History of Company K. 1st (Inft,) Penn'a Reserves

by H. N. Minnigh

As we neared Gettysburg, in a number of instances we passed near the homes of relatives and friends, but with the merest greeting, the boys kept their places in the ranks. Reaching the summit of the hill east of the town, the members of the company, with a few exceptions, could see their homes, in the village before them, in the immediate vicinity or in the distance, and all of them within the enemy's lines.

We reached Gettysburg on the morning of July 2nd, coming from the direction of Hanover, and moving to the left went into bivouac near the Baltimore pike, one mile east of Cemetery ridge. Fatigued by the long and weary marches, we soon were oblivious to all surroundings, wrapped in restful slumber, unbroken even by the terrible fighting at Culp's hill and Cemetery ridge, on our immediate right and front.

About 4 o'clock we were hurriedly called into line, and ordered to sling knapsacks, which command to us always meant, "get ready for quick and devilish work," as "Snap" put it. We were hurried at a double quick to the extreme left, at the Round tops, to re-inforce the 3rd Corps, which had met with reverses and was being driven by the enemy. Gen. Sykes' Regulars had previously gone to the support of Sickles, but had also yielded the ground. A terrible crisis was now seemingly inevitable. The Regulars were the last to yield the ground, but being flanked on their left, they broke and fell back in disorder. At this juncture, we came upon the ground. The First Brigade, formed hurriedly in brigade front, as best they could, the nature of the ground compelling the regiments to overlap each other to some extent, on the crest of Little Round top, facing the Wheat field. As we thus formed, we looked down over the field of carnage, and could hear the victorious shouts of the enemy, and when the smoke of battle lifted momentarily, we caught glimpses of fleeing friends and hotly pursuing foes, the general outlook being anything but assuring.

We deliberately waited till the front was cleared of our retreating and vanquished troops, many of whom passed pell-mell through our ranks, then at the word of command, with a ringing cheer, peculiarly our own, we swept down the face of the hill, meeting the rebels as they came rushing forward, on the face of the hill. (I can only speak for my own regiment.) There can be no doubt in any unprejudiced mind, that a few moments delay would have lost to us the position on Little Round Top, the key of the battle-field. The so called historian of the battle-field, asserts that there were no rebels in our front when we charged forward. Nonsense! the evidence of those who were there, we think, should have more weight than that of a mere citizen hundreds of miles away from the field of strife. Well, with a quick dash we swept down into the valley, across Plum-run swamp, over the valley and up to the stone fence, across this fence and through a narrow strip of woods, (now removed,) to the eastern edge of the wheat-field, where, by orders, we halted.

It has always been a source of amusement to the "boys" who chased many a rabbit all over these hills, and gathered berries in these valleys, played "hide and seek" among these rocks and boulders, to be told by strangers and pretenders, where we were, on the evening of July 2nd, when the enemy had almost seized this strong-hold, at the Round Tops.

The comrades will remember the commander of the battery in our immediate front, who raved and swore, when it seemed as if his guns would be taken.

"Dunder and blixen, don't let dem repels took my batteries," were his earnest words of appeal, as the enemy hurried up to the position occupied by his battery, and how, the next morning he came over to the stone wall and said, "The Pennsylvania Reserves saved mine pattery, by——. I gets you fellers all drunk mit beer."

During the night of the 2nd, and all day of the 3rd till Pickets' charge ended, we remained at the stone wall, being compelled all the while to "lay low" on account of rebel sharp-shooters in our immediate front.

Pickets charge having failed, Gen. Meade ordered Crawford to clean out the woods in our front, and McCandles's (our) brigade at the word of command, leaped over the wall and deliberately dressed their lines. Skirmishers were deployed to the front, right and left, and the charge was made diagonally over the wheat-field to the southwest, to the woods on the west side, then half-wheeled to the right, then on up through the woods to the crest of the hill, driving the enemy out of the woods in the direction of the Peach-orchard. The rebels at this juncture threatening our left flank, the column changed direction by left flank to the rear, and in this new direction we charged forward again. Down through the low land, then up through the woods east of the Rose house, surprising and capturing many prisoners, over three thousand muskets, and the colors of the Fifteenth Georgia regiment.

We bivouaced at night in the edge of Rose's woods, and about noon being relieved, we moved back to the stone wall, and then to the rear of Little Round Top, where we went into bivouac, the battle being ended.