Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 24.djvu/193

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Huli nl's Cavalry withdrew with some six or seven hundred pris- oners behind the wooded crest. General Heth now brought up Pet- tign-w's Brigade, and advanced the whole division to attack the crest. When we reached the crest the cavalry were gone, and seen a mile way withdrawing to the summit of another ridge, (ieneral Heth moved in battle line slowly but steadily across this valley, charged and drove back this cavalry, now supported by infantry. This must have been only a brigade of the Federal infantry corps, for it fell back on the ridge just west of Gettysburg and overlooking the town. This was a high, commanding ridge, with many open farms and but little woods, and stretching northeast and southwest across the roads from Cashtown. Carlisle, and overlooked the valley through which led the road from York. I remember how thankful I felt as Heth's Division moved forward about i o'clock P. M. to attack this ridge, which was crowned with long lines of waiting infantry and from which came a steady artillery fire, when, on looking to the left of our line, I saw a Confederate division (Rodes') come off the Carlisle road and form battle line to aid us, while looking back I saw Pender's Division coming up the pike in our rear. Heth's Division had suf- fered the loss of two-thirds of Archer's Brigade and some loss in sweeping back the Federal infantry from the last ridge, but now held the centre of attack on the right and left of the Cashtown pike. Here for two hours the fight was hot and steady. The Federal corps held its ground stubbornly, ebbing and flowing. Here I saw the Virginians of Brockenbrough's Brigade 22d Virginia, Colonel E. Poinsett Tayloe ; 4Oth Virginia, Col. J. W. Brockenbrough, command- ing brigade; 47th Virginia, Colonel R. M. Mayo; and 55th Virginia Regiments driving the enemy in hand to hand fighting out of houses and barns of which they made forts. Here General Heth was wounded; here fell the brave Colonel Burgwin, of North Caro- lina, and here I buried next day, on the highest point, under a lone tree, with the Church's solemn services, Captain Brockenbrough, brother and aid of our brigade commander. By 3 o'clock the Fed- erals fled from the ridge, across the valley and through Gettysburg to the Cemetery Heights. Soon after, or about 3 o'clock, I rode to the left where a few pieces of artillery were still replying to the artil- lery on Cemetery Heights, and there met a long and large force of Federal prisoners marching back on the Cashtown road westward. The guard told me that General Early threw a skirmish line around these and captured them as they were flying in disorder before