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intense cry of mortal pain as I pray God I may never again hear.
The hill, which seemed alone devoted to this rain of death, was clear in nearly all its unsheltered places within five minutes after the fire began.
Our batteries responded immediately.
Three hours of cannonading ensued, exceeding in fierceness any ever known.
Probably three hundred cannon were fired simultaneously until four o'clock, when the rebel infantry were again seen massing in the woods fronting our centre, formed by the First and Second corps. General Doubleday's troops met this charge with the same heroic courage that had so often repelled the enemy in his desperate attempts.
The charge was made spiritedly but less venomously than before.
General Webb, commanding the Second brigade, Second division of the Second corps, met the main fury of the attack with a steady fire that served to retard the enemy's advance for a moment.
That moment was occupied by the rebel General Armistead in steadying his troops behind the fence.
General Webb immediately ordered a charge, which was made with such eagerness and swiftness, and supported by such numbers of our troops, as enabled us partially to surround the enemy, and capture General Armistead and three thousand of his men. The carnage which accompanied this charge, and the terror inspired by it, were so great as to reduce numbers of the foe to actual cowardice.
They fell upon their knees and faces, holding forward their guns and begging for mercy, while their escaped comrades, panic-stricken, and utterly routed, rushed down across the ditches and fences through the fields and through Gettysburgh.
Not a column remained to make another start.
The triumph sought for during these three terrible days belonged at last to the noble army of the Potomac.
With a pen that falters, with a hand and a heart heavy even in the presence of this great conquest; saddened by the death of not a few friends, and sick of the sights and sounds that have so long shocked my eyes and numbed my thoughts; with a vision deceived, perhaps, in many instances, by the mere tumult of the conflict; and with ears filled by divers reports and estimates of officers and surgeons, I cannot, I dare not attempt to give you an account or opinion of our losses.
They are great.
But compared with those of the enemy they are like as pebbles to grains of sand along the shore.
Report of Dr. Douglas.
sir: When the army of the Potomac broke camp at Falmouth, to commence the campaign which terminated in the battle of Gettysburgh, the operations of the Commission in connection with this army again assumed a most active and laborious character.
The evacuation of Acquia necessitated the withdrawal of its large stock of stores, accumulated at that place and at Falmouth; and the instantaneous removal of the thousands of sick and wounded from the corps hospital at Potomac Creek, called for an unusual amout of labor from its relief corps.
I have already reported, in a communication to the executive committee, dated June seventeenth, that all our stores had been safely removed to this city from Acquia, by means of our transport the steamer Elizabeth, and that we had furnished substantial food to over eight thousand sick and wounded soldiers at Lodge No. 5, of the Commission, situated at Sixth Street wharf, where all of the transports brought the inmates of the corps hospitals on their way to the general hospitals of this District.
This work of transportation began Saturday, June thirteenth, and continued unceasingly until Monday night, the fifteenth.
Coffee, bread, hot beef-soup, lemonade, were provided in quantities to meet the demands of all, and on the arrival of the boats, each invalid was questioned as to his wants, and his wishes complied with.
The continuous labor of these two days severely taxed the strength of those engaged in it.
While a portion of our force was thus occupied in removing the stores, and another portion in dispensing refreshments to the arriving thousands, a third party was engaged in following the marching columns, ready to lend assistance whenever it might be needed.
The short halt made by the army in the vicinity of Fairfax Court-House permitted us to accumulate stores at that point.
When the march was again resumed, our wagons with a replenished stock continued to follow in the rear of the column.
Dr. Alex. McDonald, who was temporarily in charge of our station at Acquia, as soon as he had reported the removal of our stores from that point, rejoined the corps in the field.
I quote from his report a resume of our operations with the army, until it crossed the Potomac at Edwards's Ferry.
On Monday, the twenty-second instant, (June,) two wagons loaded with hospital stores, in care of Messrs. Bush and Scandlin, and accompanied by Mr. Bellows, were sent to Fairfax Court-House; on Tuesday, another load, accompanied by Messrs. Hoag, Paige, Holbrook, and myself, proceeded to the same point, arriving at four P. M., and on Wednesday, a mule train with forage was sent in charge of Mr. Clampitt. Our intention was to leave one wagon with relief agent and storekeeper at Fairfax, to send a similar force to Centreville and Thoroughfare Gap, and another to Gum Springs and Aldie; but on arriving at Fairfax, we were advised by General Sedgwick to remain where we then were, as the roads were not safe without an escort. Acting on this advice, we remained at Fairfax, issuing stores to the hospitals of the Sixth and cavalry corps, which were much in need of such supplies as we then had. Found the cavalry hospital located on a slightly elevated hill, well shaded, with good water, though not in large quantity, well drained,
