330

THE STRUGGLE FOR ‘‘ROUND TOP.

right that there was at least one little spot of “ silver lining ” in the clondthat hung so darkly over the field of Gettysburg after the disastrous chargeof Pickett.

Late in the afternoon of July 3d I was ordered to withdraw the divisionfrom the lines it had held since the evening of the 2d to the ridge nearthe Emmitsburg road, from which it had advanced to the attack on thatday. McLaws ’s division, which had held the line to our left during the

day, retired first, and I ordered mybrigade commanders to take up themovement from left to right. Thecourier who delivered the order to Gen-eral Benning holding the left of thedivision, in designating the positionto which he was to retire, pointed tothe line McLaws had just abandoned.Benning, supposing that McLaws hadbeen moved for the purpose of reen-forcing our line on some other part ofthe field, dispatched Colonel DuBosewith the 15th Georgia regiment inthat direction. McCandless’s Federalbrigade had, in the meantime, ad-vanced to the ground previously heldby McLaws , and attacked the 15thGeorgia when it attempted to take upthat position. Colonel DuBose made agallant but fruitless attempt to holdhis ground, expecting support from the other regiments of his brigade-Being attacked in front and on both flanks by McCandless’s brigade, reen-forced by Kevin’s, he was driven batik with considerable loss. He retiredfrom one position to another, fighting as he retreated, and finally sue.neededin extricating his regiment and rejoining his brigade. The loss of the 15thGeorgia in this affair was very heavy, including 101 prisoners, besides thekilled and wounded. In the meantime General Benning, having receiveda second order to retire, withdrew the remainder of his brigade without loss-The other brigades were quietly withdrawn, the Federals making no advance-We remained in our new position across the Emmitsburg road until n ealdaylight on the 5th, when we took up our march with the rest of the armytoward Fairfield Gap and the Potomac.

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MAJOR-GENERAL J. B. KERSHAW, C. S. A.FROM A PHOTOGRAPH.