engaged in an unholy cause, and
said to one of our officers who leaned over him: "Tell Hancock I
have wronged him and have wronged my country."

[* Colonel Norman J. Hall, commanding a brigade in Hancock's corps,
who rendered this great service, was one of the garrison who defended
Fort Sumter at the beginning of the war. At that time he was the
Second Lieutenant of my company.]

Both Gibbon and Webb were wounded, and the loss in officers and
men was very heavy; two rebel brigadier-generals were killed, and
more prisoners were taken than twice Webb's brigade; 6 battle-flags,
and 1,463 muskets were also gathered in.

My command being a little to the left, I witnessed this scene, and,
after it was over, sent out stretcher-bearers attached to the
ambulance train, and had numbers of wounded Confederates brought
in and cared for. I was told that there was one man among these
whose conversation seemed to indicate that he was a general officer.
I sent to ascertain his rank, but he replied: "Tell General
Doubleday in a few minutes I shall be where there is no rank." He
expired soon after, and I never learned his name.

The rebels did not seem to appreciate my humanity in sending out
to bring in their wounded, for they opened a savage fire against
the stretcher-bearers. One shell burst among us, a piece of it
knocked me over on my horse's neck, and wounded Lieutenant Cowdry
of my staff.

When Pickett--the great leader--looked around the top of the ridge
he had temporarily gained, he saw it was impossible to hold the
position. Troops were rushing in on him from all sides. The Second
Corps were engaged in a furious assault on his front. His men were
fighting with clubbed muskets, and even banner staves were intertwined
in a fierce and hopeless struggle. My division of the First Corps
were on his right flank, giving deadly blows there, and the Third
Corps were closing up to attack. Pettigrew's forces on his left
had given way, and a heavy skirmish line began to accumulate on
that flank. He saw his men surrendering in masses, and, with a
heart full of anguish, ordered a retreat. Death had been busy on
all sides, and few indeed now remained of that magnificent column
which had advanced so proudly, led by the Ney of the rebel army,
and those few fell back in disorder, and without organization,
behind Wright's brigade, which had been sent forward to cover the
retreat. At first, however, when struck by Stannard on