July 4, 1863

[Blacksmith]

Sgt. Charles Edmund Kellogg 20th Conn. Vol. Infantry my great grandfather left a diary. Here is his picture:
http://dbappdev.com/acs/20thconn/ct20_kellogg_ce.asp

"July 3: I went about 30 miles with rations where the troops have been fighting near Gettysburg. I saw many prisoners and am told the enemy is retreating. Got a capital dinner on the road, and had quite a long ride in a buggy with a man who was going that way to satisfy curiosity. A hard rain and very warm before it."

"July 4: Came back to the wagons not much fatigued although up late last night. Overtaken by a heavy rain storm on my return. I was completely wet through and fortunately could change my clothes in camp."

He was camped " ....Just beyond Westminster...." (Maryland) and would have traveled up Littlestown Rd. (RT 97) through Littlestown on up Baltimore Pike to Getteysburg to issue rations to the troops.

I also had some in the revolution various places including Valley Forge, and many other wars. They are the reason for fireworks.

Never Forget.

[Hamish]

Been hoping someone would post something like this. Valley Forge has been much on my mind as I have read the weariness in some folks posts.

We are yet the nation that was harbored in the hearts and minds of those other men and women, who's only difference from us was the time in history that they lived, as long as we keep the idea of the city on the hill fresh in our hearts and on our lips. Though it may be a bit tarnished, the dream yet lives.

The journey, not the destination.

There is a passage in the Book that states that "the poor will always be with us". There have *always* been moochers and malingerers, and evil, we just got to keep our eyes on the prize.

[smoked turkey]

Thank-you for posting. We must never forget and we must make sure those coming along behind us knows what it took and what it takes for us to be the free nation we all love and appreciate.

[beagle]

Yesterday I wore my "Glory at the Wall" t-shirt commemorating Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg. Yesterday was the anniversary. We should never forget those that fought for their beleifs...no matter what side. Two of my great great uncles were in that charge with Pickett on the left flank. Both survived./beagle

[w5pv]

Quiet a striking figure,I had at least 3 ggfathers to fight in the war but on CSA side.

[NSB]

My great great grandfather was there on that date and got his trigger finger shot off when a musket ball shot his rifle in half. He got out on a surgeon's certificate two months later and died 27 years later to the day. He's buried in Brush Valley, Pa., and has a bronze plaque on his grave from the G.A.R. showing he was a veteran of the civil war.

[Ithaca Gunner]

A Strange and Blighted Land: Gettysburg, The Aftermath of a Battle by Gregory A. Coco (1995) is probably the best book written concerning the impact a major battle on American soil, the clean up, the dead, the wounded, the prisoners, and the town itself for years to come. Little is left to the imagination as you read of what it took to gather and care for the wounded in a vast sea of misery, bury the dead, and clean up the area to make it fit for habitation again.

[1Shirt]

An excellent posting,Thanks!
1Shirt!

[Blacksmith]

At Gettysburg on Culp's Hill the 20th CT monument reads as follows.
http://dbappdev.com/acs/20thconn/gettysburg/monument.htm

Location of the monument (click map pin for more information):
http://www.hmdb.org/map.asp?markers=13666

20th CONN. VOL'S

20th Conn. Vol's Wm B. Wooster Lieut. Col. Comd'g 1st Brig 1st Div., 12th AC The Brig. formed on this line on the morning of July 2nd. At evening it moved to support left of Army. Returning, it found the position and woods in rear occupied by Johnsons division, Ewells Corp. During the night it lay in line of battle. At dawn, July 3rd the 20th Conn. advanced under cover of artillery and fought 5 hours driving the enemy and reoccupying the works was relieved by the 123rd N.Y. In afternoon moved to support the Second Corp against Longstreets assault. This regiment went from VA. with 12th AC to Army of Cumberland, Marched with Gen. Sherman to the Sea.

