Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 13.djvu/196

 Official Reports of the Battle of Gettysburg. 195

Corporal, then took the flag and remained firmly at his post. He was almost instantly killed. The colors were then taken by Sergeant W. S. Evans, of company F, who planted them defiantly in the face of the foe during the remainder of the fight, always advancing promptly to the front when the order was given.

The general conduct of officers and men was beyond all praise.

J. C. ROGERS, Major Com! d^g Fifth Texas Regiment.

REPORT OF COLONEL V. H. MANNING, THIRD ARKANSAS REGI- MENT.

REGIMENTAL HEADQUARTERS,

Near Hagerstown, Md.,

Lieutenant KERR, July 8th, 1863.

A. A. A. G. Robertson's Brigade:

LIEUTENANT, I have the honor to report the part taken by this command in the recent battle near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania:

About four o'clock on the evening of the 2d July I was ordered to move against the enemy, keeping my right well connected with the left of the First Texas regiment, and hold my left on the Emmetts- burg road, then some two hundred yards in my front and out of view. Upon reaching this road, I discovered, from the direction the directing regiment was taking, that I could not, with the length of my line, carry out the latter order, hence I decided to keep my com- mand on a prolongation of the line formed by the troops on my right. After marching in line of battle at a brisk gait, part of the way at a double-quick, for about one thousand yards, all the time exposed to a destructive fire from artillery, we engaged the enemy at short range, strongly posted behind a rock fence at the edge of woods. We drove him back with but little loss for a distance of one hundred and fifty yards, when I ascertained that I was suffering from a fire to my left and rear. Thereupon I ordered a change of front to the rear on first company, but the noise (consequent upon the heavy firing then going on) swallowed up my command, and I contented myself with the irregular di awing back of the left wing, giving it an excellent fire, which pressed the enemy back in a very short while, whereupon the whole line advanced the enemy fighting stubbornly,