Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 10.
Frank Moore, Ed.

your Excellency: I have the honor herewith to transmit to you a brief statement of the movements of this regiment since leaving Falmouth, Va.

On Sunday evening, June fourteenth, we struck tents, and moved about five miles towards Stafford Court House, when we were ordered back on picket, at Sedgewick's Crossing, below Falmouth. At three o'clock of the morning of the fifteenth, we were withdrawn, and moved again towards Stafford Court House, our corps forming the rear guard of the army. We reached Acquia Creek, near Dumfries, that night--twenty-eight miles; and on the next day marched to Occoquan--sixteen miles farther. On the seventeenth we marched to Fairfax Station, and on the nineteenth to Centreville.

Up to this, the weather had been very hot, and the men suffered severely from the hard marching. On the twentieth we were detailed to guard the train, and marched in a severe rain to Gainesville, reaching that place after midnight. On the next day we went to Thoroughfare Gap, where we were kept upon picket duty until the twenty-fifth, when we took up the line of march for the Potomac. The regiment was shelled by the enemy at Haymarket; one man was wounded, and Colonel Colville's horse killed under him. We reached Gum Spring on that night, twenty-two miles, and at noon of the next day arrived at Edwards' Ferry on the Potomac, which we crossed in the night, and bivouacked near our old camp.

On the twenty-seventh we marched to Sugar-Loaf Mountain, and on the next day reached the Monocacy, near Frederick City, Md.

On the twenty-ninth we made a march of thirty-one miles to Uniontown, near the Pennsylvania line, where we found the pickets of the enemy, and laid over one day for stated muster.

On the first of July we marched within two miles of this place, where we found portions of the army who had been in the battle of that day.

At three o'clock on the morning of the second instant, we were ordered into position in the front, and about the centre of our line — just to the left of the town. The battle commenced at day-light, and raged with fury the entire day. We were under a severe artillery fire, but not actively engaged until about five o'clock P. M., when we were moved to support Battery one, Fourth United States artillery. Company F had been detached from the regiment as skirmishers, and Company L as sharpshooters. Our infantry, who had advanced upon the enemy in our front, and pushed him for a while, were in turn driven back in some confusion, the enemy following them in heavy force.

To check them, we were ordered to advance, which we did, moving at double-quick down the slope of the hill, right upon the rebel line. The fire we encountered here was terrible, and, although we inflicted severe punishment upon the enemy, and checked his advance, it was with the loss in killed and wounded, of more than two thirds of our men who were engaged. Here Captain Muller, of Company E, and Lieutennat Farrer, of Company I, were killed, and Captain Periam, of Company K, mortally wounded. Colonel Colville, Lieuteuant-Colonel Adams, Major Downie, Adjutant Peller, and Lieutenants Sinclair, Company B, Demorest, Company E, DeGray, Company G, and Boyd, Company I, were severely wounded. Colonel Colville is shot through the shoulder and foot; Lieutenant-Colonel Adams is shot through the chest and twice through the leg, and his recovery is doubtful. Fully two thirds of the enlisted men engaged were either killed or wounded. Companies F, C, and L, not being engaged here, did not suffer severely on this day's fight. The command of the regiment now devolved upon Captain Nathan S. Messick.

At daybreak the next morning the enemy renewed the battle with vigor, on the right and left of our line, with infantry, and about ten o'clock A. M. opened upon the centre, where we were posted, a most terrible fire of artillery, which continued without intermission until three o'clock P. M., when heavy columns of the enemy's infantry were thrown suddenly forward against our position. They marched resolutely in the face of a withering fire up to our line, and succeeded in planting their colors on one of our batteries. They held it but a moment, as our regiment, with others of the division, rushed upon them, the colors of our regiment in advance, and retook the battery, capturing nearly the entire rebel force who remained alive. Our regiment took about five hundred prisoners. Several stands of rebel colors were here taken. Private Marshall Sherman, of Company C, captured the colors of the Twenty-eighth Virginia regiment.