Losses at Gettysburg 28
Killed and wounded 90
Total killed and died of wounds 77
Died of other causes 201
Wounded 264
Disabled and discharged 125
Prisoners


Engagements
Chancellorsville
Gettysburg
Tracy City
Boyds Trail
Resacca
Casville
Peach Tree Creek
Turners Ferry
Atlanta
Savannah
Charleston
Silver Run
Averysboro
Bentonville

[Blacksmith]

Here is a link to the July 3rd entry in the diary of another member of the 20th Conn.:
http://www.dbappdev.com/vpp/ct20/hdc/HDC630703.htm

The diary of Cpl. Horatio D. Chapman, Co. C, 20th Connecticut Volunteers.

1863-July 3

About 3 this morning, as it began to grow light, a strong skirmish line was formed and we were ordered forward and to align ourselves and go slowly and cautiously, and see if we could retake our works. After going through a strip of woods we came to an opening beyond which were our works. About four or five rods from our breastworks the rebels had also a strong line of skirmishers. We poured a volley into them and it was returned vigorously and the firing along the whole line of skirmishers became more and more rapid and incessant .In about an hour as there had been no advance on either side by the skirmishers from the position first taken, although some were killed and many wounded on both sides, a second line of rebel skirmishers more numerous than the first came over the breastworks and joined their first line and advanced rapidly upon us. We were forced to retreat as fast as possible back through the woods. We went and met our brigade advancing in line of battle. One volley was poured into them and it checked them instanter and they about faced and retreated, leaving many dead and wounded. We continued to advance, passed their dead and wounded until within short range of our works, and from our own breastworks which was now their protection, they poured such a withering fire into our ranks and which was followed by volley after volley that our brigade was forced to retreat back through the woods and out of range of their musketry; and so it was a continued fight of advance and retreat, advance and retreat. The rebels were in large force behind these works which we had built for our own protection and we could not start them, and so the fight continued until about 3 in the afternoon, the dead and wounded on both sides mixed together indiscriminately. All at once it seemed as if all the artillery in the universe had opened fire and was belching forth its missals of death and destruction to friend and foe. The thundering of the artillery was rapid and loud on both sides and the solid shot and shells of both armies going over our heads, the infantry enjoyed a state of rest. For two or three hours this terrible artillery warfare raged and then the guns of the enemy began to slacken and ours to grow less and less --- and then ceased altogether --- and we were ordered forward and continued up to our breastworks and took possession, not a rifle being fired, the rebels having retreated, leaving their dead and wounded on the field of battle. Pickets were thrown out in front and a strong body behind our works to guard against surprise during the night. We built fires all over the battle field and the dead of the blue and gray were being buried all night, and the wounded carried to the hospital. We made no distinction between our own and the confederate wounded, but treated them both alike, and although we had been engaged in fierce and deadly combat all day and weary and all begrimed with smoke and powder and dust, many of us went around among the wounded and gave cooling water or hot coffee to drink. The confederates were surprised and so expressed themselves that they received such kind treatment at our hands, and some of the slightly wounded were glad they were wounded and our prisoners. But in front of our breastworks, where the confederates were massed in large numbers, the sight was truly awful and appalling. The shells from our batteries had told with fearful and terrible effect upon them and the dead in some places were piled upon each other, and the groans and moans of the wounded were truly saddening to hear. Some were just alive and gasping, but unconscious. Others were mortally wounded and were conscious of the f act that they could not live long; and there were others wounded, how bad they could not tell, whether mortal or otherwise, and so it was they would linger on some longer and some for a shorter time-without the sight or consolation of wife, mother, sister or friend. I saw a letter sticking out of the breast pocket of one of the confederate dead, a young man apparently about twenty-four. Curiosity prompted me to read it. It was from his young wife away down in the state of Louisiana. She was hoping and longing that this cruel war would end and he could come home, and she says, "Our little boy gets into my lap and says, `Now, Mama, I will give you a kiss for Papa.' But oh how I wish you could come home and kiss me for yourself." But this is only one in a thousand. But such is war and we are getting used to it and can look on scenes of war, carnage and suffering with but very little feeling and without a shudder.

