advance of the other division of the corps toward Gettysburg, where it was supposed the enemy were in considerable force. The route taken by the brigade brought us, about 11 a. m., to within 1 mile of the town, in a westerly direction from it. The heavy firing then heard indicated that a portion of our forces were engaged with the enemy. The brigade was accordingly pushed forward and formed in line as soon as possible on the extreme left, in a field one-third of a mile in front of the seminary and facing west. The battery was also placed in position, and its fire directed toward the northwest, on the left of a piece of woods in which the First Division of the corps was then engaged with the enemy. In front of our line, and at the distance of three-quarters of a mile or more, were woods running nearly parallel with it, and between these woods and our line and toward our left were a brick house and a large stone barn. The barn affording cover to the enemy's sharpshooters, who were then skirmishing in front of us, a company of skirmishers was sent from the Twentieth New York Regiment for the purpose of protecting the battery. The position of the brigade was varied two or three times in order to shelter the men from the heavy artillery fire of the enemy, which at one time enfilade them from the north. During the morning, rebel infantry were observed on the edge of the woods first referred to, and between 2 and 3 p. m. a large body of them, amounting to a division or more, advanced in two lines toward us. Of the four small regiments constituting the brigade, one (One hundred and fifty-first) had been previously detached to support a portion of the corps to our right and rear. The remaining three were drawn up in the following order: The One hundred and forty-second on the right, Twentieth New York in the center, and the One hundred and twenty-first on the left, the battery occupying a space between the One hundred and forty-second and the Twentieth. Notwithstanding the great disparity of the contending forces, and the left of our line being outflanked by at least one and probably two regiments, and the enemy's fire, direct and oblique, being very severe, the men of the brigade continued to hold their position for some time, until, being without any support, they were compelled about 4 p. m. to retire to a cover on the edge of the town, immediately in front of the seminary. Here they remained, doing good service, checking the farther advance of the enemy, till the batteries and many of the troops in the town had withdrawn in the direction of Belleview Cemetery, when they retired to that point. The total number of officers and men who went into the action was 1, 287; out of this, 440 were either killed or wounded, and 457 are missing, * leaving as the present effective force only 390 officers and men. As during the greater part of the time the general witnessed the behavior of the troops, it might seem scarcely necessary to make any reference to it, but I would be doing injustice to the officers and men were I not to say that their gallant conduct was even more than could have been expected from men under the trying circumstances of their situation, and in this opinion I think he will heartily concur. I respectfully refer to the list (herewith sent) of those who are reported by their regimental commanders as having particularly distinguished themselves. It gives me pleasure to make mention of the excellent conduct of Colonel Gates, of the Twentieth New York; Lieutenant-Colonel

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*But see revised statement, p. 174.

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