Waitt, Ernest Linden, History of the Nineteenth regiment, Massachusetts volunteer infantry , 1861-1865

[251] and then camping. During the march from Falmouth to Edward's Ferry there was some insignificant skirmishing with cavalry, mounted troops and light batteries, but nothing of serious moment. Leaving Edward's Ferry early in the morning, after its arrival there, the corps marched by Poolesville and the Monocacy to Frederick City, Md.; thence through Liberty to Uniontown, making a forced march from early dawn until 9 o'clock in the evening. There had been some cavalry skirmishing through the town, and further on, during the day, but the Second Corps were not engaged. On arriving at Uniontown, I received orders to take possession of the town, with the regiment, to preserve order there, picket the exits and prevent the exhibition of any disloyal feeling, especially if it took the active shape of intention to give information to the enemy.

I must here say, in justice to the citizens, that they manifested a spirit unexpected and worthy of the name of the town—something that we had been unaccustomed to in our previous experience with the population of Maryland. It so happened that our marching rations were exhausted, and our teams behind. The citizens gave my men supper in their houses, and breakfast in the morning, refusing pay from any enlisted man, and making very moderate charges to the officers. This was the morning of July 1st, 1863.

Early we commenced to distribute rations, but had scarcely begun when sudden orders to move set us on the march and my men had to leave with empty haversacks. We marched all that day until after nightfall, the moon shining with extreme brightness, and we were placed in line of battle in rear of Round Top, where it was understood we might expect to meet the enemy—the First and Eleventh Corps, under Reynolds and Howard, having met with severe disaster during the day and at and beyond Gettysburg.

During the night the plan was changed, and before daylight of a dark, cloudy morning, the Second Corps was on the move, and halted only when it reached the low cemetery Ridge, where it relieved the badly broken First Corps, on the left of Howard's line, thus occupying about the centre of the Army, and held this position until the conclusion of what was soon to be the ever memorable battle of Gettysburg in its second and third day's continuance.

Early in the morning of July 2nd, General Gibbon, commanding the Second Division of the Second Corps, assumed command of the corps, General Hancock being temporarily in chief command. General Harrow, commanding First Brigade, came into command of the division by seniority. At the joint request of Generals Gibbon and Harrow, I left my regiment and joined General Harrow's staff for the purpose of taking charge of the operations of the division, giving orders in General Harrow's name. Nothing of importance occurred, however. Later in the day, when General Gibbon resumed his own command, I returned to my regiment. Some time past the middle of the afternoon when General Sickles, commanding the Third Corps