GETTYSBURG.
Having crossed the Potomac at Edward's ferry, a continuous march on
June 28, 29, 30 and July 1, and 2, brought us to Gettysburg our own
native town, and HOME. Before reaching Gettysburg we heard various
rumors of the investment of our home by the enemy. One incident may be
related here; When approaching the familliar haunts of former days,
and some of the company began to recognize well known faces, though
themselves unknown, it was amusing to note the surprise of the
citizens, upon hearing their names deliberately called out by the
unknown soldiers. One aged citizen when convinced of identity of his
own nephew, said "Vy Chon, for vat de defil you left dem repel soljers
gum up heyr, Hey?" John's reply was, "Why! Uncle Sam, it was all
planned out so that I could get home to see my Mammy."
To lay joking aside, it was a serious matter to be thus summoned in
defence of our own homes. We had gone out two years before, to conquer
the enemy on his own soil, but were now returning, after two years of
struggle, to meet him face to face at our own door. What the feeling
of each member of the company was, under these circumstances, may be
better imagined than described, for we had seen enough of the ravages
of warfare in the south-land, to cause us to be anxious for the
welfare of our loved ones, now exposed in like manner.
As we neared Gettysburg, in a number of instances we passed near the
homes of relatives and friends, but with the merest greeting, the boys
kept their places in the ranks. Reaching the summit of the hill east
of the town, the members of the company, with a few exceptions, could
see their homes, in the village before them, in the immediate vicinity
or in the distance, and all of them within the enemy's lines.
We reached Gettysburg on the morning of July 2nd, coming from the
direction of Hanover, and moving to the left went into bivouac near
the Baltimore pike, one mile east of Cemetery ridge. Fatigued by the
long and weary marches, we soon were oblivious to all surroundings,
wrapped in restful slumber, unbroken even by the terrible fighting at
Culp's hill and Cemetery ridge, on our immediate right and front.
About 4 o'clock we were hurriedly called into line, and ordered to
sling knapsacks, which command to us always meant, "get ready for
quick and devilish work," as "Snap" put it. We were hurried at a
double quick to the extreme left, at the Round tops, to re-inforce the
3rd Corps, which had met with reverses and was being driven by the
enemy. Gen. Sykes' Regulars had previously gone to the support of
Sickles, but had also yielded the ground. A terrible crisis was now
seemingly inevitable. The Regulars were the last to yield the ground,
but being flanked on their left, they broke and fell back in disorder.
At this juncture, we came upon the ground. The First Brigade, formed
hurriedly in brigade front, as best they could, the nature of the
ground compelling the regiments to overlap each other to some extent,
on the crest of Little Round top, facing the Wheat field. As we thus
formed, we looked down over the field of carnage, and could hear the
victorious shouts of the enemy, and when the smoke of battle lifted
momentarily, we caught glimpses of fleeing friends and hotly pursuing
foes, the general outlook being anything but assuring.
We deliberately waited till the front was cleared of our retreating
and vanquished troops, many of whom passed pell-mell through our
ranks, then at the word of command, with a ringing cheer, peculiarly
our own, we swept down the face of the hill, meeting the rebels as
they came rushing forward, on the face of the hill. (I can only speak
for my own regiment.) There can be no doubt in any unprejudiced mind,
that a few moments delay would have lost to us the position on Little
Round Top, the key of the battle-field. The so called historian of the
battle-field, asserts that there were no rebels in our front when we
charged forward. Nonsense! the evidence of those who were there, we
think, should have more weight than that of a mere citizen hundreds of
miles away from the field of strife. Well, with a quick dash we swept
down into the valley, across Plum-run swamp, over the valley and up to
the stone fence, across this fence and through a narrow strip of
woods, (now removed,) to the eastern edge of the wheat-field, where,
by orders, we halted.
It has always been a source of amusement to the "boys" who chased many
a rabbit all over these hills, and gathered berries in these valleys,
played "hide and seek" among these rocks and boulders, to be told by
strangers and pretenders, where we were, on the evening of July 2nd,
when the enemy had almost seized this strong-hold, at the Round Tops.
The comrades will remember the commander of the battery in our
immediate front, who raved and swore, when it seemed as if his guns
would be taken.
"Dunder and blixen, don't let dem repels took my batteries," were his
earnest words of appeal, as the enemy hurried up to the position
occupied by his battery, and how, the next morning he came over to the
stone wall and said, "The Pennsylvania Reserves saved mine pattery,
by ----. I gets you fellers all drunk mit beer."
During the night of the 2nd, and all day of the 3rd till Pickets'
charge ended, we remained at the stone wall, being compelled all the
while to "lay low" on account of rebel sharp-shooters in our immediate
front.
Pickets charge having failed, Gen. Meade ordered Crawford to clean out
the woods in our front, and McCandles's (our) brigade at the word of
command, leaped over the wall and deliberately dressed their lines.
Skirmishers were deployed to the front, right and left, and the charge
was made diagonally over the wheat-field to the southwest, to the woods
on the west side, then half-wheeled to the right, then on up through
the woods to the crest of the hill, driving the enemy out of the woods
in the direction of the Peach-orchard. The rebels at this juncture
threatening our left flank, the column changed direction by left flank
to the rear, and in this new direction we charged forward again. Down
through the low land, then up through the woods east of the Rose
house, surprising and capturing many prisoners, over three thousand
muskets, and the colors of the Fifteenth Georgia regiment.
We bivouaced at night in the edge of Rose's woods, and about noon
being relieved, we moved back to the stone wall, and then to the rear
of Little Round Top, where we went into bivouac, the battle being
ended.
A few of the boys of Co. K, now went home, with or without leave, and
who will blame them, each one returning in time to join in pursuit of
the rebel horde as they fled southward from Gettysburg.