Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 7.
Frank Moore, Ed.

During the attack made by Pickett, McLaws had been actively engaged on our right, but with no decisive results. Ewell, also on our extreme left, had been threatening the enemy in his positionn on Cemetery Hill; but these were mere feints, to cover and divert attention from our main attack upon the centre. You will see that twice we took the McPherson heights — the real key to the enemy's whole position — once by a single brigade, on Thursday, and again by a single division on Friday, and that in both instances we lost it by the failure of proper supports to the attacking parties. On whom the blame rests for the second failure I shall not attempt to say. The most careless reader will be at no loss to discover the responsible party. Of the failure to send in support in the first assault (on Thursday) the conviction is general in this army that Major-General Anderson should be held responsible. It was a portion of his division that made the assault and successful charge, and two of his strongest brigades, although on the field, were not put in action. Why this was so, I presume and hope he will be able to explain when he comes to make his official report.

Nothing further transpired during the afternoon and night of Friday. On Saturday we were engaged with strong working parties burying our dead and caring for the wounded.

It is now apparent that the enemy's position was almost impregnable. It was further made known that the three days fighting had nearly exhausted our ammunition. There had been indications the night before (Friday) that the enemy were moving off; but all Saturday morning the atmosphere was so hazy that nothing could be seen, and from noon until night the rain poured in such torrents as to utterly preclude any accurate observations being made. During the whole of the day our wounded — at least such as were able to bear it, were being sent toward Hagerstown, and late in the afternoon our artillery and wagon-trains also commenced moving in the same direction. At dark our whole army were put in motion, taking the road to Fairfield, and crossing South-Mountain at Waterloo Gap. Our falling back was orderly and without loss of men or guns. All our artillery was brought off, and very few, if any, stragglers fell into the enemy's hands. Having crossed the mountain, we moved on to Hagerstown, where we arrived on Monday, the sixth. Here we took position and calmly awaited the approach of the enemy. On Tuesday his advance got as near to us as Funkstown, four miles south of Hagerstown, and on Wednesday and Thursday his whole command confronted us. We were anxious for him to commence the attack, and hourly expected the ball to open. During Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday we lay face to face; but the enemy refused to accept our wager of battle. On Monday night, finding that the enemy had no idea of offering us battle, but had gone to work intrenching and fortifying, General Lee determined to recross the river. I have no doubt the continued and heavy rains, and consequent rapid rising of the Potomac, had some influence on this movement. We are now all on the “sacred soil of old Virginia,” in fine spirits and good health, and fully prepared to meet the Yankee army whenever it shall get ready to move upon us. No one in the army has had his confidence in General Lee in the slightest degree impaired by the last month's campaign. He had difficulties to contend with which impartial history will duly record, and his fair fame will not receive a single blot by this campaign. I shall at some future moment, when I have leisure, give you some more full particulars of the campaign and what we accomplished. Our loss in the three days fighting at Gettysburgh will fall below ten thousand in killed, wounded, and missing. The enemy's loss is at least thirty thousand killed and wounded, and ten thousand prisoners. Some of the prisoners, indeed, most of them, were paroled in Pennsylvania; the balance have been sent on to Richmond.

the charge of Pickett's division.

The sun rises, clouds obscure its brightness as if loth to look upon the scene to witness such inhumanity, but from which no people are exempt who ever left a history or benefited the human race. The conflict began ere Tubal Cain first worked in brass, and will continue till a higher virtue than man has ever reached shall govern events. Soon the division leaves the main road, makes a detour to the right, winds over hill and through wood, toward the right of our line of battle. The morning is now wearing away — at times a cannon-shot breaks the quiet, and a shell comes .screaming through the air — now and then the skirmishers break forth, varying from the sharp, quick crack of a single rifle, to perfect volleys. Hour after hour thus passes, and the battle is not yet begun. Our troops are taking position — Ewell is on the left. Hill holds the centre, and Longstreet on the right. Long lines of men are moving across yonder fields, or marching: through that piece of wood. Batteries of artillery occupy this hillock and that mound, whilst along the low range of hills just back of Gettysburgh, at intervals, are batteries unlimbered and ready for action. Toward the left a body of cavalry are slowly moving. It is now nearly noon, the clouds break away, the air is warm and sultry. The signal flags are waving fast intelligence along our lines; presently the shrill sound of a Whitworth awakes the silence, then batteries slowly open from this point and that. The enemy reply with vigor. The fire on either side rapidly increases dense columns of smoke hang over the beautiful valley, and, rising upward, slowly float away. From that point a new battery belches forth — another and still another joins in the awful chorus, the very air seems filled with hissing, screaming, bursting shells. The lurid flame leaps madly from the cannon's mouth — each moment the roar grows more intense — now chime in volleys of small arms. But where is that division which is to