at the hands of the General and his staff was quite something. One of
the letters I recognized as being from my mother, the other aroused my
curiosity. The envelope, directed in a feminine hand, was very neat, but
the end had been burned off and the contents were held in place by a
narrow red ribbon daintily tied. In so conspicuous a place, with a
battle on, I could not trust myself to open my treasures. It was near
night before a suitable time came, and my billet-doux contained the
following:

_You are cordially invited to be present at the Commencement
Exercises of the ----Female Seminary, on the evening of July 3d,
1863, at eight o'clock_ P. M. _Compliments of Gertrude ----._

My feelings were inexpressible. How I longed to be there! To think of
such a place of quiet and peace as compared with my surroundings on this
bloody battlefield!

But to return to the serious features of the day. With the exception of
the steady musketry firing by Johnson's men on Culp's Hill, the day
passed quietly until nearly four o'clock. At this time Andrews's
battalion of artillery, led by Major Latimer, passed in front of us and
went into position two hundred yards to our left, and nearer the enemy.
The ground sloped so as to give us a perfect view of his four
batteries. Promptly other batteries joined those confronting us on
Cemetery Hill, and by the time Latimer's guns were unlimbered the guns
on both sides were thundering.

In less than five minutes one of Latimer's caissons was exploded, which
called forth a lusty cheer from the enemy. In five minutes more a
Federal caisson was blown up, which brought forth a louder cheer from
us. In this action Latimer's batteries suffered fearfully, the Alleghany
Roughs alone losing twenty-seven men killed and wounded. Only one or two
were wounded in our battery, the proximity of Latimer's guns drawing the
fire to them. Near the close of the engagement, Latimer, who was a
graduate of the Virginia Military Institute, a mere youth in appearance,
was killed.

The artillery contest was a small part of the afternoon's work. One of
Johnson's brigades, after capturing breastworks and prisoners on Culp's
Hill, pushed nearly to General Meade's headquarters. Rodes, usually so
prompt, was occupying the town and failed to attack till late, and then
with but two of his four brigades; but they charged over three lines of
breastworks and captured several pieces of artillery, which had to be
aban