On the morning of the 5th, our skirmish line was relieved, and the regiment rejoined the brigade. The loss of the Twentieth Indiana during the engagement was 28 killed, also the colonel of the regiment and 1 line officer, 109 wounded, including 8 officers, and 11 missing. *

I have the honor to be, respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. C. L. TAYLOR,

Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding Twentieth Indiana.

ASSISTANT ADJUTANT-GENERAL, Second Brigade, First Division, Third Corps.

Numbers 143. Reports of Colonel Moses B. Lakeman, Third Maine Infantry.

NEAR WARRENTON, VA., July 27, 1863.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to submit the following report of the part taken by my regiment at the battle of Gettysburg, Pa., on the 2nd instant: By order, I formed my regiment in line of battle parallel to and facing the Emmitsburg road, on the right of the brigade, at early morn. Soon after, by order of General Ward, I moved my regiment as a support for a body of sharpshooters, under command of Colonel Berdan, to whom I was ordered to report, by Captain Briscoe, of General Birney's staff. Advancing to and for some distance on the Emmitsburg road, I approached a dense wood on the west side of the road, and on entering it formed my regiment (as ordered) to support the advancing line of skirmishers, and followed at supporting distance. They soon, however, became hotly engaged, and, by order of Colonel Berdan, I advanced double-quick to the line they occupied, and instantly formed my regiment under a heavy fire from the enemy, which we returned with a good will. Here I labored under a decided disadvantage, which will account for my heavy loss. The skirmishers were well secured behind trees, while my battalion filled the intervals. The enemy showed himself in overwhelming force, but so well did we hold our position that his advance was much checked and very disastrous, and not until ordered by Colonel Berdan to fall back did a single man leave the ranks, with the exception of those slightly wounded, when I retired, giving an occasional volley to check his advance, which now became quicker. I was obliged to leave my dead and seriously wounded on the field, and on arriving at the road formed my regiment, which had gotten somewhat confused from loss of men and obstructions in our retreat. This engagement was short but very severe, and serves to give me a renewal of confidence in the men I command. I sustained a loss of 48 in killed, wounded, and missing. While on the move to join my brigade, I received an order from General Birney to take position in a peach orchard on the right of my previous one, and accordingly moved my regiment there and occupied it. Here I was enabled several times during the day to re-

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*But see revised statement, p. 177.

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