The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1882-07-27

giving US correct showing in his illus
The Union officers very frankly ADM,
| their defeat, and the retreat tbroi,ph ,he
town, qualifying it with their weary con.
dltion from long forced marches. As
heayy as were our losses, theirs were
much greater. WY
IN May last you requested me to write
up one of the battles of McGowan:s Bri.
gsade for the Weekly News, which was
also urged on me by officers of the bri.
gade, and have taken Gettysburg.
Very truly yours,
JOSEPH n. Brown.
mcUoWan's south Carolina Brigade at
Gettysburg.
! by Lieut..C0i. Joieph " Brou7r, I'm S. ~
Gen. MCGOWAN and Capt. A. G.. Has.
kell, A. A. G., were both severely wound.
ed at Charlottesville, May 3, 1863. and
Col. Abner Perrin, of the Fourteenth
South Carolina, commanded the Brigade
on the Pennsylvania campaign. With
Lieut.. j. G. Barnwell, of the First 40
his A. A. G. The field officers of the
several regiments were: Major G. w.
McCreary, First; Major w. N. Haddon,
Orr's Rifles; Col. J. l.. Miller, Lieut..
Col. d. G. Davis, and Major E. i. Book.
ter, Twelfth; Col. 3. T. Brockman and
Lieut..Col. l. +. Hunt, Thirteenth ;
Lieut.. Col. Joseph N. Brown and Major
Major Edward Croft, Fourteenth, and
Capt. w. I. Haskell, of the First, COM
manded the Battalion of Sharpshooters
On the 30th day of June, 1868, the
armies of Gems. Lee and Meade were in
Pennsylvania. The lcng march from the
Rappahsnnock had relieved both armies
of all their weak and faint.hearted, and
none bur brave and strong men had
marched there 70 battle. They went
there prepared in their minds for hard
fighting, and the makeup of the mind
has much to do in making the fight of
the soldier. The Union soldier had now
been recalled from Virginia to defend his
own coil.
On the morning of the 30th day Of
June A. p. Hills corps moved from the
Cumberland Valley and, crossing the
mountains to the eastern side, encamPed
near their base. Pender's light division
of this corps comprised the four brigades
0f Gen. e. L. Thomas, Of Georgia, Gen.
James II. Lane, of North North Caro-
lima, Gen. A. NJ. Scales, of North Caro-
lima, and Gen. Samuel MCGOWAN, of
South Carolina.
THE LINE OF BATTLE.
On the morning of the first day of
July an early conflict appeared immi-
nent. McGowan's brigade was called 70
arms. Artillery and infantry were pass
ing towards Gettysburg, six miles distant.
Artillery firing opened in front. Maj.
Haddon, with Orr's regiment, was de-
tached from the brigade for guard duty.
The remainder of the brigade, with the
field and staff officers already mentioned,
moved towards the town. A line Of bat
tie was formed, with Gen. Lanes brigade
on the right, McGowan's in the centre,
and Gen. Scales on the left. The left
rested on the Chambersburg turnpike.
Gen. Thomas brigade was not in line.
Gen. Perrin gave orders to the field and
staff, and then communicated TO the rank
and file, that they were to move forward
without firing. That they were not to
stop under any circumstances, but to
close in, press the enemy close, and rout
it from its position. The firing of artil.
lery increased and that of small arms
began. This continued for several hours,
during which time the brigade approach
ed nearer the scene Of action, resting at
intervals in the shaded woods. Rumors
of disaster and success alternately passed
along the lines, derived from the wound
ed and prisoners. Gen. Reynolds, COM
manding the Union Army, had been
killed. Gen. Archer, of our army, had
been wounded, and he, with most OF his
brigade of Gen. Heth's Division, had
been captured. But upon the whole the
advantage was on our side, and ~
o'clock p. m. the Union Army had fallen
back to line of hastily constructed
breastworks of earth, rails and the IKE
on the elope fronting and west, OF the
Lutheran Seminary, one.tourth OF
mile west Of the town. This line wss
continued by s:.enss atone fence begin.
ming some two hundred yards south OF
the Seminary near brick house, and
running snnthwardly along the crest OF
Seminary Ridge, and little further
back. or east, than the breastworks. On
the turnpike, and near the Seminary, the
Union artillery was strongly posted, be-
inc on our loft. AS thus presented Gen.
Scales on our left had on his left flank
all this artillery and in his front the rail
and earthwosks above described full OF
Union soldiers pressed back, but not de.
feated, and replenished with fresh troops
from the rear.
IN FRONT OF M'GowAE's BRIGADE
were the breastworks, defended BY the
same line continuing southwark. IN
..roos. &C Gen. Lane was the strong stone
fence, behind which was posted q strong
line of dismounted cavalry with repeat
ING rifles, which outflanked him. The
ground from these works and the stone s
slope slope to the valley westward then on a a
level of about two hundred yards, then a
like gradual ascent up to the crest Of tIa,,s the
ridge making perhaps half mile from
crest to crest, and presenting the iairest
field and finest front for destruction on
an advancing foe that could well be con
ceiyed.
THE ASSAULT.
If in this position of affairs the bri;
,ls, nf Game Scales and Lane should