doned for want of support. Sickles's corps, having occupied the two
"Round Tops" on the extreme left of the Federal line, advanced on
Longstreet, and at four P. M. the two lines met in the celebrated "Peach
Orchard," and from that time until night fought furiously, the Federals
being driven back to their original ground.

At the close of the second day the Confederates had gained ground on the
right and left, and captured some artillery, but still nothing decisive.
Another night passed, and the third and last day dawned on two anxious
armies. Pickett, after a mysterious delay of twenty-four hours, arrived
during the forenoon and became the left of Longstreet's corps. At twelve
o'clock word was passed along our lines that when two signal-guns were
heard, followed by heavy firing, to open vigorously with our guns. There
was no mistaking when that time came, and we joined with the three
hundred guns that made the firing. For an hour or more a crash and roar
of artillery continued that rolled and reverberated above, and made the
earth under us tremble. When it began there was great commotion among
the enemy's batteries in our front, some of which limbered up and
galloped along the crest of Cemetery Hill, but soon returned and renewed
their fire on us.

So far they had failed to do our battery any serious harm, but now each
volley of their shells came closer and closer. At this time my attention
was attracted to the second piece, a few paces to our left, and I saw a
shell plow into the ground under Lieutenant Brown's feet and explode. It
tore a large hole, into which Brown sank, enveloped as he fell in smoke
and dust. In an instant another shell burst at the trail of my gun,
tearing the front half of Tom Williamson's shoe off, and wounding him
sorely. A piece of it also broke James Ford's leg, besides cutting off
the fore leg of Captain Graham's horse. Ford was holding the lead-horses
of the limber, and, as they wheeled to run, their bridles were seized by
Rader, a shell struck the horse nearest to him, and, exploding at the
instant, killed all four of the lead-horses and stunned Rader. These
same horses and this driver had very nearly a similar experience (though
not so fatal) at Sharpsburg a year before, as already described. Sam
Wilson, another member of our detachment, was also painfully wounded and
knocked down by the same shell.

This artillery bombardment was the prelude to Pickett's charge, which
took place on the