Our entire regiment, except Company L, was in the fight, and our loss again was very severe. Captain Messick, while gallantly leading the regiment, was killed early. Captain W. B. Farrell, Company C, was mortally wounded, and died last night. Lieutenant Mason, Company D, received three wounds, and Lieutenants Harmon, Company C, Heffelfinger, Company D, and May, Company B, were also wounded. The enemy suffered terribly here, and is now retreating.

Our loss of so many brave men is heart-rending, and will carry mourning into all parts of the state. But they have fallen in a holy cause, and their memory will not soon perish. Our loss is four commissioned officers and forty-seven men killed, thirteen officers and one hundred and sixty-two men wounded, and six men missing. Total, two hundred and thirty-two, out of less than three hundred and thirty men and officers engaged.

Several acts of heroic daring occurred in this battle. I cannot now attempt to enumerate them. The bearing of Colonel Colville and Lieutenant-Colonel Adams, in the fight of Tuesday [178] day, was conspicuously gallant. Heroically urging them on to the attack, they fell very nearly at the same moment, (their wounds comparatively disabling them,) so far in the advance that some time elapsed before they were got off the field. Major Downie received two bullets through the arm before he turned over the command to Captain Messick. Color-Sergeant E. P. Perkins and two of the color-guard, successively bearing the flag, were wounded in Thursday's fight. On Friday Corporal Dehr, of Company A, the last of the color-guard, when close upon the enemy, was shot through the hand, and the flagstaff cut in two; Corporal Henry D. O'Brien, of Company D, instantly seized the flag by the remnant of the staff, and, waving it over his head, rushed right up to the muzzles of the enemy's muskets; nearly at the moment of victory, he too was wounded in the hand, but the flag was instantly grasped by Corporal W. N. Irvine, of Company D, who still carries its tattered remnants. Company L, Captain Berger, supported Kirby's battery throughout the battle, and did very effective service. Every man in the regiment did his whole duty. With great respect, I am,

Your obedient servant,

on the first of July, 1863, we started from Uniontown, Md., early in the morning, for Pennsylvania, via Tenalytown. We arrived after very slow marching at Tenalytown about noon, which is about seven miles from W----n, and thirteen from Gettysburg, and halted in a woods, cooked our dinners, and were given to understand that we were to remain during the rest of the day at least. So on the thought of that, one of my comrades and I went off and found a creek, and washed our shirts and socks, having had no opportunity of performing this needful operation of late; but we had scarcely got back when the order came to march, and we had the alternative of carrying our wet shirts or throwing them away, and trust to Providence to get some more; but we decided to carry them, heavy though they were. Hot was the day, and tired were we, with the prospect of a long and rapid march before we halted again. We spread them out on our knapsacks, so that in travelling along they were drying and continually lessening our load. When about three miles from Tenalytown, we began to hear the first rumors and reports we had heard of a battle then progressing at Gettysburg, and also plainly see the two lines of smoke of the two contending parties' fire. That accounted for our sudden orders to march. Rumors came thicker as we neared the field, from citizens, cavalrymen, and orderlies; but, as usual on such occasions, so contradictory we could make nothing definite or reliable out of them, though the weight of them seemed to satisfy us that at the close of the battle our forces were worsted, and had to fall back some distance, though we did not get near enough to the field that night to see many wounded men or skedaddlers, if there were many of the latter class.

