“You will keep your men well up, sir; no straggling under any circumstances. There is serious work going on ahead, and it is likely we will be into it in less than three hours. The orders are to press forward with all dispatch.”
The words were overheard by some of the men, and the news ran through the battalion like wild fire. One prolonged yell announced it to the other regiments and brigades, and for a minute the welkin fairly rung with their joyous shouts. More distinct at every step became the roar of artillery, and we knew from the incessant discharges that the fight was a fierce one.
I must confess I was puzzled, completely nonplussed. Who had dreamed of the enemy being in that quarter? I will venture to say not an officer of the army outside the corps commanders, and perhaps their respective staffs. And I do not believe they, or even General Lee himself, expected forty-eight hours previous to encounter him there. A dreadful blunder somewhere, but where I will leave it for the historian to tell.
“How about that nice little trip to Baltimore and Washington, and those parallel turnpikes, now,” said Captain Murray addressing me. “Ah, that was a beautifully arranged affair, I must confess; but there seems to be obstacles in the way of its fulfillment.”
“And the ten dollars,” chimed in Torsch. “It will buy a pint of Monegahaly, as the people hereabouts call it. Yes, we’ll take that ten when we reach Gettysburg. We will, won’t we, Cap?”
I acknowledged my plans had miscarried, which was all owing to the enemy’s getting betwixt us and Washington’s monument; but that I was still somewhat inclined to believe it was only a small force of the enemy who had stumbled upon our advance. And this belief seemed to be strengthened as we neared the battle-field, for the discharges of artillery were not now near so rapid as they had been an hour or two before.
About two miles from Gettysburg we passed a farm house by the roadside, which had been converted into a hospital and filled with our wounded, as was also the yard. A little farther on a great many ambulances were encountered, well freighted with torn and bleeding men, and directly a long line of the more slightly wounded, all making their way to the rear in search of surgical aid. From these we learned the fight had been a desperate one, and the casualties numerous on both sides; but that we had been successful at every point. A little farther and we filed to the left to avoid attracting the fire of the enemy’s artillery, which was still being served, but slowly.
Passing a large field, in which were several thousand Federal prisoners, we were directly upon the battle ground. The evidences here gave most unmistakable testimony of a stubbornly-contested battle, as the ground was covered with the dead—blue and gray side by side. In and around the railroad cut dug by Thad. Stevens many years since, the slaughter of the Federal troops was appalling. They literally lay in heaps, whilst our loss at this point appeared comparatively small.
We here learned that portions of Ewell’s and Hill’s corps had encountered a heavy force under General Reynolds, and that he himself was among the killed. Our own loss had been by no means slight. Besides a large number in killed and wounded, General James Archer and almost his entire brigade had been made prisoners.
It was nearly dark when we entered the town; and, halting in one of the streets to await orders, the troops stretched themselves upon the ground to rest their weary limbs. Having some acquaintances in the place, and feeling rather hungered, I suggested to Colonel Herbert that we should go up to Will’s hotel, where I thought we could procure some refreshments; but upon reaching the place we found it closed and apparently deserted. Returning, I met a gentleman whom I had known in former years—Mr. Henry Stahle, editor and proprietor of a Democratic paper there—and we entered into conversation upon topics entirely foreign to the war. A crowd of gaping citizens soon surrounded us, and imagining Mr. Stahle was hatching treason, forthwith reported him to the authorities. Now, as Mr. Stahle had been suspected of being a copperhead for some time, owing to the manly and independent tone of his paper, his being seen in company with a rebel officer was proof positive, and when our forces fell back he was handed over to the tender mercies of General Morris, of Fort McHenry notoriety. I trust the reader will excuse this little digression, but I thought the incident worth mentioning.