Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 08.djvu/184

172 (Lieutenant-Colonel Salyer) moved to the right, and the remainder of the brigade moved up near the crest of the hill. At this time the Major-General Commanding arrived upon the hill occupied by the artillery, and after a short time directed me to form my brigade in line; to move forward when Nichols' brigade had formed on my left, and to attack the enemy in his position on the opposite hill. The brigade advanced in good order, moving down the slope of the hill, across the bottom, "Gettysburg creek" and up the hill occupied by the enemy. The hill was steep, heavily timbered, rocky and difficult of ascent. As the brigade advanced a few shells were thrown from the batteries on the right, though but little damage resulted from them. My men gained ground steadily to the front under a heavy fire of musketry from the enemy, protected by entrenchments. There was at one time some confusion towards the left, which I corrected as rapidly as possible. This confusion consisted in the mixing up of the files and the derangement of the general line, and was perhaps unavoidable from the lateness of the hour at which the advance was made, the darkness in the woods and the nature of the hill. When near the first line of entrenchments, moving with my troops, I received a flesh wound through the thigh, the excessive hemorrhage from which rendered it necessary for me to be borne from the field, and the command, of the brigade devolved upon Lieutenant-Colonel Dungan—Colonel J. C. Higginbotham having been previously wounded. The brigade acted with efficiency while I was with it. To the regimental commanders enumerated above I am indebted for the prompt movements of their respective regiments whenever called upon. The command of the Twenty-fifth regiment during the action devolved upon Lieutenant-Colonel J. A. Robinson—Colonel Higginbotham being wounded; the command of the Forty-fourth regiment upon Captain T. R. Buckner—Major Cobb being wounded. The skirmishers, commanded during the greater part of the day by Major R. D. Lilley, rendered most valuable services, and the energy and skill with which they were handled by that officer received my highest admiration. My chief medical officer, Surgeon Bushrod Taylor, brought to the performance of the difficult task devolved upon him the same ability, zeal, untiring industry and conscientious devotion to duty which have always marked his official connection with the brigade. To Captain R. Cleary, Acting Assistant Adjutant-General; Lieutenant V. Dabney, Volunteer Aid-de-Camp; Lieutenant F. Pendleton Jones, Aid-de-Camp (badly wounded and since