The National tribune., 1906-11-22

markably WELL The men of the Am
bulance Corps were busy carrying Oft
the wounded. Just in front of us. as
We turned to go to the rear. two men
had placed a wounded man on a
stretcher. They lifted the stretcher and
started for the rear, and had gone but
a few steps. when a shell burst near
us and a piece of 1t struck the rear
man in the back of the head, crushing
his skull and killing him instantly. We
had seen all we wished to, and went
our way to where the herds of cattle
were. When We returned the artillery
battle was over.
Independence Day.
On the morning of the 4th of July
we had anticipated grand celebration
of Independence Day. We prepared
our morning meal, satisfied our hunger
and waited. About 9 o'clock the bat
terry in our rear commenced firing. Then
the cry rang out from many throats
THE ball has opened" but it hadn't,
The other fellows did not respond. They
had withdrawn from our immediate
front, and were marching back to Vir-
ginia. The great battle of Gettysburg
had been fought and won by the Union
army. The battle in the wheat field
was fought by three regiments of Grif
fins Old Brigade. Col. Sweltzer, of the
62d Pa, was the commander. but was
not on the field until the fighting was
nearly done. Tilton's Brigade. the First
in our division, was expected to join
us on our right, but failed to come up,
SO there was a wide interval between
us and it, and before any change could
be made in our position Kemper's Bri-
gade of Picketts Division filed into this
interval, covering our right and rear.
A short distance from US, on our left,
was battery, but it was not efficiently
supported, and was driven back by the
enemy, leaving one gun only. Col.
Prescott. Lieut.-Col. Stephenson and
wounded, and Col. Jeffords. of the 4th
Mich, was killed. The 9Th Mass, the
fourth and largest regiment of the bri-
gade, was not In the battle.
A map in Battles and Leaders shows
Weeds Brigade in front of the guns
on Little Round Top and Ayers's Divi-
sion on the slope of the hill near the
filed with Hoods Division of Long
streets Corps. Now, Sweitzer's Bri-
gade was in front of the guns on Little
Round Top, and there was no brigade
between us and the said guns. Neither
was there any division of the army in
front Of us on that occasion, and what
puzzles me the most is, If Hoods and
McLaw's Divisions were where the map
places them, how 1t was possible for
me. with three men, to get from our
position to the wheat field and return
with wounded men, even if it was dark.
without seeing some of them or being
seen by them. The fact is we saw no
one on our route either way except the
pickets. Again, Barnes's Division, OF
which my brigade was a part, is placed
in a position more than a quarter of
mile to the right and rear of Little
Round Top. The map on page 344,
same book, shows "Sweitzer" (our bri-
gade) more than half mile to the
right and rear of the guns of Little
Round Top. Now, if the best part of
the Second Brigade, First Division,
Fifth Corps, was not where I have said
it was, will some member of the bri-
gade who was there on that interesting
occasion arise and call me to order?
I would be pleased to hear from any
member of the 32d Mass, 62d Pa. or
4th Mich.