THE STRUGGLE FOR “ROUND TOP.

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one-fourth of the whole force carried into action. More than two thousandofficers and men of our division had been killed and wounded, among themGenerals G. T. Anderson and J. B. Robertson, and about one-half of thefield-officers of the various regiments. McLaws ’s division, on our left, hadsuffered nearly as severely, General Barksdale of that division being killeda nd General Semmes mortally wounded.

The cannonade in the center soon began, and presented one of the mostmagnificent battle-scenes witnessed during the war. Looking up the valleytoward Gettysburg , the hills on either side were capped with crowns of flamea Hd smoke, as 300 guns, about equally divided between the two ridges, vomitedtfieir iron hail upon each other. Dense clouds of smoke settled over the valley,through which the shells went hissing and screaming on their errand ofheath. Numbers of these from opposite directions exploded midway overthe valley, apparently with venomous impatience, as they met each other111 mid-air, lighting up the clouds with their snake-like flashes.

While this grand artillery duel was progressing, and before our infantryhad moved to the attack, a new danger threatened us on the right. This wasthe appearance of Kilpatrick’s division of cavalry, which moved up on thatflank and commenced massing in the body of timber which extended fromthe base of Round Top westward toward Kern’s house, on the EmmitsburglQ ad. Reilly’s and Bachman’s batteries were ordered to change front to the1: ght so as to bear upon this position, and at once opened fire upon the cav-a try, which retired beyond the wood and out of sight. In order to protectflank more fully, I withdrew the 1st Texas regiment of Robertson’s bri-gade from the main line, and placed it in position midway between Round°P and the Emmitsburg road, with skirmishers extending from its left andc °Unecting at right angles with the extreme right of the main line on thempe of the mountain. I also detached the 7th and 8th Georgia regiments of^mderson’s brigade, and sent them to the support of the 9th, which had beenRationed at Kern’s house. About the time these dispositions were com-pleted, Colonel Black, of the 1st South Carolina Cavalry, reported to me with°ut 100 men who had been gathered up from the medical trains, most of^ era Partly disabled and only a part mounted, and with three guns of Hart’sattery of horse artillery. Hart’s guns were stationed on the Emmitsburg1 f .°H and the cavalry extended the right flank beyond that road. This newauking line was formed at right angles to the main line, and crossed the" UQ itsburg road near Kern’s house.

One brigade of the Federal cavalry (Merritt’s) moved across the road ande P °yed a strong line of dismounted skirmishers in front of Colonel Black’s®°Uunand, which was too weak to offer any effectual resistance. Hart’s guns,<hvever, were well handled, and did good service as long as the enemyt h lriail ' e d in reach of them. To meet this flanking movement, I had to extend‘ ft and 8th Georgia regiments to the right, and heavy skirmishing con-Uied as the lines developed, with occasional efforts of the Federals to breakr °Ugh, until about half-past three o’clock p. M., when my two regimentse stretched out to a bare line of skirmishers.