[Blacksmith]

On July 4th, 1863 - Cpl. Abner C. Smith wrote a letter to his wife and family. He appears to have started it while on route to the battle then finished it after the main battle was over. The text that follows had paragraphs added for reading ease the as written text is at the link.
http://dbappdev.com/acs/20thconn/ct20/acs/ltrs/AS_1_050.html


On the March Somewhare
in Penn. between Littletown & (a town SE of Gettysburg, Blksmth)
Gettysburg July 1th, 1863

Gettysburg July 4th, 1863
Dear Wife & Children

It is with heartfelt grattitude to a kinde Providence that I am spared to write to you on this glorious day the fourth of July and lett you know how and whare I am I am well and hope when this reaches you it will find you all the same before you receive this you probably will hear of the army of the Potomac doing something their has been a terable battle fought here at Gettysburg the fighting has been going on four days before to day

I have not heard any fightting this morning but do not know but we may have more of it before night, but hardly think we shall here to day for there appears to be no rebls near hear. I hear that they are on the retreat this morning and the 6th Corps has gone to cut them off

[T]he fight was commenced by the cavalry four days ago the morning before we got to Littletown we arived here Wednesday. they was fighting hard when we got here we was drawed up in line of battle wednesday about two Oclock expecting an attack every moment but it did not come we marched and counter marched all the afternoon and finerly night came without our seeing any of the fight we rested through the night was call up early in the morning started off without any brakefast to the place whare our fought yesterday we got here early in the day and threw up breastworkes, the fight was going on all this time in the afternoon

[J]ust at night it was thought that the rebs was getting the best of us and our division was ordered to the left of whare we then lay to support that section but our boys proved anough for them for they had silenced them just as we got there, the rebs had a battery playing onto us all the way from whare we started till we got wheare it was thought we should be needed one in our Regiment was knocked down by a cannon ball it struck his gun and broke it all to peaces but did not hurt him very much we had to drop to the ground often to save our heads from the shell, the battery was taken from them just as we got there, as soon as it was found that we ware not neaded we started back for our intrenchments but when we got nearly back it was found that the rebs had com in and taken possession of our breastworkes whilst we was gone so we ware drawed up in line of battle and lay out in an open cornfield till morning when the ball opened at about half past four we was in the engagement till half past eleven we was then relieved as we supposed for the day by another Regiment we marched off about half a mile and commenced cooking coffee before some of them had got their fire built we was ordered to fall in and move to some other place so we had to leave without our grub there is not much time to cook in a battle I tell you

[W]e went back to the same place whare we was in the forenoon we had but just got onto the ground when an artillery fight commenced and a fierce fight it was to the way the rebs shelled us I tell you was a caution they played at us the best they knew how for about three hours we was in the woods at the time and no one knew but each minute was his last the shells flew thick and fast they struck all around me burst and fly in all directions one piece struck me on the heel of my shoe they burst amongst the trees over head and some of the small pieces fell down onto me the sollid shot and Railroad iron howled offerly, one cannon ball struck the ground about three feet from me it mad the dirt fly a little I tell you,

[T]he forenoon fight was all musketry on the part of the rebs our folks shelled them most of the forenoon to clear them out of the woods and the intrenchments that we built the day before. but we finally routed them we proved too much for them this time we drove them like blazes

[L]ast night I slept on the field of battle with dead rebs all around me I eat my supper and brakefast in les than a rod of one there has been a big slaughter of rebs at this battle and their loss in prisners was heavy we took about twelve thousand yesterday and four thousand this morning Generals Hill and Longstreat ware taken prisners. I hear that Longstreat is dead died this morning from an wound,

[I]t rains now like sixty and I have got to stop writing, it is now Sunday morning been very rainy all night have a chance to send this so I cant write so much as I would I am well this morning, my love to you all

From your affecttionate
Husband and Father

A.C. Smith

[Russ M]

Thank you for starting this thread. My wife and I have a couple of connections to Gettysburg. Abner Doubleday was my gg something uncle. The Widow Thompson, whose house General Lee used as headquarters, was my wife's gg grandmother. Each of their roles are easy enough to google. The ironic, funny, whatever part of that is that my father and both of my grandfathers said that the wrong side won that war. Folks for the most part fought for the region they were from.