Camp 9^th Regt Ga

Near Hagerstown

July 8^th 1863

 

Capt. C.C. Hardwick

                        A.A.G.

 

                                    Captain

                                                I have the honor to report that about four oclock in the afternoon during the battle of Gettysburg on the 2^d inst all officers senior to me having fallen, the command of this Regt devolved upon me, and during the remainder of the battle, both that day and the next, and until the present time, I have continued in command and it now becomes my duty to report the part taken by the Regt in the action. Lt Col Mounger was killed by a piece of shell soon after the advance command while leading the Regt with his characteristic gallantry and for about an hour afterwards Maj Jones was in command, when he and Capt King were both wounded and taken from the field nearly at the same time.

 

The Regt occupied its usual position in line on the left of the Brigade and the extreme left of Divⁿ and having for nearly an hour and a half no support for its left the advance of M^cLaw’s Division being unaccountably thus long delayed, which left the flank very much exposed, while advancing near the distance of a mile to an exploding fire of the enemy’s batteries and also to the fire of a flanking party of the enemy, who were prompt to take advantage of the exposed condition of the flank.

 

To west of this flanking party I charged the front of three companies & for nearly an hour against great odds, held them in check until relieved by the advance of M^cLaws Div which finally came up on our left. The whole line now, again pressed forward and though entirely without support, dispersed and scattered a fresh line of the enemy, who came up against us, and pressed them four or five hundred yds further to the base of the Mountain upon which the enemys having batteries were posted, which we found to be the strongest natural position I ever saw. Our little band now thinned and exhausted by their hour and a half constant fighting, made a gallant attempt to storm the batteries, but the enemy being again heavily reinforced we were met by a storm of shot and shell against which in our worn out condition we could not advance. I believe, that had M^cLaws Divⁿ advanced with our lines so that we could have arrived at this point before we became worn out with fatigue we would have carried the position. In this movement the whole Brigade and also several Brigades of M^cLaws’ Divⁿ participated. Failing to take the batteries the line retired to the point where we first encountered the enemys main line and was again formed putting the enemy in such position as to place most of the battle field in our possession.

 

The enemy evidently had enough of it and did not again show himself in our front, darkness soon closing the scene. The Regt lost two officers Lt Col Mounger and Lt Bowen killed and eleven officers wounded also twenty five enlisted men killed 113 men wounded to one officer and thirty one men missing. Total 183. There  were many officers and men who displayed a degree of daring and heroism which challenges admiration in the very highest degree and the whole Regt behaved with its customary steadiness and devotion as the loss of 183 out of 240 comd into the field will testify. I herewith respectfully submit a detailed testament of casualties, giving names and description of wounds in full from which I have omitted all slight wounds which though sufficient to disable the men for a day or two will not prevent them taking part in the next battle, say a week or ten days from the time the hurt was received. On the next day (3^d inst) the Regt was detached from the Brigade/ himself in building breastworks on the mountain side in our front. By the dawn of the following day he had constructed in plain view three lines of breastworks which could not have been mounted without the use of scaling ladders. A fourth line not so distinctly visible did not appear to be so high or strong. The 20^th held the hill until near 7 oclock P.M. on the 3^rd under a dangerous but desultory fire of the enemy mainly Infantry when we ordered to fall back to a more tenable position about one mile to our left rear. The withdrawel of troops on our left making such order necessary. Indeed the enemy had well nigh joined our left flank before it was known that we were without support there to meet him. Owing to a misunderstanding of orders as to the point aimed at and as to the manner in which the retreat should be conducted, considerable disorder attended its inception. but the regiment was formed again upon the first favorable ground & good order soon restored. The loss on this retreat was seventeen men, some of whom we know to have been killed & others wounded. I have had no means of ascertaining whether any unwounded men fell into the enemy’s hands. The men generally were almost worn down by hard marching, hard fighting constant watching loss of sleep, hunger & almost intolerable rest. Nevertheless buoyed up by the unconquerable spirit of men who desire to be free, they bore it all with the fortitude constancy, uncomplaining devotion & patriotism which have distinguished them in so many campaigns and  avouched their soldierly character & merit upon so many fields of triumph & glory. Upon reaching the hill designated harty breastworks were constructed and the command kept under arms. but the enemy did not charge to attack us and the struggle terminated here. Instances of individual valor and gallantry were many and/ splendid the coolness and courage of every man seemed equal to his opportunity; and where all so far as I could observe performed their full duty manfully & well, I should do injustice to many by specially commending a few whose conduct & bearing happened to fall within the scope of my own observation

 

            By reference to all the accompanying list of casualties it will be seen that our losses in the battle of Thursday were in killed two officers and twenty one wounded officers four men twenty three missing 4 men and six on Friday the total missing is seventeen making an aggregate loss of one hundred and twenty one.

 

           It may be proper to add that our battle flag marked with eighty seven holes, thirty eight of which seem to have been made by minnie balls the remainder, from the character of the rents, by fragments of shell

 

I have the honor to be

Very Respectfully

Your obt Servant

J.D. Waddell

Col 20^th Ga Regt Com

 

[margin]          Col Waddell’s Report

                        of action of 20^th Reg Geo

                        Vols in battle at Gettysburg

                        Pa on 2^nd & 3^rd July 1863

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