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conflict. The enemy could make no progress in front, but slowly extendedGround my right. Separated from view of my left, of which I could hearnothing, all my staff being with that wing, the position of the 15th Regimentbeing wholly unknown, the 7th having retreated, and nothing being heardof the other troops of the division, I feared the brave men around me wouldbe surrounded by the large force of the enemy constantly increasing in num-bers and all the while gradually enveloping us. In order to avoid such acatastrophe, I ordered a retreat to the buildings at Rose’s. On emergingfrom the wood as I followed the retreat, I saw Wofford riding at the head ofbis fine brigade, then coming in, his left being in the Peach Orchard, whichwas then clear of the enemy. His movement was such as to strike thestony hill on the left, and thus turn the flank of the troops that had drivenUs from that position. On his approach the enemy retreated across the wheat-field, where, with the regiments of my left wing, Wofford attacked with greateffect, driving the Federals upon and near to Little Round Top. I nowascertained that Barksdale had advanced upon the Peach Orchard after I hadbecome engaged; that he had cleared that position with the assistance of my8th South Carolina regiment, driving all before him, and, having advancedfar beyond that point, until enveloped by superior forces, had fallen mortally"wounded, and been left in the Federals’ hands. He had passed too far to myleft to afford me any relief except in silencing the batteries that had so cruellyPunished my left. When Barksdale passed to the left, the regiments of myleft wing moved up into the wood on the left of the stony hill, and maintainedfbat position against heavy odds, until the advance of Wofford’s brigade.
When the enemy fell back from the stony hill on General Wofford’s advance,fbe 15th South Carolina and a portion of Semmes’s brigade followed thema ud joined Wofford in his attack upon the retreating column. I rallied theRemainder of my brigade and Semmes’s at Rose’s, with the assistance ofColonel Sorrel of Longstreet’s staff, and advanced with them to the support°f Wofford, taking position at the stone wall overlooking the forest to the right°f Rose’s house, some two hundred yards in front. Finding that Wofford’s*tten were coming out, I retained them at that point to check any attempt offbe enemy to follow. It was now near nightfall, and the operations of theday were over. That night we occupied the ground over which we hadfought, with my left at the Peach Orchard, on the hill, and gathered the deada nd wounded—a long list of brave and efficient officers and men. CaptainCunningham’s company of the 2d Regiment was reported to have gone intoa °tion with forty men, of whom but four remained unhurt to bury theirfallen comrades. My losses exceeded 600 men killed and wounded,—about°u e-half the force engaged.
-A- glance at the map [see pp. 299, 308] showing the positions occupied bythe troops on the 2d of July, will reveal the remarkable fact that the stonyhill and wood occupied by this brigade and part of Semmes’s was assailed0r defended by the Federal brigades of De Trobriand, Sweitzer, Tilton, and^°ok, of the divisions of Birney, Barnes, and Caldwell, and of the Second,Third, and Fifth corps. Nowhere have I found any more forcible evidence