by the rains, reached Hagerstown on the after-large force of the enemy's cavalry, which had noon of the sixth and morning of the seventh July.

The Potomac was found to be so much swollen by the rains, that had fallen almost incessantly since our entrance into Maryland, as to be unfordable. Our communications with the south side were thus interrupted, and it was difficult to procure either ammunition or subsistence, the latter difficulty being enhanced by the high waters impeding the working of neighboring mills. The trains with the wounded and prisoners were compelled to await at Williamsport the subsiding of the river and the construction of boats, as the pontoon-bridge left at Falling Waters had been partially destroyed.

The enemy had not yet made his appearance, but, as he was in condition to obtain large reënforcements, and our situation for the reasons above mentioned was becoming daily more embarrassing, it was deemed advisable to recross the river. Part of the pontoon-bridge was recovered, and new boats built, so that by the thirteenth a good bridge was thrown over the river at Falling Waters.

crossed the Potomac at Harper's Ferry, advanced toward Martinsburgh. It was attacked by General Fitz Lee, near Kearneysville, and defeated with heavy loss, leaving its dead and many of its wounded on the field.

Owing to the swollen condition of the Shenandoah River, the plan of operations which had been contemplated when we recrossed the Potomac could not be put in execution, and before the waters had subsided the movements of the enemy induced me to cross the Blue Ridge and take position south of the Rappahannock, which was accordingly done.

As soon as the reports of the commanding officers shall be received, a more detailed account of these operations will be given, and occasion will then be taken to speak more particularly of the conspicuous gallantry and good conduct of both officers and men.

It is not yet in my power to give a correct statement of our casualties, which were severe, including many brave men, and an unusual proportion of distinguished and valuable officers. Among them I regret to mention the following general officers: Major-Generals Hood, Pender, and Trimble severely, and Major-General Heth slightly wounded.

The enemy in force reached our front on the twelfth. A position had been previously selected to cover the Potomac from Williamsport to Falling Waters, and an attack was awaited during General Pender has since died. This lamentthat and the succeeding day. This did not take ed officer has borne a distinguished part in every place, though the two armies were in close prox-engagement of this army, and was wounded on imity, the enemy being occupied in fortifying his several occasions while leading his command own lines. Our preparations being completed, with conspicuous gallantry and ability. The and the river, though still deep, being pronounced confidence and admiration inspired by his courfordable, the army commenced to withdraw to age and capacity as an officer, were only equalled the south side on the night of the thirteenth. by the esteem and respect entertained by all with whom he was associated, for the noble qualities of his modest and unassuming character. Brigadier-Generals Barksdale and Garnett were killed, and Brigadier-General Semms mortally wounded, while leading their troops with the courage that always distinguishes them. These brave officers and patriotic gentlemen fell in the faithful discharge of duty, leaving the army to mourn their loss and emulate their noble examples.

Ewell's corps forded the river at Williamsport, those of Longstreet and Hill crossed upon the bridge. Owing to the condition of the roads, the troops did not reach the bridge until after daylight on the fourteenth, and the crossing was not completed until one P.M., when the bridge was removed. The enemy offered no serious interruption, and the movement was attended with no loss of material except a few disabled wagons and two pieces of artillery, which the horses were unable to move through the deep mud. Before fresh horses could be sent back for them, the rear of the column had passed.

During the slow and tedious march to the bridge, in the midst of a violent storin of rain, some of the men lay down by the way to rest. Officers sent back for them failed to find them in the obscurity of the night, and these, with some stragglers, fell into the hands of the enemy.

Brig.-General Pettigrew was mortally wounded in an attack made by a small body of cavalry, which was unfortunately mistaken for our own, and permitted to enter our lines. He was brought to Bunker Hill, where he expired in a few days afterward. He was a brave and accomplished officer and gentleman, and his loss will be deepiy felt by the country and the army.

