History of Pennsylvania volunteers, 1861-5; prepared in compliance with acts of the legislature, by Samuel P. Bates.

1863 BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG. 703
fire until the enemy was within twenty yards, the regiment rose and poured in
a deadly volley, which checked his advance. He soon rallied, and renewed his
efforts to capture the piece in front, but was repulsed in every attempt with
great slaughter, and was finally compelled to retire. The struggle here lasted
nearly two hours.
On the 3d skirmishing, with occasional artillery firing, was kept up through
the entire morning. At about eleven o'clock all firing ceased and a death-like
stillness prevailed. It was the stillness that precedes and presages the tornado; for at a little after noon a gun in front heralded the opening of an unparalleled fire of artillery. It was chiefly directed upon the left centre, where the
brigade lay, and for two hours with unceasing fury the storm of shot and shell
raged. The slight fence in front afforded little protection; for, being composed
of small stones loosely thrown together, they were hurled with violence in all
directions when struck by the powerful missiles of the guns. As the fire of
artillery ceased, a powerful body of infantry, three lines deep, carrying their
pieces at a trail arms, and marching with the regularity of troops on parade,
issued from the woods on the ridge opposite, and advanced across the open
plain in front. The artillery in rear of the regiment, of which there were many
pieces, poured in rapid rounds over the heads of the men; the infantry reserved their fire until he had approached within point blank range, when with
a loud cheer they delivered a volley which checked and threw his front line
into confusion. It was but for a moment, for rallying he again rushed forward.
Two of Cushing's guns had been brought close up to the wall, within the line
of the regiment, and were worked with terrible effect, by the men of the Sixtyninth and of the Seventy-first, the gunners having all been killed or wounded.
But the shock of the enemy's onset was fearful, and the troops upon the right of
the regiment were at length forced back, which uncovered its flank, and the order
was given for two companies to swing back to the crest of the ridge for its protection. The enemy taking advantage of this opening, crossed the wall, and
rushed on after, up to the little cluster of trees in the rear; but meeting so
hot a fire, he returned to the wall and throwing himself upon the ground, gave
token of surrender. But no power of the enemy could move the centre and
left of the regiment, which clung to its position with unflinching tenacity,
keeping up a deadly and unremitted fire, the men at times clubbing their muskets to beat back the foe, who seemed determined to cross the wall.* Broken and dispirited, many of their leaders fallen, the enemy at length gave up
the contest, few of all that host, who had marched so defiantly forth, returning
unscathed.. General Kemper fell in front of the regiment, and General Armistead just at its right. Many prisoners and battle-flags were taken. The loss
in the regiment was very severe. It entered the engagement with two hundred and fifty-eight officers and men. Of these, six officers and thirty-six men
were killed, seven officers and seventy-six men wounded, and two officers and
sixteen men taken prisoners, an aggregate of one hundred and forty-three.
Colonel O'Kane, and Lieutenant Colonel Tschudy, brave men, who had served
*At the moment when the battle was at its height, and the enemy had reached the wall, behind which the regiment lay, one of his men called out to James Donnelly, of company D, to
surrender, levelling his musket in readiness to fire. "I surrender!" cried Donnelly, and suiting
the action to the word, felled him to the earth with the barrel of his gun. Donnelly was at the
time a youth of but eighteen. Corporal Bradley, of the same company, while attempting to
beat back an infuriate rebel, had his skull crushed in by a single blow.