We halted about three miles from Gettysburg about nine o'clock that night, and had orders to build breastworks of the fence rails; but as we were pretty tired, and couldn't really see the necessity of work that far from the field, we boys did not build any, but lay down to sleep, which, as it afterwards proved, was just as well, as no fighting was done there. The country, after we crossed the Pennsylvania line, seemed very much like some of the poorer parts of Virginia, and the people like the Virginians, for they seemed perfectly indifferent to our army passing through, and the great conflict which was raging and still to rage so near their homes, and on the result of which depended the fate of the whole country. One group in particular, we saw, were, we believed, truly loyal, as one of them, a very intelligent looking woman, said to us while passing, with much feeling, “It gives us so much pleasure to see our good Union soldiers coming!” Many a fervent “God bless you!” and “Good for you!” were uttered by the tired and weary soldiers, and many, too, forgot their weariness and their loads, feeling that for such they could fight and endure any hardship without grumbling. One of our boys, poor fellow! he is now dead, (Russ Allen,) said, “Boys, who wouldn't fight for such as these?” Just that little expression, and the way it was expressed, seemed to put new life into all of us, and we resolved, if possible, to give them yet more pleasure by driving the invaders from their soil.

The next morning we were called up about day-light, and before we had time to get coffee, had to march for the battle-field, where we arrived soon. Troops were moving around in every direction, getting in position for the coming battle. Our corps was marched to the centre; but before being placed in position on the line we were to occupy, we were closed in column to hear an order and an appeal to the troops by General Gibbons, our division commander. It was good, and we all felt better after hearing it. It told of the great issue at stake in the coming contest — appealing to all to do their duty and win the gratitude and esteem of our friends and of the nation, and ordered that every one found skulking away in time of action should suffer death. I have always thought it would do good to make these addresses to troops before going into action, to rouse their enthusiasm and make them fight much better. Napoleon used to, and the Southerners do; but it is practised but little in our army. One thing our armies lack is enthusiasm; and no efforts are made to create it, when, in many cases, it would accomplish more than real bravery or bull-dog courage; so I think, at least. Well, our corps and batteries got into position about nine o'clock, and occasionally a shot was fired from our guns, and some sharp skirmishing was carried on in front of our lines. Our brigade was not in front; so we went to making coffee and cooking, and filling up the inner man, preparatory to the coming struggle. [179] About two o'clock the rebels opened on us from some of their batteries, and the way the ambulances, hospital men, stragglers, and darkies did skedaddle for the rear, was amusing to those old fellows who had got used, somewhat, to such things as shells. Several men of the brigade were wounded, and one shell killed a sergeant of Company I, named Woodworth, and wounded three others. After lying there about two hours, or till four o'clock, we were ordered to get our things on and be ready to move, as the Third corps on our left was going in, and we might be needed to help them. The artillery and musketry then commenced firing on the left, and continued with but little change for two hours, when our men began to give way slowly. We were at once ordered up to the left to support our batteries, and check the rebels' advance. We were marched up there about a quarter of a mile, and ordered to lie down in front of the batteries, as the shot and shell were coming over pretty plentifully. From there we could look all over the field, see our lines, the rebel lines, and their batteries very plainly. As I saw our men fall back, rally, and fall back again, skedaddlers rushing to the rear in squads, I never felt so bad in my life. I thought sure the day was gone for us, and felt that I would prefer to die there, rather than live and suffer the disgrace and humiliation a defeat of our army there would entail on us; and if ever I offered a sincere prayer in my life, it was then, that we might be saved from defeat. We all felt bad, but resolved, when our chance came, to do our best to retrieve the fortunes of the day, hardly expecting to come out of the conflict unharmed. Our turn soon came. We were ordered forward against the enemy, who were then within musket range of us; and if any ever were willing and anxious to go forward into what we all could see was a deadly place, our boys were. We had two open fields to advance over, while the rebels were coming down over another open field, and the Third corps falling back before. We went forward on a run, and with a yell, till about half way across the second field, when we were ordered, for some unaccountable reason to us, to halt, and the bullets were coming like hail-stones, and whittling our boys like grain before the sickle. “Why don't they let us charge?” cried all of us. “Why do they stop us here to be murdered?” Every one seemed anxious to go forward, and some run way out ahead and beckoned for as to come on. We have always believed that a determined charge would break any line, and that more would be accomplished and less life lost, than by lying down and firing two or three hours. We felt that we could check and force them to retreat, and we wanted to go against them with a vengeance and get over the deadly ground as soon as possible. We were halted again when across the second field; and though by this time few were left, we were just as anxious to go forward. We were almost together, and the rebels had nearly flanked the right of the regiment. But what surprised me most was to see some of the rebels, not fifty yards from us, standing out openly and loading and firing as deliberately as though they were in no danger whatever. Ah! there is no mistake but what some of those rebels are just as brave as it is possible for human beings to be. I expected they would turn and run when they saw us coming so determinedly, and I believe they would, had we gone right on. We had fired but a few shots before we were ordered to fall back. 'Twas some time before we could hear the order, and when we did the right of the regiment was half way back. We dreaded to go back for the danger of it, more than staying there; and we felt, though obeying orders, that we were being disgraced to fall back when we knew we could hold our own. We fell back, and it was then I had the first feeling of fear during the fight. I felt almost sure I would be hit, and I saw many wounded going back.