The following day the army marched to Bunker Hill, in the vicinity of which it encamped for several days. The day after its arrival, a

Brigadier-Generals Kemper, Armistead, Scales, G. T. Anderson, Hampton, J. M. Jones, and Jenkins, were also wounded. Brig.-General Archer was taken prisoner. General Pettigrew, though wounded at Gettysburgh, continued in command until he was mortally wounded near Falling Waters.

The loss of the enemy is unknown, but from observations on the field, and his subsequent movements, it is supposed that he suffered severely. Respectfully submitted,

give you as full and reliable reports of the move-maining division (Anderson's) and Longstreet's ments of his corps up to the battle of Gettys- corps moved on after Hill's advance. burgh as of the main body of the army, which At ten o'clock A.M. on the first instant, IIeth's crossed the Potomac two days after his corps. I division being ahead, encountered the enemy's learn that Ewell's crossed on the twenty-second advance line-the Eleventh corps-about three June-one portion at Shepherdstown and an- miles west of Gettysburgh. Here a sharp enother at Williamsport, and that the two columns gagement began, our men steadily advancing and united at Hagerstown. From the latter place, driving the enemy before them to the town and one division-Rhodes's, I think-was pushed on to a range of hills or low mountains running out through Greencastle and Chambersburgh to Car- a little east of south from the town. Late in the lisle, making at all three of these places consider- evening two divisions-Early's and Rhodes's, of able captures of army supplies-hats, shoes, Ewell's corps-came up on our left from Carlisle clothing, and medical stores. Another division- and York, and, falling upon the enemy's right Early's turned to the right from Chambers- flank, drove him with great slaughter upon and burgh and moved on York, on the Northern through the town to the heights on the south. Central Railroad, when, after a short and inconsiderable engagement with a body of Pennsylvania militia, in which quite a number were taken prisoners, the town surrendered. Early then pushed on to Wrightsville, on the south side of the Susquehanna, where was posted a small body of militia, who fled precipitately at his approach across the river, and burned the bridge. Some few prisoners were taken at Carlisle-two or three hundred-all militia, and they, as also those captured at York and Wrightsville, were immediately paroled and discharged.

In the mean time Pender's division (of Hill's corps) had moved up to the support of Heth on the right, and opened a hot fire upon the enemy, which drove them back upon the low mountain range already alluded to. Anderson's division got up too late to participate in the day's engagement, owing to its having been unnecessarily halted for more than three hours on the eastern slope of the South-Mountain, at a small village called Cashtown. This halt was made while the division was not only hearing the fire of the battle, but was actually in sight. From its position On the morning of June twenty-fourth, A. P. the men could see each discharge of our own and Hill's corps (the Third) crossed the Potomac at the enemy's guns-could see that Heth was drivBoteler's Mill, one mile below Shepherdstown, ing him slowly but steadily. If Anderson had