correspondent as ' P. W. A.,' of the Savannah Republican, has (unintentionally of course), glaringly misrepresented the part
