The Maine bugle ... campaign; 1-5 Jan. 1894-Oct. 1898 - Maine.gov

A EWE IN BATTLE. 229
A Ride in Battle.
ISY (Ol.. M. I. V. r.iiWMAN, I.ATE KIKSl' I.I Kf I liNAM AMI CuMMlSsAUV Isl MK. CAV.
On Ihc afternoon of ihc third day of July, 1863, after nearly
three days hard fiiihlinj^^ at Gettysbiir;^, the two great armies
met in deadly conflict for victory or defeat. General Picket's
terrible charge and (leneral Stuart's cavalry charge on our right
Hank were nearly simultaneous. The rebel artillery all along their
line of battle belched forth their challenge, while ours from
Little Round Top down the line answered back with deafening
roar. On came Picket across the wheat fiekl with his iiifaiitr)-.
On came Stuart with his cavalry. I was with our regiment of
cavalr)', with another sent out under command of Col. Smith to
meet an advancing column of the enemy in the attack on the
right flank. It was some fi>ur miles from where i'icket made
his charge to where our cayahy was engaged with Stuart. I
luul become greatly e.xcited, as doubtless the great majority of
my comrades were on that eventful afternoon, and when the roar
of cannon on our side seemetl to abate for a short time and the
rebels poured in more furiously their shot and shell, I had such
a desire to knt)W more of the battle that I started with my man
Rogers for Little Round Top— I call him Comrade Rogers for
in my mind now his name was Rogers— so many years have
clapsetl since then that I really have forgotten his name—on we
spurred our horses through field aiul woods, all the while close
to the line of battle. On coming near the crest of the hill that
extends from Little and Hig Round Top around to Wolf's hill, we
went through an opening in the woods through which a country
road passed, and as we came near the top of the hill we halted,
and I said to Rogers, "When wc return \ye will go through that
strip of woods at the right of us, for by so doing wc will save
a mile's travel." y\s we reached the crest of the hill wc saw
below us hundreds of men firing and falling back. I supposed