South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1884-04-25
[cosrsSUrp.]

Our division and Rhodes had
marched direct from the Potomac to
Carlisle, while Early's division had
crossed the mountains east. and went
TO York, and captured some ninety
day men that were guarding the place,
andparoled them and sent them home.
Longs,ree;'s and uill's corps had not
advanced far in Pennsylvania. AZ
ter laying in camp one day ut
Carlisle we started on the march and
returned towards the Potomac and
when we met the paroled prisoners
that Early had captured ut York
Gen. johnson, made them pull off
their shoes and give them to his men
that were barefooted. Some of our
mcn thought IL was cruel, bat John
son said they were going home and
could get more quicker than be could.
as nc had work for his men 10 do.
We marched OH until one day we
turned abruptly TO the left, and cross.
Ell the south mountain to the east,
and had not heard gun fired nor
heard anything about the Yankees.
until we reached the top OF the noun
tain, when we heard some artillery
firing, a long way off. Some of the
boys remarked that old Early had
found some OF the Yankees some.
Place We had no idea that the TWO
armies were closing in together, and
that the greatest battle ever fought
on the American continent had vir
tually commenced, but of course our
officers knew. We marched on down
the mountain and heard the battle
raging, iierccr and louder, and Just
before sundown we reached the bat,
tie ground, and SAW some of the
wounded and a great many prisoners,
and learned that Early and IIll had
aitac>cd the advance corps of the en-
envy and driven them with great
slaughter on both sides, from the field
and through the town OF Gettysburg,
on to the adjoining heights OF cemete-
! ~ ridge Our division was marched o.
yer the battle iiela and around to the
east OF Gettysburg, and position
that night on the extreme left OF our
army, and soon heard that the two
armies had concentrated at that point
and that the ball would open in earn
est at daylight.
The battle ragged with unceasing fu.
~, for the next two days. It COM
menced on the lst Of July, 1868. and
lasted three days, the whole OF both
armies engaged on the 2ud and 3rd.
Oar pioneer TT ops had g good time
during that battle, we had to remain
near our division, but not in much
danger except few shells passing Il.
round us occasionally.
Lees army was the attacking par.
ty, and the enemy were strongly en-
trcnched ON the ridge, and acting OH
the defense, aud as Gen. Lee wanted
TO turn their left, the hardest fighting
WAS on our right and center, and our
whole division had less 20 do and was
III less danger than any other portion
oil tie army, for in our front was the
rugged and steep ridge covered with
trees and large rocks, and rs the men
advanced they could project them,
selves, and had to fire al an angle of
about forty-hye degrees to reach the
breastworks on top of the ridge, and
1t would have been foil hardiness
Tor any troops TO attempt 10 charge
the works IN such place, but the
main object OF our division was 10
make bold front and keep up a con-
unual firing with an occasional charge
where the ground would admit of il
IN order to attract the enemy's atteu-
tion, while Longstrcct was 10 charge
AMI turn their left. But the enemy
had every advantage in position, aud
would repulse every charge that was
made, although our troops would at
different points, drive them from their
works, but could not hold them. for
want OF proper support in time, rs the
charging column would he nearly an
Initiated, aud not enough left TO hold
their position, during The evening OF
the third day all the artillery on both
sides opened, (about four hundred
plece5,) and 1t was the mos, terrific
cannonadiug ! ever heard. / was i'm
a position that | could see the smoke
from both sides along the whole Inca
which was ia a crescent shape, and il
was a continual roar, could not dis.
tnguish one report from another
Night closed the terrible havoc with
nothngaccomplished both armicsiest-
ing on their arms, in the same posi-
tons as the day before. That night
our army withdrew quietly from their
position in front of the enemy. and
fell back beyond Gettysburg and
formed a llue of bal le in q good pc
sition, and laid there in line all lav.
the 4th of July, expecting 20 be at.
tackled by the enemy, as their position
was too strong for our army TO drive
them, and Gen Lee did no. have
ammunition enough TO risk another
engagement, except on the defensive.
But J suppose the enemy had enough
OF fighting too FIR they never left