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

1863 BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG. 747
into London Valley. On the 20th it was sent as a guard to a supply train,
which it accompanied as far as Fairfax Station, The brigade was engaged on
the 21st at Middleburg, and on the following day at Upperville, the Sixth being
held in reserve near Aldie until the 23d, when it re-joined the division. The
Reserve Brigade was here placed in command of General Wesley Merritt.
Crossing the Potomac at Edward's Ferry the regiment was employed in guarding trains and patroling the mountain roads leading through the Catoctin range,
until the 2d of July, when it arrived at Emmittsburg, and that night pushed
forward to Gettysburg. The brigade was posted on the extreme left of our
lines near Round Top. The Sixth, which was in the advance of the brigade,
was the first to become engged. The men were dismounted, deployed as skirmishers, and moved steadily up over ground intersected by stone walls and
fences, until they reached the crest of the hill, where they were saluted by a
storm of balls from the enemy's infantry, that checked their advance. A stone
house within range of the line, filled with rebel sharp-shooters, proved a serious
impediment; but a few shells from a section of artillery soon compelled them
to evacuate. At one o'clock the artillery of both armies opened, and the men
seeking shelter, held the ground they had gained, watching and promptly
checking every movement in their front. "The air," says Chaplain Gracey,
4 seemed full of fragments of bursting shell and ball, while the sounds peculiar
to the several projectiles told of the determination of the attack. There was
the heavy'whoo!''whoo!''whoo-oo!' of the round shot, the'which one'which one' of the fiendish Whitworth gun, the demoniac shriek of'whatyou-doing here?' of the shells, and the buzzing minnie, all combined to give it
the character of a high carnival of powers infernal." At one time in the afternoon, and while the grand charge of Picket's Division was in progress, an effort
was made to turn our extreme left. The cavalry, which at first was on the west
of the Emmittsburg Road, was forced back; but its thin line was extended and
the ground stubbornly contested. Through the night of the 3d the men stood
to horse, and although worn out by long marches and hard fighting, with less
than half rations, they started at five o'clock on the following morning on a
forced march of seventy miles. On the afternoon of the 6th the cavalry arrived
upon the crest of the hill overlooking Williamsport. Colonel Gamble's Brigade was thrown off to the left, striking the river at Falling Waters. The
Third Indiana Cavalry charged into the town, and captured seventeen wagons
and about a hundred prisoners. But the enemy's infantry appeared in force
and compelled the cavalry to retire. "Looking down,' says Chaplain Gracey, "upon Williamsport from our position, thousands of ambulances, some
parked and others moving in long lines, could be discerned; while at the same
time we discovered that Lee had not left his line of retreat unprotected. A
large force of infantry and artillery attacked us promptly on our appearance,
serving their guns with remarkable rapidity and accuracy. A few minutes
sufficed to assure us that our cavalry force was largely outnumbered by the
infantry of the enemy. They moved upon our skirmish line in solid line of
battle; and it was only by the determined bravery of our troops, the excellent
handling of our batteries, and our advantage in position, that we were able to
resist their attacks. General Kilpatrick passed through iagerstown and soon
after came upon the enemy. He was forced back upon our right, and came in
upon us somewhat demoralized. About six o'clock our lines were shortened,
our whole force dismounted, and all engaged. We were greatly outnumbered,