HEADQUARTERS GORDON'S BRIGADE, August 10th, 1863.



To Major JOHN W. DANIEL, A. A. G., Early's Division:



Major - I have the honor to report that my brigade began the march with Early's
division from Hamilton's crossing on the 4th of June last. Halting at Culpeper
Courthouse two days, on the night of the 12th, after a most exhausting march of
seventeen miles in about six hours, we reached Front Royal. I was ordered to
move on the pike leading to Winchester at three o'clock A. M.,

3







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13th of June. Fording both branches of the Shenandoah, we marched to a point on
the Staunton pike, about five and one half miles from Winchester, when as
ordered by Major-General Early. I moved to the left of this road and formed
line of battle three miles southwest of the town. About four o'clock in the
afternoon I deployed a line of skirmishers and moved forward to the attack,
holding two regiments (the Thirteenth and Thirty-first Georgia) in reserve.
After advancing several hundred yards, I found it necessary to bring into line
these two regiments - the Thirty-first on the right and the Thirteenth on the
left. The enemy's skirmishers reposition behind a stone wall, but from which he
was immediately driven. A battery, which I had hoped to capture, was rapidly
withdrawn.



In this charge, which was executed with spirit and unchecked at any point, my
brigade lost seventy-five men, including some efficient officers.



On the 14th, detachments from this brigade were engaged in skirmishing with the
enemy in front of the town an fort. In accordance with orders from
Major-General Early, received in the night of the 14th, I began to move my
brigade upon the fort at daylight the following morning. I soon discovered that
the fort was evacuated, and sending a detachment to occupy it and take
possession of the garrison flag, I sent an officer to communicate with the
Major-General and moved as rapidly as possible in the direction of the firing
distinctly heard on the Martinsburg pike.



My brigade reached the point where a portion of Johnson's division engaged the
retreating enemy only in time to assist in collecting horses and prisoners.



Crossing the Potomac at Shepherdstown on the 22d of June, we marched through
Boonsboro', Maryland, to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Before reaching this place
my brigade was detached by Major-General Early from the division and ordered on
a different road, with a battalion of cavalry under the command of
Lieutenant-Colonel White.



In front of Gettysburg a regiment of Pennsylvania militia was charged and
routed by this cavalry battalion. I was here ordered to move on the direct pike
to the city of York. Before entering this place, the Mayor and a deputation of
citizens were sent out by the city authorities to make a formal surrender. In
accordance with prior instructions from Major-General Early, I moved directly
through, having sent in front of the brigade a provost-guard to occupy the city
and take down the Federal flag, left flying over the principal street. We moved
by the direct pike to Wrightsville on the Susquehanna. At this point I found a
body of Pennsylvania militia, nearly equal in number to my brigade, reported by
the commanding officer, whom we captured, at twelve hundred men, strongly
entrenched, but without artillery. A line of skirmishers was sent to make a
demonstration in front of these works, while I moved to the right by a
circuitous route with three regiments, in







Page243         Gettysburg Campaign.



order to turn these works, and if possible, gain the enemy's rear, cut off his
retreat and seize the bridge. This I found impracticable, and placing in
position the battery under my command, opened on the works, and by a few well
aimed shots and the advance of my lines, caused this force to retreat
precipitately, with the loss of about twenty prisoners, including one
lieutenant-colonel. I had no means of ascertaining the enemy's number of killed
and wounded. One dead man was left on the field. Our loss, one wounded. It may
not be improper in this connection, as evidence of the base ingratitude or our
enemies, to state that the Yankee press has attributed to my brigade the
burning of the town of Wrightsville. In his retreat across the bridge, the
enemy fired it about midway with the most inflammable materials. Every effort
was made to extinguish this fire and save the bridge, but it was impossible.
From this the town was fired, and notwithstanding the excessive fatigue of the
men, from the march of twenty-nine miles and the skirmish with the enemy, I
formed my brigade in line around the burning buildings and resisted the
progress of the flames until they were checked.



Leaving Wrightsville on the morning of the 29th, I sent the cavalry under my
command to burn all the bridges (fourteen in number) on the railroad leading to
York, to which place I marched my brigade and rejoined the division, from which
we had been separated since June 26th. Marching thence to Gettysburg, we
participated in the battle of July 1st. In accordance with orders from
Major-General Early, I formed my brigade in line of battle on the right of the
division - one regiment, the Twenty-sixth Georgia, having been detached to
support the artillery under Lieutenant-Colonel Jones.



Abuot 3 o'clock P. M. I was ordered to move my brigade forward to the support
of Major-General Rodes' left. The men were much fatigued from long marches, and
I therefore caused them to move forward slowly, until within about three
hundred yards of the enemy's line, when the advance was as rapid as the nature
of the ground and a proper regard for the preservation of my alignment would
permit.



The enemy had succeeded in gaining a position upon the left flank of Doles'
brigade, and in causing these troops to retreat. This movement of the enemy
would necessarily have exposed his right flank but for the precaution he had
taken to cover it by another line. It was upon this line, drawn up in a strong
position on the crest of a hill, a portion of which was woodland, that my
brigade charged. Moving forward under heavy fire over rail and plank fences,
and crossing a creek whose banks were so abrupt as to prevent a passage except
at certain points, this brigade rushed upon the enemy with a resolution and
spirit, in my opinion, rarely equaled.



The enemy made a most obstinate resistance, until the colors on portions of the
two line were separated by a space of less than fifty paces, when his line was
broken and driven back, leaving the







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flank which this line had protected exposed to the fire from my brigade. An
effort was here made by the enemy to change his front and check our advance,
but the effort failed, and this line too was driven back in the greatest
confusion and with immense loss in killed, wounded and prisoners. Among the
latter was a division commander (General Barlow), who was severely wounded. I
was here ordered by Major-General Early to halt.



I had no means of ascertaining the number of the enemy's wounded by the fire of
this brigade, but if these were in the usual proportion to his killed, nearly
three hundred of whom where buried on the ground where my brigade fought, his
loss in killed and wounded must have exceeded the number of men I carried into
action. 

Neither was it possible for me to take any account of the prisoners sent to the
rear. But the division inspector credits this brigade with about eighteen
hundred. I carried into action about twelve hundred men, one regiment having
been detached as above stated. The loss of the brigade in killed and wounded
was three hundred and fifty - forty of whom were killed.



The movements during the succeeding days of the battle (July 2d and 3d) I do
not consider of sufficient importance to mention. In the afternoon of July 5th,
on the retreat from Gettysburg, my brigade, acting as rear guard, was pressed
by the enemy near Fairfield, Virginia. I was ordered by Major-General Early to
hold him in check until the wagon and division trains could be moved forward.
Detaching one regiment (the Twenty-sixth Georgia) I deployed it, and after a
spirited skirmish succeeded in driving back the enemy's advance guard and in
withdrawing this regiment through the woods, with the loss of eight or ten
killed and wounded. 

On the 14th of July this brigade, with the division, recrossed the Potomac at
Williamsport.



It would be gratifying, and in accordance with my sense of justice, to mention
the acts of individual courage which came under my own observation and which
have been reported to me, but as the exhibition of this virtue was the general
rule, I should do injustice to many I attempted it.



I am, Major, very respectfully, your obedient servant,



J. B. GORDON, Brigadier-General.