When we got back to the colors, where we rallied, scarce twenty-five men were to be found. Most who went in were killed, wounded, or helping off the wounded. The enemy advanced no farther, and soon some of our boys who did not fall back when ordered, came in bringing in prisoners, and They said when we fell back the rebels were making for the rear as fast as possible. It was now about dark. Another line came up of the First corps, and went in where we came out, found no enemy, advanced their pickets over the battle-field to enable us to get off our wounded, which they at once commenced to do. We were ordered to join the brigade again, on the right; and Lieutenant Heffelfinger took a couple of the boys and went and had all our wounded carried to the hospital that night. As we were going to the right to join the brigade, musketry was heard very plain, seemingly scarce half a mile off, and completely in our rear; in fact, some of the bullets whistled over our heads. Now we were sure that the battle was gone up for us, for the fighting continued fierce, and seemed growing nearer all the time. We made up our minds that we were whipped, and expected before morning to see the whole army routed, and flying for Baltimore. The prospect was gloomy and discouraging in the extreme to us, but, thank God, that time we were deceived, and our affairs and position were much better than the most sanguine of us could believe possible. The firing soon ceased on the right and what seemed our rear; the troops were got in their places, and put in position for the contest, whenever it should open again. Our brigade was placed almost in the same position we had previous to the charge in the afternoon, viz.: the left centre of the army, and the left of the Second division. We then lay down to get some sleep, with our equipment on and guns by our sides; and I here say I never slept better and had more pleasant dreams in my life than I had on the battle-field of Gettysburg, with dead men and horses lying all around me; but the excitement and exhaustion had been so great that a man could sleep in any condition, and under any circumstances. We got up about daylight, expected and awaited an attack from the enemy at any moment but till afternoon all was quiet, except occasionally a shot [180] from their or our batteries. Most of us got some coffee during the forenoon, by going one or two at a time back to the rear, where they were allowed fires and cooking, which of course greatly refreshed us. A man's appetite generally, during a battle, is not very voracious. About half past 12 o'clock, as we had gathered around one of our Lieutenants to hear the yesterday's Baltimore Clipper read, bang! comes one of their shells over us, striking about twenty yards from us. That stopped the reading; each man took his place, lay down, and for the next two hours hugged the ground just about as close as human beings are generally in the habit of doing. The first gun was the signal for a hundred more to open, at less than half a mile distance, while till then their existence was perfectly unknown to us. Such an artillery fire has never been witnessed in this war. The air seemed to be filled with the hissing, screaming, bursting missiles, and all of them really seemed to be directed at us. They knew our exact position, for before we lay down they could with the naked eye plainly see us, and where our lines were, and tried to explode their shells directly over us; but fortunately most of them just went far enough to clear us, while many struck in front of us and bounded over us. We lay behind a slight rise of ground, just enough, by lying close, to hide us from the view of the rebels. A good many shell and pieces struck mighty close to us, and among us, but strange to say, none of us were injured, while the troops that lay behind us had many killed and wounded. Our batteries replied, but for the first time in our experience, they were powerless to silence the rebels, and in fact, many of our guns were silenced. So many of their horses and men were killed that they could not work their guns, and drew them off the field. Caisson after caisson blew up, and still the rebels' fire was fierce and rapid as ever. I kept thinking, surely they cannot fire much longer; their guns will get so hot they will have to stop, and they cannot afford, so far from their base, to waste so much ammunition. It was awful hot where we lay, with the sun shining down on us, and we so close to the ground that not a breath of air could reach us. We kept wishing and hoping they would dry up, as much to get out of the heat as the danger, for the latter we thought little of, after they had fired a while; but Lee had an object to attain by throwing away so much ammunition. He calculated by concentrating his fire on our centre that he could use up our batteries, drive away and demoralize our infantry lines, for owing to the shape of our lines, a shell coming from the rebels, if it failed to do any damage to the front lines, could scarcely fail to go into the reserves that lay back of us; and in fact many more were killed in the rear than in the front, though their fire was directed at the front line and batteries nearly altogether. Had he succeeded in doing what he expected, and got the position we occupied, we were defeated, and so badly that I much doubt our ability to stop their progress towards Baltimore, or anywhere they chose to go. But Mr. Lee got fooled for once, and threw away a mighty sight of good ammunition, and derived little benefit from it. Well, after firing about two hours and a half, they slackened up, and soon the order came, “Be ready, for they are running,” (their infantry.) We had expected it, and it was not many seconds before every man had on his armor, and was anxiously awaiting the coming of the foe. They had to advance more than half a mile across open fields. They came out of the woods in three lines, and advanced in good order till they got more than half way to us, and in good range of our muskets, which of course we used, as did the battery pour grape and canister, when they closed in to their left, and massed together for a charge, on the part of the line held by the Second Philadelphia brigade of our division. As they closed together, we (our brigade) marched by flank to confound them, firing at them continually, pouring most of our shot into their flank, where every shot must tell. The Second brigade gave way before the rebels got to them, and commenced to fall back. Our brigade was hurried up, and the Third were brought up to the rescue, and with the Second, which soon rallied again, we charged the rebels just as they had planted one of their colors on one of our guns. A Vermont brigade was sent out to flank them, which they did handsomely. The rebels, now seeing the position they had got in, threw away their guns and gave themselves up by hundreds, and thus ended the great assault of Lee on the third. Not enough went back of Ricketts's division to make a good line of skirmishers. Another line came out on the left shortly afterwards, but they were repulsed as completely as the first, and with the exception of a little artillery firing, was the last of the fighting at Gettysburg.

