Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-07-24

The result OF the days fight may be sum-
med up thus: We had attacked e superior
force had driven him over three miles cap
tured three thousand prisoners, and killed and
wounded five or six thousand. Our own loss
was not heavy, though few brigades suffered
severely. The conduct of Gordon's and Hays
brigadcs is said to have been very fine. 1t
was these two brigadcs of Earlv's division,
which drove the enemy through the town Of
Gettysburg. All Of our troops behaved well
that were engaged.
Late in the evening .Andcrsons division, and
McLaws' division of Lungstreet's corps, got up
to within mile OF two OF the town and hivou-
acked for the night. Early next Thursday
morning. the ID, Hoods division also got up,
and our line Of battle was formed. The
enemy during the night had succeeded
in getting up his entire torcc-Somc 100000
to Isl, 900 men-and took up u strong posi-
tion on low mountain range or ridge. which
runs nearly south from Gettysburg. The
town is situated upon the Northern slope Of
this range, and about one and half Or two
miles from its summit. The western slope of
this range is in cultivation, except small
patches" where the mountain side is SO pre-
cipitous as to defy the efforts of the farmer
to bring it into subsection 70 the ploughsharc;
these patches" are covered with small tim
Der and underground. At the foot Of the
mountain is o narrow valley from u mile to
two miles in width, broken in small ridges
running parallel with the mountain. On the
western. side Of tho valley rises long, high
hill, mostly covered with heavy timber; but
greatly inferior in altitude to the mountain
range upoT which the enemy had taken posi-
ton, but running nearly parallel with it.
The valley between this ridge and the noun
tain is in cultivation, aud the fields were yel-
low with the golden harvest. About four or
five miles south from Gettysburg the noun
hundred feet, presenting Il sharp, rugged and
original forest growth. Upon this peak the
upon the crest of the range, about i mile or
Il mile and Il half from Gettysburg. Our line
of battle was formed along the western slope
of the second and inferior ridge described
above, and in the following order: Ewel's
corps Oh the left, beginning at the town. with
Early's division, then Rhodes division ON
the right of Rhodes division was the lett of
Hills corps, commencing with lletll's, then
Pendcr's and Anderson's divisions. On the
right of Andnrson's division WAS iongstreet'S $
son, and Hood on the extreme right of our
line, which was opposite the peak upon which
the enemy's lett rested. \ brisk skirmish
firing was kept up during the entire morning
but no general engagement took place until
late in the afternoon. 1t will be seen that in
the order of battle given above, neither john
sons division, of Ewells corps, or Pickett's
division, of Longstreet's corps, had Il place
Up to Thursday noon neither OF these diri-
sOns had come up. Pickett had been left at
Chambcrsburg to protect our rear and escort
our reserve train; and johnson had been upe-
rating on the Susquchanna, in the direction
OF Harrisburg. At one time early in the
morning, Hays brigade, Of Early's division,
made an attack upon the enemy on the south
side of the town; and, charging up the north
ern slope of the mountain, soon got posses
sion of the cnemy's first line, driving them
from strong position on the Cemetery Hill.
II is Thought that if adequate support had
been near at hand he might have dislodgcd
the enemy from his strong position on the
right. Gordon's brigade, which was in the
town, was double-quicked to his support,
moving promptly and rapidly; but owing to
the great distance they had to traverse, Hays
was compelled to fall back before his support
| reached him. In this charge Of HAYS it is
said that his men dubbed their guns and had
| u desperate hand to hand conflict with 4 very
superior force of the enemy, and that the
Slang ghter of tho Yankees was fearful.
About the middle Of the afternoon orders
were issued to the different commanders to
prepare fox Il general attack upon the enemy 5
centre and left. Longstreet was to commence
the movement, which was to be followed up
Oh his left in quick succession by the rcSpec-
tive divisions Of Hills corps. As -tndcrSon's
division, or at least Il portion Of it, took Il
conspicuous part in this movement, have as
ccrtained and now give you the order OF its
different brigadeS: On the extreme ri sht Of
Andcrson'S division, connecting with McLaws'
left, was Wilcoxs brigade, then Perry'S
Wrght's, Posey'S, Malione's. AT halt-past >
o'clock, Longstrcet commenced the attack,
and Wilcox followed itup by promptly moving
forward; Perry's brigade quickly followed,
and Wright moved simultaneously with him.
The two divisions of Longstreet,s corps soon
encountered the enemy posted Il little in rear Of
the Emmctsburg turnpike, which winds along
the slope Of the range upon which the cncmy's
main force was concentrated After short.
but spirited engagement. the enemy was
driven back upon the main line upon the crest
of the hill. McLaws' and Hoods divisions
made Il desperate assault upon their main
line: Eut. owing to the precpitate and very
rugged character of the slope, were unable to
reach the summit The enemy's loss on this
part of the line was very heavy. | have
heard several officers say that they have never
seen the enemv's dead cover the ground 50
thickly, not even at the first Fredericksburg
fight. as they did on that portion of the field
over which McLaws' troops fought. While
the fight was raging on our right Wilcox and
Wright, of Auderson's division, were pressing
the cncmy's centre Wilcox pushed forward
for nearly mile driving the enemy before
him and up to his very guns, over and beyond
his batteries several guns of which he cap
tured, and nearly up to the summit OF the
hill Wright had swept over the valley un-
der a terrific fire from the enemy'S batteries,
! posted upon McPherson's heights; had en-
cyunterei tn. enemy's advance line, and had
driven him across tho Eu.metsburg pike to
a position behiud a stone wall or fence, which
runs parallel with the pike. and about sixty or
eighty yards in front Of the batteries on the
! heights and Immediately under them. Here
this gallant brigade had most desperate en-
gageuent for fifteen or twenty minutes; but
charging rapidly up the almost perpendicular
side of the mountain, they rushed upon the
| enemy's infautry behind the stoncwal, and
drore them from 1t at tie point Of tie 6ayonet.
Now concentrating their fire upon the heavy
batteries (20 guns Of the enemy on the crest
of the heights, they soon siienced them. and
rushing forward with shout, soon gained the
summit of the heights capturing all the enc
my s guns, and driving their infantry in great
disorder and confusion into the woods be-
yond.
We now had tho key to the cncmy's strong
hold, and. apparently the victory was won.-
McLaws and Hood had pushed their line well
up the slope on the right: Wilcox had kept
we'll up on his portion of the line; Wright
had pierced the enemy's main lin" on the sum
heavy batteries, thus breaking the connection