The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-08-14
BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG
20 AND THE
FIRST MINNESOTA.
CAMP NEAR WARRENToN. !
july %, 1863. {

80 ID" CAMP NEAR WARRENTON. I
July %, 1863.
To the Editor Of the Pioneer:
On the fist day of July, while passing
through Taneytown, Maryland, the well
known sound of artillery came booming
on our ears, and we saw the clouds of that
peculiar white smoke, which is only pro-
duced by the explosion of gunpowder, rise
in feecy drifts between Us and the blue
hills of Pennsylvania-the first " free soil'
we had seen since we passed the Southern
boundary of that State, two years before.
Pushing on rapidly, we at night-fall found
ourselves among the cavalry, disabled ar
tillery, wounded and runaways that had
struggled back from the scene Of action.
On their lips was the old tale of hard
fighting, and dreadful disaster, which was
received with jeers by the veterans of the
second corps" Summers Old Guard,"-
now led by Hancock, too old soldiers to
believe in stragglers tales, and too conf
dent in themselves to care whether they
were true or false; more especially as the
narrators wore the "half NOON of the
eleventh army corps. We slept that night
near the field and in the morning moved
up in order of battle, to a ridge where our
troops had fallen back that day, the
right of the corps resting on Cemetery
Hill, the left near Sugar Loaf mountain,
which brought our division, commanded
by Gen. Gibbons, in the centre Of our
general battle line. This, running in horse
shoe sha, e, left US to hold the "toe :" d.
rectly in front of Lees main position.
The morning was 1foggy, suluy and
murky, and was spent in, skirmishing, re-
connoitering and desultory cannonading.
At four P. NJ, an advance of the third corps
on DIR Immediate left, unmarked SINH
lar movement of the enemy. The rafting
fire of the skirmishers deepened into the
continuous roll Of lnusketry. The artille-
ry on both sides opened vigorously, and
the engagement became general all
along the left of the line. Although
obliged to keep low, to avoid the cannon
balls and shell continually whistling and
bursting above and around us, we now be-
held grand sight. Below and before US
was the plain where the battle was raging.
Every movement was discernible, and
watched with the anxiety Of spectators SO
deeply interested in the result; though but
little of this could be seen in the faces Of
our boys, long accustomed to conceal their
emotions on such occasions beneath the
mask of reckless indifference. Presently
the view was obscured for, though the
sun shone brightly, the air was damp, and
the smoke lay heavily over the fight.
Sometimes it formed a well defined wall,
following the lines of battle, and reaching
from the ground straight up to the clouds.
Through this the moving battalions-the
forms of the combatants seeming gigantic
in the haze-could be seen; but the
positions of the batteries, more densely
clouaed, could only be discovered by the red
flashes glazing through the darkness.
Again the cause of all the turmoil, cheers
and noise would be completely hidden, and
none could tell how the battle was going.
When, after such a moment, the wind
would raise the veil, but few conld repress
smile or an exclamation of delight, to see
that "our flag was still there" and that
our men were crowding the fight
About six o'clock there was lull of a
few moments duration, and then the enc
my, advancing in heavy columns, began to
drive the third corps steadily back. All
was now hustle among us, and from spec
tators we were to become actors. Com
pany L was detached to support Ricketts,
battery, and Gen. Hancock in person
moved our regiment, and posted it to the
left of Battery A, Fourth United States
Artillery, and behind the right division of
the third corps. Company F was sent
out as skirmishers, and Company G was
on provost duty just behind US. About
this time General Sickles was wound
ed, and the front line of that d.
vision gave way, and their wounded
and stragglers went to our rear. The
second line met the shock CALAMITY and
turned the enemy back. They charged
again and for a while the contest was
sharp and desperate-at this critical mo-
ment a fresh division of the enemy charg-
ed down-the Third corps gave way
and came to the rear in squads carrying
back men, flags and wounded, and running
over our ranks in spite of all our attempts
to rally them. The enemy's artillery
poured grape and sharpnel into the re-
treating groups, and in return our battery
CA" opened upon the rebel infantry, who
were advancing with loud cheers and pour
ing volley after volley into the broken
| limos of tho Third This turned their at