The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-06-30

The object OF this little article is to answer
The question Of ThoEias Hoggius in THE
NATIoSAI. TRIBUNE Of Oct. ], 1S3I, to
(which army occupied Round Top att battle
Of Getty sburg" aud also TO get ,pere definite
explanation of the position of the SD Pa.
In reply TO the first question, viii give my
regiments experience as TO the occupancy. The
early morning Of the % fonHd liz enjoying a
short rest in the edge of piccc of woods soIae
distance 10 the rear Of Cemetery Ridge. Soon
after eating our breakfast the order came. and
we moved CIT aud double-qnickea past the
base of Little Round Top Confirming ON up
The roat @e crossed Plum Ran, ard nearly
mp TO piece of woods n car front. when an
order to about-iacc reached rs. and Zone too
soon. for little further aud we should have
reached the rebel lines. We were not slow in
getting back, AID passing the front of DEVILS
Den, shot from which killed Serg't Robert
England. of Co X. We were halted az the foot
Of Little Round TOP, and after loading our
guns We scrambled Up the rugged sides of the
mountain without regard TO order, and forming
in line We soon became engaged, rs tue john
mics were climbing up the other side. be-
1ieve il was during this first trial for occupancy
that Col. ORourke. or the 140;h y. y, was
killed, and Gen. Weed and Lieut.. Hazle:t, of
Battery ID, both fell. I received slight wound
myself, and retiring under cover OF the trees
OF the summit CT the hill Shown in the picture J,
investigation proved it to be nothing serious,
and j returned to my place in the ranks.
ana particular IS TO the foregoing incidents,
because ] want il distinctly understood that
The summit az Little Round Top WAS in ',osses-
sion Of the Union troops from three to four
hours before the charge Of Lorgstreet's forces
was made, 10 which Comrade Potter refers, and
which charge was rernlsed.
viii give another incident, Brother Potter.
which ] thigk should convince you that y0u
are in error as 10 the time the guns Of Battery
ID were drawn to TIE summit.
From IN elevated position we had magnif-
cent view Ct the field. Confederate battery
was seen to move along the Emmetsbarg road.
toward the extreme right Of their line, and
taking shelter under cover of piece OF woods
opened furious cannonade cur position
for about 20 minutes. but failing 10 make any
impression on us, aE we laid low, they moved
back tic way they came till they got directly
in our front, aud halted in rear OF some farm
building. near road that comes from the west
and iutersects the Emmetsburg road al that
point. Then the fun commenced from our
side-Batterv opened on them. The first
shell fell liitlc snort. but the next and the
next, in rapid succession, were dropped in
among them, AMI in less than q minutes time
that was the most demoralized rebel battery we
had seen IN a little while. as perfect stampede
of men and horses took place. How many were
KILLED aud wounded, of course, we knew not,
but in short time two ambulances came down
llt IC@i 20 Caifk Oh Tue Illute
j make another reference 10 Col. Bachelors
picture here. According to Ii the rebel General
tSemnies was mortaily wounded near the in
fersection OF tho two roads mentioned above
That point III The picture agrees exactly with
my recollection Of the incident narrated The
time Of this affair was according to my men,
ory, pretty well along In the afternoon. Cen
y. NJ. Law, in lis article in the Century Naqa-
zine FOR Dec. 1856, 1.-The Confederate Right a.
Gettysburg" says it was nearly ) o'clock when
they advanced 10 the attack. The artillery on
both sides bad been warmly engaged for about
Is minutes, etc. Gen. Hunt Chief Of Artillery,
in his article in same magazine, entitled The
Second Day at Gettysburg" places the hour OF
attack between 4 aud D. n. lie also mentions
the fact Of lot OF cattle being between the
lines Of tic contending forces. and of the terror
and fright OF The poor animals as they rushed
from one side 10 the other as the shot aud shell
exploded over and among them. have dis
tinct recollection myself of seem. the poor
creatures III their frantic efforts TO escape from
their terrible pEcdicanept.
But whatever tie hour may have been when
the attack WAS made, am positive that we oc.
cupicd the summit and had hatfcnr Grst brush
with the Johnnies on the side OF the mountain
from tWo 10 three hours before, rs the wound
that received Is 4 reminder OF the time; and
also few minutes after we drove taem back
Iieut.-Col. Jenkins, of my regiment. ordered
the colors 10 he lung cut on tie extreme front
summit. but Coz. Garrard ordered them back
saying IL was no use exposing the men need
1essly, as they were in short range o. the rebel
sharpshooters IN the Devils Den.
Serg't Van Week, OF my own company, now
OF Srr1cBs-, =. T., makes the time OF oui
reaching lie summit even earlier than do
HsssFs 10 lttier 10 me: & 1t must have been