During the assault the rebels poured into us lots of shell and grape from their batteries, but we scarce paid any attention to it, having all we could attend to in the infantry. Our boys felt bully during all the fight of the third, and no one thought of running or of the danger, except the Second brigade; and some of these regiments, Baxter Zouaves, for instance, never were known to stand fire. We took revenge for what they had done to our poor fellows the day before, and we never had had such a chance before. Most of us fired over twenty rounds, and at close range enough to do splendid execution; and if we didn't kill some Secesh in that battle we never did, and I fear never will during the war.

During the fight of the third, it might be said, almost, that every man fought on his own hook, for our division had been so used up the day before, that few officers were left. Generals Hancock and Gibbon were wounded early. Each man acted as though he felt what was at stake in the contest, and did all in their power to drive the enemy, without regard to officers, or whether there were any or not. Regiments all mixed up together, and in the last charge nearly all the flags of the division were together in a corner where the rebels got a hold. The flags of the rebel division were about the same, and when the assault was fully repulsed, they laid them on the ground in front of us, for [181] anybody to get who chose, and, as might be expected, the brave men of the Second brigade were on hand to pick them up when there was no danger, and claim all the honor. They are welcome, though, to all they can get, for among those who knew them and saw them in the fight, they will have to show something besides flags to establish their bravery on that field. The sights on the field were horrible, by far the worst of any field we have seen; but I have not the time or disposition to describe them. Never before were our batteries so used up. Some of them had not men and horses enough for two guns, and the four batteries of our corps had to be consolidated into two before leaving the field.