Anderson's division being in the advance. That pushed on, it is more than probable that the night the head of Hill's corps reached Boons- whole Yankee force would have been captured; boro, which latter place was occupied by Wright's for up to this time (Wednesday evening) the enebrigade of Anderson's division. From this place my had not brought up his main force. The we moved on Chambersburgh, via Funkstown, addition of Anderson's force to that already enHagerstown, and Middleburgh, reaching the for- gaged on our side would have enabled us to get mer on the twenty-seventh. Passing through possession of the mountain range upon which the Chambersburgh on the twenty-seventh, we push-subsequent battles were fought by the enemy. ed on to Fayetteville, five miles from Chambers- Had our army succeeded in getting possession of burgh, on the Baltimore and Philadelphia turn- this range, there can be no doubt that the whole pike. Here we halted until Tuesday, the thirtieth, Yankee army would have been destroyed. As waiting for the rear of the corps and our supply it was, the delay of Anderson prevented Heth trains to come up. In the mean time Longstreet's and Pender from taking possession of this imcorps had turned up the river from Millwood, portant position, and permitted it to fall into the and, passing through Martinsburgh, crossed the enemy's hands. I have no hesitation in saying river at Williamsport, and, falling into our line that this fatal blunder was fraught with the most of advance at Hagerstown, followed it to Fayette- disastrous consequences to our arms. I learn ville, reaching the latter place on Monday, the that all the brigadier commanders in Anderson's twenty-ninth. Having now concentrated our ar- division were anxious to advance, but the Majormy, except Ewell's corps, whose operations have General would not consent. I have heard no already been given, on Tuesday, the thirtieth, reason given for this delay, and presume that General Lee ordered the line of march to be tak- General Lee will have the whole matter investien up for Gettysburgh, twenty miles distant in gated. It is due to himself and his noble army an easterly direction. In this movement Hill's that it should be done—that the country and arcorps was in the advance, and in the following my should know why seven or eight thousand order: Heth's division, Pender's division, Ander- men were kept idle in sight of a terrible and imson's division; then Longstreet's corps, McLaws's portant battle, without being allowed to fire a division, Hood's division-Pickett's division be- gun. The result of the day's fight may be suming left at Chambersburgh to protect our rear med up thus: We had attacked a superior force; and convoy the reserve trains. Two miles from had driven him over three miles; captured three Fayetteville we crossed the South-Mountain at thousand prisoners, and killed and wounded five Stephens's (Thaddeus) iron works, all of which or six thousand. Our own loss was not heavy, were completely destroyed. Owing to the nar- though a few brigades suffered severely. The row road through the mountain pass, only two conduct of Gordon's and Hays's brigades is said divisions of Hill's corps crossed the mountain on to have been very fine. It was these two brithe thirtieth Early on Wednesday Hill's re-gades of Early's division which drove the enemy

