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

796 SEVENTY-FIRST REGMENT. 1863
good bridges were quickly laid and strongly guarded. It was fortunate that
these avenues of escape were provided, for soon Sedgwick was met by an overpowering force and driven back, retiring in safety across these bridges. On
the night of the withdrawal the regiment was ordered across, and posted on
picket on a part of the battle-field. An hour before daylight the men were
quietly withdrawn, and, moving to the bridge, crossed unperceived. The campaign ended, the regiment returned to its old camp at Falmouth.
Lieutenant Colonel Markoe having resigned on account of his wounds, Major Richard Penn Smith was promoted to Colonel, Captain C. Kochersperger,
to Lieutenant Colonel, and Captain Enoch E. Lewis to Major.
On the 17th of June, the regiment started on the Gettysburg campaign.
Small bodies of the enemy hung upon the rear of the column, and when opposite Thoroughfare Gap, he made demonstrations in considerable force. The
Second Corps was accordingly ordered to drive him back and occupy the Gap.
On the second day of its occupation, the brigade was attacked and a spirited
skirmish ensued, which lasted for two hours. After it was ended, Colonel
Smith was ordered to advance upon-the road leading over the mountain and
observe the position and force of the enemy, and blockade the road so as to
prevent a sudden advance upon it. Three miles out the enemy was found in
force. Trees were felled across the road, and, for a long distance, made impassable.
On the evening of the 1st day of July, the regiment reached the battle-field
of Gettysburg. General Hancock was now in command of the corps, and
General Alexander S. Webb of the brigade. It arrived just as the First and
Eleventh Corps, which had been driven back, were coming into position upon
Cemetery Hill. The brigade was posted upon the crest of the ridge, to the
left and front of General Meade's headquarters, a little to the left of the angle
in the low stone wall, along which the line was established, and behind which
it took shelter. On the following morning, skirmish firing commenced early,
which was kept up until about the middle of the afternoon, when General
Sickles, who had taken position with the Third Corps upon the left of the Second, and considerably in advance of the general line of battle, was fiercely
attacked. Until after nightfall the battle raged with unabated fury. Sickles
was driven back, and, as the enemy came within range of the brigade, a hot
flank fire was opened, which checked his fiery onset. A clump of trees in its
front afforded some protection to a body of the rebels who had advanced npon
the left, and had seized a brass piece from which the cannoneers had been
driven. Wheeling it into position, they had loaded and were about turning it
upon the brigade. Quickly divining their purpose, Colonel Smith ordered forward his regiment, and, with the Sixty-ninth, charged upon the foe, re-captured
the gun with one hundred of their men, and, as their broken ranks were falling
back, turned the gun upon them, producing at each discharge great carnage.
In this encounter the regiment lost about forty men. The wounded were cared
for, and the ground, which was strewn with small arms, was cleared, the regiment collecting a large number and depositing them a little in the rear of the
stone wall on the right, which rims perpendicular to the line of battle. These
arms were fortunately gathered, and even more fortunately deposited in that
particular place as subsequent events proved.
The battle in front had now closed; but still it raged on the extreme right,
where the enemy had broken in upon the Union line, and had pushed out