The morning of the fourth we drew rations, and plenty of them; and right there, where we had fought the day before, we cooked and ate a hearty breakfast, for by this time we were pretty hungry, and many of us out of grub. That day and the forenoon of the next, our men were busy burying the dead. About noon of the fifth we left the field to follow the rebels, who were now known to be making for the Potomac as fast as possible.

I have here tried to give you a slight sketch of the part we took in the great battle. It is very imperfect, and many things are left out I should like to have put in; but I think I have taken up space enough any way; so for the rest, if God spares my life, and my memory serves me, you must wait till about nine months from now, and I will try, if agreeable, to favor you. So, for the present, good by.

General: In compliance with instructions from headquarters, I have the honor to make the following report of the part taken by the Seventeenth Regiment Connecticut volunteers, in the engagement of the first, second, and third instant.

The regiment reached Gettysburg between one and two o'clock P. M. of the first instant, and was marched with the other regiments of the brigade, through, and to the lower end of the town, and then halted for a moment. Four companies were immediately ordered out, (by Brigadier-General Ames,) under command of Major Brady, to the right of the bridge at the lower end of the town, with instruction to throw out two companies as skirmishers, the other two to be held as are serve, and to take and hold the brick house to the left, and beyond the bridge. Two companies were thrown out and deployed as skirmishers as rapidly as possible to the right of the bridge, along the creek; the other two, held in reserve, were advanced in line, loading and firing as rapidly as possible, making at the same time a left wheel, so as to swing our right around the house — the reserve keeping near and conforming to the movements of the skirmishers. When near the house the enemy opened upon us with shot, shell, grape, and canister, which retarded our advance for a moment, until Major Brady dismounted, went in front of the line of skirmishers, and led them on until quite near the house. The enemy, anticipating our movements, shelled the house and set it on fire. We, however, held our ground, and held the enemy's skirmishers in check: their loss up to this time was at least five to one, most of the men in the four companies being excellent marksmen, and having volunteered for this occasion. They consisted of Companies A, B, F, and K, and commanded respectively by Captains McQuhae, Hobbie, Allen, and McCarty. We continued skirmishing briskly until Major Brady received orders from Brigadier-General Ames to draw in his skirmishers, and return to town as rapidly as possible, and take command of his regiment. The order was obeyed, and we fell back in good order, skirmishing with the enemy, who advanced as we retreated, and tried to cut us off and capture us before we got to the town; but we foiled them in this attempt by making a circuit, and entering the town near the upper end, and soon joined the remainder of the regiment, which we found near the lower end of the town.

The loss in the four companies under Major Brady was three men killed, one Captain and one Lieutenant wounded, one Sergeant and three men taken prisoners. I would here state that I had great difficulty in drawing in Captain McCarty's Company K, as they were so earnestly engaged, and making such sad havoc among the rebels. The remainder of the regiment, six companies under Lieutenant-Colonel Fowler, advanced with the other regiments of the brigade to the left and front of the town, and directly in rear of the One Hundred and Seventh Ohio volunteers, in close column by division, were ordered to the front, advanced and deployed at double-quick, and held their ground, (notwithstanding the rush to the rear of troops directly in advance,) until ordered by the brigade commander to fall back, which order was obeyed in good order, the men loading and firing as they fell back. Lieutenant-Colonel Fowler was killed when the regiment advanced and deployed. (captain Morn was killed about this time, and Captain French and Lieutenant Quinn were wounded, and many of the men were killed, wounded, and taken prisoners.

