Head Qrs. 1st Brigade.
Nov. 2, 1863.Respectfully returned—attention called to above.
By command of Col. McCandless.
Wm A. Hoyt.
A. A. A. G.
Meeting friends, amid Scenes of strife.
the advance toward Gettysburg, (our home,) many incidents worthy of note took place, but we will only give, in this connection, portions of a letter, sent us by I. N. Durboraw, Esq., who tells his experience among the friends and relatives that surrounded him.
Many of Company K. had like experiences, if they cared to relate them.
"I was with the company on the march to Gettysburg," says comrade Durboraw, "and it was amusing as familliar scenes, persons and faces were presented to our view. Some young ladies whom I recognized, as we passed along, not far from my home, and who were waving their handkerchiefs at the soldiers passing by, gazed at me in amazement as I named them, and as they did not recognize me, inquired, one of another, who that could be that knew them. When we arrived at the home of Serg't Young his own brother Robert came to us, but the Sergeant did not leave the ranks.
While in bivouac, in J. M. Diehl's field, where we halted just before noon on July 2, to get a little rest, and wait for orders, Robison came to me when cooking my coffee, and told me that Peter Baker, living near by, wished to see me, so I went to his house, and after getting something to eat, returned promptly to the company. Just when I reached the command the orders were given to fall-in double-quick, and hurriedly we advanced to the Round-tops, obliquing into position left in front, ... fired two rounds, when the order 'Forward!' was given, and every man had to hunt his way as best he could, over, round and through the bushes, rocks, stones and Plum-run swamp in the flat below. How the rebels, who were in numbers right in our front as the order to charge was given, it is hard to tell, but most of them did; when we got to the wheat-field the line was halted, and finaly established at the stone fence, which is in place today.
I now told Capt. Minnigh I was going home, and that he should neither say, Yes or No! I went back to the place where we had piled our knapsacks, the day before, but could find neither knapsack nor Creamer the guard, but looking round I eventually found it in a quarry on the banks of Rock-creek. I had only three miles home and soon reached it, only to find it filled with wounded soldiers, Gen'l Meredith being one of the number. I slept on the floor that night, and the next morning, with a knapsack well filled, I returned to the company. I did not find many of the people in the neighborhood at their homes, and their houses were occupied by skulkers and shuysters absent from their commands. When I got back to the company I shared out the contents of my haversack, and when we marched that night it was empty.