through the town of Gettysburgh. All of our troops behaved well that were engaged.

got possession of the enemy's first line, driving them from a strong position on the Cemetery Hill. It is thought that if adequate support had been near at hand, he might have dislodged the enemy from his strong position on the right. Gordon's brigade, which was in the town, was double-quicked to his support, moving promptly and rapidly; but, owing to the great distance they had to traverse, Hays was compelled to fall back before his support reached him. In this charge of Hays's, it is said that his men clubbed their guns, and had a desperate hand-to-hand conflict with a very superior force of the enemy, and that the slaughter of the Yankees was fearful.

quick succession by the respective divisions of Hill's corps. As Anderson's division, or at least a portion of it, took a conspicuous part in this movement, I have ascertained, and now give you, the order of its different brigades: On the extreme right of Anderson's division, connecting with McLaws's left, was Wilcox's brigade, then Perry's, Wright's, Posey's, and Mahone's. At half-past five o'clock, Longstreet commenced the

Late in the evening Anderson's division, and McLaws's division, of Longstreet's corps, got up to within a mile or two of the town, and bivouacked for the night. Early next (Thursday) morning, the second, Hood's division also got up, and our line of battle was formed. The enemy during the night had succeeded in getting up his entire force-some one hundred and thirty thousand to one hundred and fifty thousand men-and took up a strong position on a low mountain range, or ridge, which runs nearly south from Gettysburgh. The town is situated on the northern slope of this range, and about one and a half or two miles from its summit. About the middle of the afternoon orders were The western slope of this range is in cultivation, issued to the different commanders to prepare except small "patches," where the mountain side for a general attack upon the enemy's centre and is so precipitous as to defy the efforts of the far-left. Longstreet was to commence the movemer to bring it into subjection to the ploughshare; ment, which was to be followed up on his left in these "patches" are covered with small timber and undergrowth. At the foot of the mountain is a narrow valley, from a mile to two miles in width, broken in small ridges running parallel with the mountain. On the western side of the valley rises a long, high hill, mostly covered with heavy timber; but greatly inferior in altitude to the mountain range upon which the enemy had taken position, but running nearly parallel with it. The valley between this ridge and the moun-attack, and Wilcox followed it up by promptly tain is in cultivation, and the fields were yellow with the golden harvest. About four or five miles south from Gettysburgh the mountain rises abruptly to an altitude of several hundred feet, presenting a sharp, rugged, and almost perpendicular peak, covered with original forest growth. Upon this peak the enemy rested his left flank, his right being upon the crest of the range, about a mile or a mile and a half from Gettysburgh. Our line of battle was formed along the western slope of the second and inferior ridge described above, and in the following order: Ewell's corps on the left, beginning at the town, with Early's division, then Rhodes's division. On the right of Rhodes's division was the left of Hill's corps, commencing with Heth's, then Pender's, and Anderson's divisions. On the right of Anderson's division was Longstreet's left, McLaws's division being next to Anderson, and Hood on the extreme right of our line, which was opposite the peak upon which the enemy's left rested. A brisk skirmish-firing was kept up during the entire morning; but no general engagement took place until late in the afternoon. It will be seen that in the order of battle given above, neither Johnson's division, of Ewell's corps, or Pickett's division, of Longstreet's corps, had a place. Up to Thursday noon neither of these divisions had come up. Pickett had been left at Chambersburgh to protect our rear, and escort our reserve train, and Johnson had been operating on the Susquehanna, in the direction of Harrisburgh. At one time, carly in the morning, Hays's brigade, of Early's division, made an attack upon the enemy on the south side of the town, and, charging up the northern slope of the mountain, soon

moving forward; Perry's brigade quickly followed, and Wright moved simultaneously with him. The two divisions of Longstreet's corps soon encountered the enemy posted a little in rear of the Emmetsburgh turnpike, which winds along the slope of the range upon which the enemy's main force was concentrated. After a short but spirited engagement, the enemy was driven back upon the main line upon the crest of the hill. McLaws's and Hood's divisions made a desperate assault upon their main line, but owing to the precipitate and very rugged character of the slope, were unable to reach the summit. The enemy's loss on this part of the line was very heavy. I have heard several officers say that they have never seen the enemy's dead cover the ground so thickly, not even at the first Fredericksburgh fight, as they did on that portion of the field over which McLaws's troops fought. While the fight was raging on our right, Wilcox and Wright of Anderson's division, were pressing the enemy's centre. Wilcox pushed forward for nearly a mile, driving the enemy before him and up to his very guns, over and beyond his batteries, several guns of which he captured, and nearly up to the summit of the hill. Wright had swept over the valley, under a terrific fire from the enemy's batteries, posted upon McPherson's heights, had encountered the enemy's advance line, and had driven him across the Emmetsburgh pike to a position behind a stone wall or fence, which runs parallel with the pike, and about sixty or eighty yards in front of the batteries on the heights, and immediately under them. Here this gallant brigade had a most desperate engagement for fifteen or twenty min

utes; but charging rapidly up the almost perpendicular side of the mountain, they rushed upon the enemy's infantry behind the stone wall, and drove them from it at the point of the bayonet. Now concentrating their fire upon the heavy batteries (twenty guns) of the enemy on the crest of the heights, they soon silenced them, and rushing forward with a shout, soon gained the summit of the heights, capturing all the enemy's guns, and driving their infantry in great disorder and confusion into the woods beyond.