When the regiment reached the town, the four companies under Major Brady were still skirmishing with the enemy, and remained so until Brigadier-General Ames sent an Aid, with orders for Major Brady to return with his command and assume command of his regiment, he being the only field officer of the regiment present. Upon arriving in the town Major Brady assumed command of the regiment, and reported immediately to Brigadier-General Ames for instructions. The enemy were at this time advancing rapidly through the town. The regiment was immediately deployed in the streets, and fired several volleys into the ranks of the enemy, which thinned their ranks and retarded their advance. We kept the enemy from advancing through the town, until ordered to clear the street of our men for the purpose of planting a battery. The battery not being placed in position as intended, and the regiment being in line on the sidewalk, the enemy took advantage [182] of this, and with a superior force rushed through the main street, which compelled us to fall back, which we did reluctantly, but not without contesting the ground inch by inch. As we retreated we loaded, halted, and poured destructive volleys into their ranks, which cleared the main street of them several times; but we found the enemy too many for us. They poured in from every street in overwhelming numbers, which broke our ranks. Upon arriving near the battery on Cemetery Hill, the regiment was halted, and formed in line of battle, fronting the town. About this time Major-General Howard, who was in the thickest of the fight, regardless of danger, asked if he had troops brave enough to advance to a stone wall across a lot towards the town, and said he would lead them. We replied, “Yes; the Seventeenth Connecticut will,” and advanced at once to the place indicated, remained a few moments, and again advanced across another lot still nearer the town, and behind a rail fence at the upper end of the town, which position we held till late in the evening, exposed to a galling fire from the enemy's sharpshooters, when the whole regiment was ordered out on picket, and performed that duty until two o'clock of the second instant, when we were relieved and took a position behind the rail fence, and one hundred and fifty paces farther to the right of the place we occupied before going out on picket. We remained in this position, exposed to the enemy's batteries and sharpshooters, until seven o'clock P. M., when we were ordered to the extreme right, behind a stone wall, on each side of a lane below the battery, opposite the cemetery entrance. Two companies were advanced to the grain field near the woods, through which the enemy were rapidly advancing. We covered the wall on each side of the lane by compelling about three hundred stragglers, who had no commander, to fall into our line. We had not more than time to form behind the wall before the enemy were discovered advancing rapidly upon us on our right, and a full brigade obliquely towards our left. When within one hundred and fifty paces of us we poured a destructive fire upon them, which thinned their ranks and checked their advance. We fired several volleys by battalion, after which they charged upon us. We had a hand-to-hand conflict with them, firmly held our ground, and drove them back. Soon after, some of the troops on our left giving way, the rebels succeeded in getting in our rear. We again drove them back, and held our position. It was during this conflict that Major Brady was wounded by a fragment of a shell, which hit him upon his right shoulder. After the enemy had been driven back, the firing ceased, excepting occasional shots from their sharpshooters. We were relieved by the Fourth Ohio volunteers, and were ordered to change front to the left, behind a wall running at right angles with the one we had just occupied, and fronting the town, and where the enemy entered on our left. We remained at this wall all night, and during the whole of the third instant, exposed to a cross-fire of the rebel batteries and their sharpshooters. With the latter our best marksmen exchanged shots and succeeded in dislodging many of them. When the regiment entered the engagement on the first instant, it numbered seventeen officers and three hundred and sixty-nine enlisted men. We report at the present time nine officers and one hundred and twenty enlisted men.

Captain Wilson French and Lieutenant Barton are the only officers known to have been taken prisoners. The former was wounded in the first day's engagement. We are not aware that either of them was paroled. The regiment behaved gallantly. No troops in the world could behave better. Both officers and men are deserving of great credit for their coolness and bravery throughout the entire three days battle. There are many deserving of especial mention for bravery on the field, but they are so numerous I will not undertake to give the names. The coolness and bravery displayed by the officers and men of Company B exceeded anything I ever saw.

I am, General,

Your most obedient servant,