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Report of Lieut. Col. Walton Dwight, HDQRS. 149TH REGIMENT PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS, COLONEL:Relative to the part enacted by the One hundred and forty-ninth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers at the late battle of Gettysburg, I have the honor to submit the following report of the first day: Wednesday, July 1, as we were moving on Gettysburg from the Emmitsburg direction, and within 1½ miles of the town, an order came back to quicken pace to a double-quick, which was immediately done, when we also broke to the left of the town, passing in rear of the First and Second Divisions of the corps, which were then in position and engaging the enemy about 1½ miles in front of Gettysburg, in the Chambersburg direction, line of battle of the First Corps being at right angles with the Chambersburg pike and to the left. My regiment was ordered into position on the right flank of the corps line of battle, and at right angles with same, being in parallel line with Chambersburg pike; the One hundred and fiftieth Regiment on my left and at right angles with me; the One hundred and forty-third Pennsylvania Volunteers on my right and in parallel line. During all this time we were subjected to a heavy artillery fire from both front and right flank, the one proceeding from A. P. Hill's (rebel) line, 1 mile distant on the Chambersburg pike, the other from Ewell's (rebel) line to our right, and about three-quarters of a mile distant. We suffered severely from the latter. Previous to my getting into position on the pike, Col. Roy Stone, commanding the brigade, ordered me to throw out companies as skirmishers--one to deploy in front of the One hundred and fiftieth Regiment, and proper front of the corps, the other on the right flank and in my front. I ordered Captain Johnson, Company K, to the front of the One hundred and fiftieth Regiment. The order was promptly executed, the men moving out on double-quick, and immediately engaging the enemy on the skirmish line, a short distance in advance of the One hundred and fiftieth Regiment's line of battle. They were soon compelled to retire to the line of the One hundred and fiftieth Regiment, where they remained during the balance of the engagement. The skirmishing of Johnson was lively. Loss, severe; conduct, excellent. In the meantime I had ordered Captain McCullough, of Company E, to my front 100 paces, to rail fence, where he engaged the enemy's advance, which was then moving on us from the right. This order was also promptly obeyed, and reflects much credit on Captain McCullough and his command for the gallant manner it was executed. During this time, and after getting in position on the pike, in accordance with orders from Colonel Stone, I directed my regiment to fire over the heads of my skirmishers at the enemy, about one-third of a mile distant on the brow of a hill, who were then massing in large force preparatory to a general advance on our right and on the Eleventh Corps, which was stationed across the roads to our right and rear. At this time the One hundred and fiftieth Regiment was hotly engaged with a brigade of the enemy from A. P. Hill's corps, the One hundred and forty-third Regiment not yet engaged, but lying down in line of battle to my right. In the meantime the enemy, who had been massing on our right, made a furious advance on the Eleventh Corps in large force, and at the same time moved on my front with one brigade of three regiments, whereupon Colonel Stone ordered me to move my regiment forward and take possession of the railroad cut, about 50 paces to my front; also to plant my colors 20 paces on the left flank of the regiment; all of which was accomplished iii good order and while the enemy were moving over the low ground between the two positions; consequently our change of position was unknown to the enemy. My skirmishers were gradually driven in, when I ordered them to take position on the right of the regiment, my men being deployed in single line in the cut, their arms resting on the bank, with orders to take deliberate aim at the knees of the front rank of the enemy as he came up. My position was undiscovered by the enemy until he reached a rail fence, 22 paces in my front, when he saw my colors flying, and immediately ordered the first battalion of his brigade to fire, my regiment not suffering therefrom, as it was directed at the colors. I now ordered my regiment to fire by battalion. Its effect on the enemy was terrible, he being at the time brigade en masse, at 9-pace interval. He now broke to the rear in great confusion. In the meantime I had ordered my regiment to load, when the enemy advanced the second time, and made a most desperate effort to carry my position by assault, in which we handsomely repulsed him by reserving our fire until we could almost reach him with the muzzles of our pieces. Again he fell back. This fight was of the most desperate character, we losing heavily, the enemy's dead and wounded completely covering the ground in our front. At this stage of the contest, and during the heat of the fight in our front, the enemy had planted three or four pieces of artillery in an orchard on our left, about half a mile distant, commanding the cut I occupied, and had also, under cover of the hill we were fighting over, succeeded in moving up on my left flank part of a brigade, all of which was discovered in time to save my regiment by moving it rapidly back to my first position on the pike, but, I regret to inform you, not in time to save our colors, which were still where I first planted them, 20 paces on the left flank of the regiment, the color-guard all being killed or wounded while defending them. To have saved my colors would have been to advance between two forces of the enemy, both my superiors in numbers; also to have put my command under an enfilade battery