Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1877-09-15

yond the stone wall aud were among
the guns of the enemy posted in rear OF
il. General Garnett mad before then
been instantly killed, and General KEN
per had been severely wonnded. The
survivors of their bri gadcs had become
amalgamated with Armsteads. The
line of battle was now not one-third OF
its length when the crest of the bill was
passed. Oar line OF battle was not par
allel to the Heights, aud The left of the
diminished line reached the Heights
first The right of the line never reach.
ed them. The men OF the right, how.
ever. were near enough 10 See General
Armistead shot down near captured
gun as he Was waving his sword above
his head, and they could see the men
surrendering themselves as prisoners.
Just then detachment OF Federal in
fautry came out, tisnking our ght, and
shouted TO us To surrender There was
nothing else TO do except to take the
chance, which was an extremely good
one, of being killed on the retreat back
over the hill. There was q general lay
ing down of arms but a few, myself
among the number, rightly conclding
that the enemy were weary OF carnage,
determined to run the risk of getting
back To the Confederate lines. Our re-
treat was made singly, and al least,
was not fired upon.
DECIMATED DIVISION
The survivors of the division gather.
ed that night at the field hospital at
Bream's Mill. There all through the
night the ambulance corps kept bring
ing such wounded men as a relaxation
of vigilance on the part OF the enemys
pickets enabled them 10 take from the
field. The few who were not hurt as
sisted about the hospital and prepared
meals for the wounded. The morning
of the 4th OF July dawned upon us still
there. There was no roll call that NOR
ming. There were not enough nou-
commissioned officers left to make the
usual morning report OF companies. Of
the three brlgadier generals who led
their brigades into battle, Garnett aud
Armistead were killed and Kemper was
desperately wounded. OF the twelve
colonies who led their regiments seven
were killed and five wounded OF the
six lieutenant co!onels three were killed
and three wounded and captured. On-
ly one field officer OF the fifteen regi
ments composing the three brigades es-
capped unhurt- OF my own regiment,
the colonel aud major were killed aud
the lieutenant colonel wounded. ] was
the third captain Of my regiment on the
Sd of July. On the 4th was entitled
! by seniority to the office OF lieutenant
colonel, a promotion which received
soon atterward. When the retreat com
menced on the night of 4th of July, the
hundred men OF the division who hal
been confined in the various brigade
guard houses were released from con-
iinement, and they and their guard per
mitted to retun to duty in the ranks.
The ambulance corps were disband.d
also, and returned TO the ranks, aud
many detailed men were treated the
same way. On the morning Of the 5th
of July the report of the division show
ed not quite eleven hundred men pres
ent. Eleven hundred from forty five
hundred leaves thirty four hundred, and
that was the number OF casualties sui
fered by Pickeus little division OF Vir-
ginians in its famous charge at Ge,tys.
burg.