Southern Historical Society Papers, Volume 8.
Reverend J. William Jones, Ed.

Captain — In obedience to circular from division headquarters, I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of the Stonewall brigade at the battle of Gettysburg, and subsequently until it recrossed the Potomac:

On the evening of the 1st July the brigade, with the rest of the division, arrived at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and after nightfall took position on the southeast side of the town, near the Hanover road, and on the extreme left of our line, on Gulp's farm, and throwing forward skirmishers, we remained for the night. At dawn the next morning the enemy's skirmishers were seen in our front, and a brisk fire was opened between them and my own which was kept up during the day at long range with but short intervals of quiet. About 6 o'clock P. M. our line was advanced in a northerly direction and took position immediately on the north side of the Hanover road. In this position, our left flank being harassed by the enemy's sharpshooters posted in a wheat field and wood, I ordered Colonel Nadenbousch, with his regiment (the Second Virginia), to clear the field and advance into the wood and ascertain, if possible, what force the enemy had at that point, which he did at a single dash, his men advancing with great spirit, driving the enemy's skirmishers out of the cleared ground and following them into the woods.

When he had advanced some distance int the woods, the enemy opened on his line with two pieces of artillery and he fell back into the cleared ground again, leaving skirmishers in the edge of the wood, and reported that the enemy had a large force of cavalry, supposed to be two brigades, two regiments of infantry and a battery of artillery.

This information I communicated through a staff officer to Major-General Johnson, and immediately thereafter received information from Major Douglas, of his staff, that the line was about to advance, with instructions from General Johnson to remain on the flank if I thought it necessary. As our flank and rear would have been entirely uncovered and unprotected in the event of my moving with the rest of the division, and as our movement must have been made in full view of the enemy, I deemed it prudent to hold my position until after dark, which I did. [170]

After dark I withdrew, and leaving a picket on the Hanover road, joined the rest of the division in rear of the enemy's breast-works, which they had driven them from the evening before.

At daylight next morning Steuart's brigade, which was immediately in my front, became hotly engaged, and on receiving a request from General Steuart, I moved up to his support and became warmly engaged along my whole line; and my right, extending beyond the breastwork, suffered very heavily. After five hours incessant firing, being unable to drive the enemy from his strong position, and a brigade of Rodes' division coming to our assistance, I drew my command back under the hill out of the fire, to give them an opportunity to rest and clean their guns and fill up their cartridge boxes.

In about an hour I was ordered by General Johnson to move more to the right and renew the attack, which was done with equally bad success as our former efforts, and the fire became so destructive that I suffered the brigade to fall back to a more secure position, as it was a useless sacrifice of life to keep them longer under so galling a fire.

An hour or two later, I was again ordered to advance so as to keep the enemy in check, which I did, sheltering my men and keeping up a desultory fire until dark.

About midnight we were drawn off with the rest of the division, and at daylight were again formed in line of battle on the heights south of Gettysburg, where we remained all day and until about eleven o'clock, when we marched with the division in the direction of Fairfield.

The subsequent operations of this brigade up to the crossing of the Potomac, having been altogether with the division, and under the eye of the Major-General, I do not deem any report necessary.

It affords me pleasure to say that the officers and men of the brigade behaved in a manner worthy their high reputation.

It may seem invidious to select any particular officer for commendation, but justice requires that I should especially notice the gallant and efficient conduct of Major William Terry, commanding the Fourth Virginia, who gallantly led his regiment almost to the breastworks of the enemy, and only retired after losing the fourth of his command.

