flight. We pursued, killing and wounding many of the enemy and taking a great number of prisoners. After advancing to within half a mile of the town, we discovered the enemy on our right flank, and within a short distance of the right of this regiment, the Twenty-first Georgia Regiment being considerably behind, it having been on our right. The right of our regiment just reached the road. The enemy came up to within 30 or 40 yards of us. As soon as it was discovered that we were flanked, we made a wheel to the right, faced the new foe, and began to fire upon him. Thus checked in his movement, he faced us, and opened a severe fire upon as. The Fourth Georgia Regiment soon came up to our assistance, it being on our immediate left. We soon charged over two fences, across the turnpike, under a raking fire from some batteries near the edge of the town, firing grape at us as we crossed the road. But nothing seemed able to stand the impetuosity of our men. Immediately after crossing the road, we put to rout the party that flanked us. The Twenty-first Georgia now came up to our right, and we captured, killed, or wounded nearly every man that came upon our right flank. We soon had nothing in our front, and we moved toward our right, where a heavy column was pressing some brigade near the hills upon our right. The enemy, discovering our move, began to retreat. Had not our men been so nearly exhausted, we should doubtless have captured the greater portion of the artillery and men; but only a few who could not flee so rapidly as the main body fell into our hands. We then reformed, and marched into the town of Gettysburg, the routed and fleeing enemy betaking himself to the hills south of the town. We formed a line in the town and halted for the night. In the engagement we lost-

Officers & men Killed Wounded Missing

Field and Staff --- 1 ---

Officers --- 5

Enlisted men 10 42
9

TOTAL* 10 48 9

Lost from the regiment, fifty-nine guns and accouterments. The regiment remained in line until the night of the 2nd instant, when we moved out by the right flank and to the northwest of the hills south of the town. After making a reconnaissance, we fell back to a road west of the town. Here we remained until the night of the 3rd instant, and then moved to the hills northwest of the town. Here we staid until the morning of the 5th instant, when we moved off on the road toward Hagerstown, Md. We lost no men after the 1st.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. H. PEEBLES,

Major, Commanding Forty-fourth Georgia Regiment.

Captain F. T. SNEAD,

Assistant Adjutant-General.

---------------

* But see p. 342.

---------------