fire. It would have been certain surrender or destruction. I saved the regiment and lost the colors. The One hundred and forty-third Pennsylvania Volunteers during all this time had remained in their original position on the pike, but now poured in on the enemy, who were advancing on their front, a vigorous fire, the One hundred and fiftieth still holding stubbornly its first line, although fighting desperate odds. Colonel Stone, commanding brigade, was wounded and carried from the field immediately after ordering me forward to the railroad cut. However, the first disposition of the brigade was not changed during the entire day, although we were actually fighting three of the enemy's brigades with our three regiments--a sufficient comment upon the excellent disposition of the command by Colonel Stone in the beginning of the engagement. Col. Langhorne Wister, of the One hundred and fiftieth Regiment, now commanded the brigade. The enemy in the meantime broke over the hill, partially to our front and flank, in large force, whereupon they received such a reception at the hands of the right wing of the One hundred and fiftieth and my regiment that they soon retired with heavy loss. The enemy had also, under face of a heavy fire from the One hundred and forty-third, succeeded in occupying the railroad cut I had just vacated, and were giving us much trouble. Whereupon Colonel Wister ordered me to charge them out, which our boys and the right wing of the One hundred and fiftieth did in gallant style, completely clearing them out. We again occupied our original position, but were fearfully decimated in both officers and men, not having at this time one-half the number we went into the engagement with. The One hundred and fiftieth were as badly off as ourselves, all its field officers being compelled to leave the field from severe wounds, although they had up to this time gallantly remained, cheering their men on to noble deeds by their actions, although wounded. Early in the engagement my acting major was also compelled to leave the field on account of wounds received in the head. Having no other field officers, and myself suffering severely from a wound through the thigh, received at the railroad cut early in the action, the enemy slowly closing up on our rear in large force, also working in rapidly on our flanks, owing to the withdrawal of the First and Second Divisions and the breaking way of the Eleventh Corps on our right flank, we had no other resort left but to retire in the direction of the town, which we did slowly, contesting the ground inch by inch back to the Gettysburg Seminary, where we made a most desperate stand with the fragments of the brigade, and succeeded in holding the ground against vastly superior numbers until one of our batteries stationed here could limber to the rear, when the brigade was taken from the field by Colonel Dana, who did most gallant work on the retreat from McPherson's barn to the seminary, he protecting the flank resting on the railroad cut against great odds by the hardest fighting. I was compelled, from exhaustion and loss of blood, to drop down at this latter point. I would here mention Captain Glenn, of my regiment, commanding provost guard, Third Division, as having conducted his command very gallantly, he after the first day commanding the regiment until the return of Captain Irvin, acting major, wounded in the head the first day. The regiment, although under fire the remaining three days' fight, lost but slightly. Their actions-- everywhere commendable, knowing, as every man did from the beginning of the engagement, that we were fighting vastly superior numbers, with no reserve, the contest being hand to hand, and in the face of all this every man obeying every order cheerfully, and in every instance every man performing his whole duty--certainly must challenge the admiration of all. Where all did so well it is impossible for me to discriminate in favor of any single individual. However, of the line officers, I would particularly speak of Capt. A. J. Sofield, Company A, who fell while gallantly leading his command on the railroad cut in the second charge. As a gentleman and man possessed of true courage and coolness he had no superior. We deeply regret his loss. I would also mention Capt. Brice H. Blair, of Company I, as having particularly distinguished himself for bravery and coolness, he gallantly keeping the field after losing an arm, until loss of blood compelled him to retire. Also Capt. John H. Bassler, of Company C, severely wounded early in the fight. His coolness and bravery are unquestionable. I would also mention in the same category Captains Soult and Jones, of Companies H and G. Their conduct was splendid; both severely wounded. Captain Johnson, of Company K, captured by the enemy at the Gettysburg Seminary, is worthy of particular mention, he having distinguished himself throughout the entire day. I would also in this connection bear evidence of the excellent conduct of Colonel Stone's staff, I having been particularly aided, after losing nearly all of my own officers, by Lieutenants Dalgliesh and Walters, the latter more especially under my attention and at my assistance, and for gallantry not excelled by any man in the command. Please find below a list of killed, wounded, and missing;(*) and here allow me to remark that the missing are nearly all wounded and prisoners, we being compelled to leave all our severely wounded behind. Having no official notification of their whereabouts, I have to report them missing. We entered the engagement with about 450 men, and came out with about 100, leaving our casualties about 350, or a loss of a little over three out of four. I am, colonel, very respectfully, your most obedient servant, WALTON DWIGHT, Lieutenant-Colonel, Comdg. 149th Pennsylvania Volunteers. Col. LANGHORNE WISTER, Comdg. Second Brig., Third Div., First Army Corps.  |