I am, Captain, very respectfully,

Major — I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of the brigade under my command during a portion of the battle of Gettysburg. The brigade, consisting of the Twenty-first, Twenty-fifth, Forty-second, Forty-fourth, Forty-eighth and Fiftieth Virginia regiments, commanded respectively by Captain W. P. Mosely, Colonel J. C. Higginbotham, Lieutenant-Colonel R. W. Withers, Major N. Cobb, Lieutenant-Colonel R. H. Dungan and Lieutenant-Colonel L. H. N. Salyer, left camp at 7 o'clock A. M. on the 1st July, the second brigade in the dvision column, and on reaching Gettysburg, late in the afternoon, passed by the railroad depot to the left of the town, and, under the direction of the Major-General commanding division, formed line of battle about dark on the left of Nichols' brigade, in a ravine in an open field northeast of the town, and to the left and front of the enemy's artillery on “Cemetery hill.” As soon as the line was formed, pickets were thrown well to the front, and the brigade laid upon their arms during the night. Nothing of importance, so far as my brigade was concerned, occurred during the night. Soon after daylight on the 2d July, the skirmishers taken from the Twenty-fifth Virginia, and commanded by Major R. D. Lilley, were pushed further to the front to watch the motions of the enemy. The brigade in line of battle remained in the position occupied by it the night before until about 4 o'clock P. M., when, by a verbal order from the Major-General Commanding, it moved to the front to support Andrew's battalion of artillery (Major Latimer), which was moving into position on a hill opposite to Cemetery hill. The brigade was halted under cover of a range of low hills, about three hundred yards in rear and to the left of the battalion of artillery — the Fiftieth Virginia regiment (Lieutenant--Colonel Salyer) being moved up to the immediate support of the artillery and formed near its left.

To meet a strong demonstration made by the enemy on our right, the remainder of the Twenty-fifth Virginia, under Colonel Higginbotham, was thrown to the right and front, and the Fiftieth Virginia [172] （Lieutenant-Colonel Salyer) moved to the right, and the remainder of the brigade moved up near the crest of the hill. At this time the Major-General Commanding arrived upon the hill occupied by the artillery, and after a short time directed me to form my brigade in line; to move forward when Nichols' brigade had formed on my left, and to attack the enemy in his position on the opposite hill. The brigade advanced in good order, moving down the slope of the hill, across the bottom, “Gettysburg creek” and up the hill occupied by the enemy. The hill was steep, heavily timbered, rocky and difficult of ascent. As the brigade advanced a few shells were thrown from the batteries on the right, though but little damage resulted from them. My men gained ground steadily to the front under a heavy fire of musketry from the enemy, protected by entrenchments. There was at one time some confusion towards the left, which I corrected as rapidly as possible. This confusion consisted in the mixing up of the files and the derangement of the general line, and was perhaps unavoidable from the lateness of the hour at which the advance was made, the darkness in the woods and the nature of the hill. When near the first line of entrenchments, moving with my troops, I received a flesh wound through the thigh, the excessive hemorrhage from which rendered it necessary for me to be borne from the field, and the command of the brigade devolved upon Lieutenant-Colonel Dungan--Colonel J. C. Higginbotham having been previously wounded. The brigade acted with efficiency while I was with it. To the regimental commanders enumerated above I am indebted for the prompt movements of their respective regiments whenever called upon. The command of the Twenty-fifth regiment during the action devolved upon Lieutenant-Colonel J. A. Robinson--Colonel Higginbotham being wounded; the command of the Forty-fourth regiment upon Captain T. R. Buckner--Major Cobb being wounded. The skirmishers, commanded during the greater part of the day by Major R. D. Lilley, rendered most valuable services, and the energy and skill with which they were handled by that officer received my highest admiration. My chief medical officer, Surgeon Bushrod Taylor, brought to the performance of the difficult task devolved upon him the same ability, zeal, untiring industry and conscientious devotion to duty which have always marked his official connection with the brigade. To Captain R. Cleary, Acting Assistant Adjutant-General; Lieutenant V. Dabney, Volunteer Aid-de-Camp; Lieutenant F. Pendleton Jones, Aid-de-Camp (badly wounded and since [173] dead), who were with me on the field, I am under obligation for the gallant and intelligent manner in which their duties were performed. Lieutenants E. H. Boyd, Ordnance Officer, and Mann Page, Inspector of Brigade, discharged their respective duties with promptness and ability. My absence from the brigade, and its movements since I resumed command, have caused a delay in this report.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,