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

Major — I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of the artillery of the Third army corps, from their leaving the camp near Fredericksburg on the 15th June, to their return to Culpeper Courthouse on the 27th day of July.

The battalion of Lieutenant-Colonel Garnett was ordered to report to Major-General Heth, and Major Poague to Major-General Pender, and the battalion of Lieutenant-Colonel Cutts, under command of Major Lane, to Major-General Anderson, for duty with their divisions. With Major McIntosh's and Major Pegram's battalions of this corps, which was under the command of Captain Brunson until I was joined by Major Pegram, who assumed command on the 30th June at Cashtown, Pennsylvania, I left camp on the morning of the 16th and accompanied the Third corps to Cashtown, in Pennsylvania, where I arrived on the 30th June, and on the morning of the 1st July I assumed command of all the artillery of the corps, which had made the march to that place without loss, except that of Lieutenant Chamberlayne, of the Crenshaw battery, and four of his men, who were captured by the enemy while on a foraging party for the purpose of securing horses. Major Pegram's and Major McIntosh's battalions moved forward on the morning of the 1st with the divisions of Generals Heth and Pender, and were put in position for action on an eminence about one mile west of Gettysburg, from which they opened fire on the enemy with marked effect and finally driving them back out of range. The battalions of Majors Lane and Poague, and Lieutenant-Colonels Cutts and Garnett were held in reserve, except Captain Maurin's battery of Garnett's battalion, which relieved one of Major Pegram's batteries, whose ammunition had been expended.

On the 2d the battalions of Pegram, McIntosh, Lane and a part of Garnett's battalion under Major Richardson were put in position on the right of the Fairfield turnpike, about one mile in advance of the position of the previous day, and later in the day Poague's battalion was also put in position still further to the right. From this position a fire was opened at intervals, enfilading the enemy's [428] guns when they were attempting to be concentrated and also diverting their attention from the infantry of the First corps.

The artillery was retained in the same position on the 3d, and kept up an incessant fire from about 1 o'clock P. M. to the time of the advance of the infantry; this fire having been continued so long and with such rapidity the ammunition was almost exhausted. The battalions remained in this position until dusk on the 4th (except a detachment under Major Richardson, who was sent back to report to Brigadier-General Imboden at Cashtown on the 4th), when they were withdrawn and followed with the army in the march to Hagerstown, where the corps arrived on the 7th and remained in camp. On the 11th the whole corps was placed in position for action on the right and left of Saint James' college, where we remained occasionally firing a few shots to scatter such bodies of the enemy as showed themselves. On the night of the 13th the corps left Hagerstown and followed with the army until we reached Culpeper. Major Richardson, while with General Imboden's command, turned over two guns to Captain Hart, of Hampton's brigade, which he reported he was unable to bring off; he also abandoned their caissons. A court of inquiry has been asked and ordered to inquire into his conduct.

I respectfully refer to the report of Major Richardson for a detailed account of the detachment under his command. Two guns were captured of Colonel Garnett's battalion, which had been left behind after the teams had given out and before they could be brought off by fresh horses, which were sent for them. Three guns of Major Pegram's battalion were disabled in action and sent to the rear, and one of them was captured; all the other guns of the command were brought off safely. Two of the guns of the First corps were found on the field at Gettysburg and brought off. The conduct of the officers and men of this corps was in the highest degree satisfactory, evincing, as they did without exception throughout the long and trying marches to and from Pennsylvania, the utmost fortitude and patient endurance under fatigue, and zeal and gallantry in action.

The conduct of Lieutenant Haustin, Ordnance Officer of McIntosh's battalion, is deserving of especial notice for gallantry in serving as cannonier at one of the guns whose detachment had become disabled. We have to mourn the loss of Lieutenant Morris, Ordnance Officer of Pegram's battalion, who was killed on the morning of the 1st of July.

The horses of the command suffered severely (although sufficiently [429] supplied throughout the march with provender) for the want of shoes. On the first day I was placed in command of this corps, I applied to the Ordnance Department for horse shoes and nails. I repeated this application, and on leaving Fredericksburg I telegraphed, urging a supply to be sent to meet me at Culpeper.

I am satisfied that most of the horses lost on the march were lost in consequence of their lameness in traveling over turnpikes, and especially over the road from Hagerstown to Gettysburg withoutshoes.

The value of horses abandoned from this cause during the march was, I am persuaded, $75,000, and the injury to others amounted to the same sum.

I append a list of the casualties in this command, and of the expenditure of ammunition. I herewith transmit the reports of battalion commanders, to which I. refer for the more particular account of the part borne by each in the campaign to Pennsylvania and back.

Respectfully, &c., your obedient servant,

Colonel — I have the honor to submit the following account of the operations of the battalion under my command from the time of leaving Fredericksburg, Virginia, to the present date. Without referring in detail to each day's marching, which made up by far the largest part of its operations, it may suffice to state that the battallion, consisting of three batteries, leaving Fredericksburg on the 15th June, 1863, and reaching Culpeper Courthouse on the 17th, was assigned to duty with Major-General Pender's division. On the 21st the command halted near Berryville, Virginia, where Captain Graham's North Carolina battery reported to me for duty. My battalion continued with General Pender's division until the morning of the 1st July, when it was detached and directed to remain at Cashtown until further orders. About 11 o'clock I was ordered to the front, but the battalion took no part in the engagements of the 1st and 2d July, at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Late in the evening of the 2d, by your order, I reported to Major-General Anderson for duty, and at last succeeded in getting ten of my guns in position. The balance--six howitzers — were [430] kept a short distance in rear, as no place could be found from which they could be used with advantage. Of the ten guns in position, three rifles and two Napoleons were posted on the left of Anderson's division, and not far from Pegram's battalion, and on the right of these and in front of Anderson's left, at the distance of four hundred yards, five Napoleons were placed. These positions, separated by a body of timber, were about 1,400 yards from the enemy's batteries, strongly posted on an eminence. Immediately on my right were the batteries of the First corps. My battalion being necessarily separated, that part of it next to Pegram's position, consisting of three of Wyatt's and two of Graham's guns, was placed in charge of Captain Wyatt, while Captain Ward was directed to superintend the guns of his own and of Brooke's battery.

About seven o'clock on the morning of the 3d, while I myself was at the position occupied by Captain Ward, the guns under Captain Wyatt opened on the enemy's position. In a few minutes the fire of several of their batteries was concentrated on these five guns, and seeing that the contest was a very unequal one, and not knowing the origin of the order for opening, I directed the firing to cease! I afterwards ascertained that Lieutenant-General A. P. Hill had ordered it. In this affair Captain Wyatt lost eight of his best horses. A caisson of the enemy was exploded. In the general engagement that occurred about the middle of the day, the battalion participated.

Upon the repulse of our troops, anticipating an advance of the enemy, I ordered up the howitzers.

The enemy, however, failed to follow up his advantage, and I got no service out of these useless guns. About dusk on the evening of the 4th the battalion moved in the direction of Hagerstown, Maryland, where it arrived on the 7th. On the 11th the battalion was placed in position in line of battle, which it occupied till the night of the 13th, when, with the army, it fell back and recrossed the Potomac on the 14th. After remaining several days in the vicinity of Bunker Hill, the march was resumed on the 19th, and on the 25th July the battalion reached Culpeper Courthouse, and moved to its present locality near Mitchell's station on the 28th.

In closing this report, I refer with pleasure to the unexceptionable conduct of the officers and men of all the batteries in the face of the enemy.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,