Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 13.djvu/212

 Official Reports of the Battle of Gettysburg. 211

OPERATIONS OF DETACHMENT FROM CASHTOWN TO WILLIAMS- PORT REPORT OF MAJOR CHARLES RICHARDSON.

CAMP OF GARNETT'S ARTILLERY BATTALION, Gordonsville, August 2<\, 1863.

COLONEL, In obedience to your order requiring me to report the operations of a detachment of this battalion, with which I was ordered to join Brigadier General Imboden at Cashtown, Pennsyl- vania, I have the honor to submit the following:

About seven o'clock on the morning of the 4th July last, having at the time nine rifle guns of this battalion in position on the line of battle opposite Gettysburg and immediately in front of the brigade of Brigadier- General Posey, of Anderson's division, I received orders from Brigadier -General Pendleton to proceed at once to Cashtown with the rifle guns of Captains Maurin and Moore, and report to General Imboden for duty with his command. Pursuant to this order I at once marched with Captain Moore, one zo-pounder Par- rott and one 3-inch- United States rifle and caissons, and Lieutenant Landry, of Captain Maurin's battery, two 3-inch United States rifles and 10- pounder Parrott and caissons, and, arriving at Cashtown about two o'clock, immediately reported to General Imboden. The Gen- eral informed me that his command would act as a convoy to the great wagon train of our army then passing through the town, and that he would, at the proper time, designate the position in the column to be occupied by my guns.

Having waited several hours without receiving any order from General Imboden, during which time I frequently presented myself to the General and conversed with him, I at length, having informed the General where my artillery was, with his consent, returned to my command, which was on the Gettysburg and Cashtown road, about three hundred yards from where I left the General and his staff. Here I remained until about sunset, when, having received no orders from the General, I returned to the point in Cashtown where I had left him, and learned that he and his staff had gone forward on the line of march. Deeming it necessary that I should communicate with him as soon as possible, in order that I might receive his orders, I turned over the command of my artillery to Captain Moore and at once hastened to overtake General Imboden. Passing the wagon train of our battalion about two o'clock the next morning, I saw