was again taken up at 7 a. M. on the 26th. The roads being in a bad condition and the weather bad, the progress was slow and difficult. Crossed the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and halted for that night in the vicinity of it. Left on the morning of the 27th, passed through Jefferson City, Md., and arrived near Middletown, Md., at 7 p. M. Started early next morning (the 28th) and proceeded on the macadamized road through Frederick, Md., and halted about seven miles beyond that city for the night. Broke up next morning, June 29, and passing through Woodville and Middleborough, Md., left the macadamized road and proceeded about one mile on a country road leading to the frontier of Pennsylvania, where the regiment bivouacked for the night. Left at an early hour next morning and passing through Taneytown, Md., encamped two miles beyond. The line of march was again taken up on the 1st day of July, 1863, passed through Emmitsburg, Md., at 10 a. M., crossed the frontier of Pennsylvania early in the afternoon, and arrived at Gettysburg, Pa., at 12 p. M. the same day.

The morning of the memorable 2nd of July opened and the men, anticipating an engagement, were cleaning their guns, adjusting their cartridges, and making every other preparation for the coming conflict with a cheerfulness and good will never before surpassed. Early in the morning the regiment was drawn up in line of battle, variously changing position, when at about 1 p. M. the battalion being formed in close column by division it was advanced to the support of the first line of battle, which was then hotly engaged with the enemy. The enemy evidently espying our position, opened a vigorous fire of artillery on us, throwing shot and shell with such an accuracy into the midst of this regiment that Colonel Holt deemed it advisable to advance the regiment out of range of the enemy's guns. After advancing about fifty paces the men were ord. The enemy here also directed his fire with remarkably good aim, compelling the battalion to seek a more sheltered place some distance in front. Several shells exploding among the regiment, Colonel Holt again advanced, and had scarcely reached a new position when orders were received to deploy on the road in front of it, on the right of the Twenty-sixth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, of the First Brigade, this division, and in the rear of the First Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers, of the same brigade. There being a remnant of a fence in close proximity Colonel Holt immediately had breast-works erected (using fence rails for that purpose). The men worked with an alacrity I scarcely ever before witnessed. The First Massachusetts Volunteers meanwhile being engaged in our immediate front, several men in this regiment were wounded by chance shots. The regiment was then ordered to lie down behind the erected breast-works, which they had scarcely done, when an order was received to change front and to form in the rear of the Fourth Excelsior, which at the timewas engaged with the enemy. This regiment being in the immediate rear of the Fourth Excelsior, Colonel Holt gave the order to fire left oblique, there being an open space on the left of the Fourth Excelsior, through which the regiment could fire without endangering our own troops. The regiments in our front were subsequently compelled to fall back on our regiment, which had now, the front being clear, commenced a direct fire, until ordered to retreat slowly, which they did, continually firing in retreat. Meanwhile the rest of the brigade having rallied in the rear of our position, we were formed on their line of battle and again advanced. On the way toward the front several 12-pounder brass guns were detected between the two contending forces, when a detachment of this regiment voluntarily seized the ropes, and after pulling two of them into our lines, delivered