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Volume III.
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ARTILLERY FIGHTING AT GETTYSBURG.

367

many little incidents that took place here, such as General Lee ’s encouragingthe retreating stragglers to rally as soon as they got back to cover, and say-ing that the failure was his fault, not theirs. Colonel Fremantle especiallynoticed that General Lee reproved an officer for spurring a foolish horse, andadvised him to use only gentle measures. The officer was Lieutenant F. M.Colston of my staff, whom General Lee had requested to ride off to the rightand try to discover the cause of a great cheering we heard in the enemy’slines. We thought it might mean an advance upon us, but it proved to beonly a greeting to some general officer riding along the line.

That was the end of the battle. Little by little we got some guns to therear to replenish and refit, and get in condition to fight again, and some weheld boldly in advanced positions all along the line. Sharp-shooters came outand worried some of the men, and single guns would fire on these, sometimesvery rapidly, and manage to keep them back; some parts of the line hadnot even a picket in front. But the enemy’s artillery generally let us alone,and I certainly saw no reason to disturb the entente cordiale. Night camevery slowly, but came at last; and about 10 the last gun was withdrawn toWilloughby Run, whence we had moved to the attack the afternoon before.

Of Pickett’s three brigadiers, Garnett and Armistead were killed andKemper dangerously wounded. Fry, who commanded Pettigrew’s brigade,vduch adjoined Garnett on the left, and in the charge was the brigade ofdirection for the whole force, was also left on the field desperately wounded.Of all Pickett’s field-officers in the three brigades only one major came outUnhurt. The men who made the attack were good enough : the only trouble^as, there were not enough of them.

Next day, July 4th, we took a pretty fair position, except that it had nori ght flank, and awaited the enemy, who we thought would be inspired by theday to attack us. Meanwhile the wounded and the trains were started backi° the Potomac, and at night, in a pouring rain and over roads that werealmost gulfs of mud, the army followed. Providence had evidently not yettaken a “ proper view of the situation.” We had not finished the war, but^ad to go back to Virginia and start afresh. Yet the morale of the armys eemed not at all affected. The defeat was attributed entirely to the position,a ud, if anything, it rather gave to the men confidence in what position coulddo for them if they had it on their side. Had Meade attacked us at Downs-ide, where we were stopped for several days by high water in the Poto-5lla( ‘> I believe we should have repulsed him easily, barring exhaustion ofa ttununition.

The retreat was a terrible march for the artillery, crippled as we were byttie loss of so many horses in battle, and the giving oixt of many more on thestony roads for the lack of horseshoes. We were compelled to trespass onue reluctant hospitality of the neighboring farmers, and send squads ine very direction to get horses. Wherever found they were to be bought,whether the owner desired to sell or not. Of course our only money was

0 moderate bills, but we explained to the farmers that these would be as§°°d as greenbacks if only they would make their own Government stop