My narrative left Wright's little brigade of Georgians in the enemy's intrenchments upon the heights. Let us return to this little Spartan band, who this day covered themselves with glory-alas! how vainly! Perceiving, after getting possession of the enemy's works, that they were certainly isolated - more than a mile from support; that Perry's brigade had been driven back on their right; that no advance had been made on their left, and just then seeing the enemy's flanking columns on their right and left We now had the key to the enemy's strong- flanks rapidly converging in their rear, these hold, and, apparently, the victory was won. noble Georgians faced about, abandoning all the McLaws and Hood had pushed their line well guns they had captured, and prepared to cut up the slope on the right; Wilcox had kept well their way through the enemy who had now up on his portion of the line; Wright had almost entirely surrounded them. Springing pierced the enemy's main line on the summit of with alacrity down the hill to the stone fence, McPherson's heights, capturing his heavy bat- they were halted, and delivered a well-directed teries, thus breaking the connection between fire upon the enemy then passing along the pike their right and left wings. I said that, apparent-road. Following this discharge by a charge over ly, we had won the victory. It remains to be the stone wall and through the enemy's ranks, stated why our successes were not crowned with they soon gained the foot of the slope, when the the important results which should have followed lately abandoned guns upon the heights opened such heroic daring and indomitable bravery. a most destructive fire of grape and canister Although the order was peremptory that all of upon them. Here their loss was very severe. Anderson's division should move into action But although more than one half their numsimultaneously, Brigadier-General Posey, com- ber had fallen - although every field officer but manding a Mississippi brigade, and Brigadier- one had been killed or wounded with their General Mahone, commanding a Virginia brigade, comrades falling in heaps on every side, this litfailed to advance. This failure of these two bri- tle handful of choice spirits retired in tolerable gades to advance is assigned, as I learn upon order until they reached the bottom of the secinquiry, as the reason why Pender's division, of ond slope, where they were halted, faced to the Hill's corps, did not advance- the order being, front, and re-formed to await the approach of the that the advance was to commence from the enemy, now seen advancing about three hundred right and be taken up along our whole line. Pen- yards distant. The Yankees perceiving that our der's failure to advance caused the division on men had re-formed for a fight, prudently withhis left-Heth's-to remain inactive. Here we drew without firing a gun. During this time, have two whole divisions, and two brigades of an- Wilcox, who had driven the enemy well up the other, standing idle spectators of one of the most side of the mountain, capturing several of his desperate and important assaults that has ever guns, found his left exposed by the flank movebeen made on this continent-fifteen or twenty ment of the enemy, heretofore mentioned, and thousand armed men resting on their arms, in was compelled to retire, abandoning his captured plain view of a terrible battle, witnessing the guns. On our right, McLaws and Hood continmighty efforts of two little brigades, (Wright's ued to press the enemy until night set in and and Wilcox's, for Perry had fallen back over-ended the sanguinary conflict. The enemy's powered,) contending with the heavy masses of Yankee infantry, and subjected to a most deadly fire from the enemy's heavy artillery, without a single effort to aid them in the assault, or to assist them when the heights were carried. Perry's brigade, which was between Wilcox and Wright, soon after its first advance, was pressed so heavily as to be forced to retire. This left an interval in the line between Wright and Wilcox, and which the enemy perceiving, he threw a Early next morning - Friday, the third-preheavy column in the gap then made, deploying a parations were made for a general attack along portion of it in Wilcox's left flank, while a large the enemy's whole line, while a large force was force was thrown in rear of Wright's right flank. to be concentrated against his centre, with the The failure of Posey and Mahone to advance upon view of retaking the heights captured and abanWright's left enabled the enemy to throw for-doned the day before by Wright. Lieut.-Gen. ward a strong force on that flank, and to push it well to his rear along the Emmetsburgh pike. It was now apparent that the day was lost-lost after it was won-lost, not because our army fought badly, but because a large portion did not fight at al

loss during this day's fight was very heavy, particularly on that portion of the field where Benning's brigade, (of Hood's division,) Barksdale's and Wofford's, (of McLaws's,) and Wilcox's and Wright's, (of Anderson's division,) were engaged. Our own loss was slight, except in Wright's and Wilcox's brigades, in both of which it was very heavy, amounting to more than half of the forces engaged.

Longstreet massed a large number of long-range guns-fifty-five in number-upon the crest of a slight eminence just in front of Perry's and Wilcox's brigades, and a little to the left of the heights, upon which they were to open. Lieut.Gen. Hill massed some sixty guns along the hill