Battle of Gettysburg
Judson Bradley
Thursday 2
Marched all night & until noon to day. A more tired set I never saw. I fell out for I was in extreme agony. Reposted at Gettysburg PA. A hard battle this P.M. Marched 40 miles since we started.
Friday, July 3, 1863
Cloudy. firing commenced early. On guard last night. Slept 4 or 5 hrs. 2 mos. to day we were at Fredericksburg. We have fought the Rebels all day & have evidently wasted them. Many prisoners have been taken.
Saturday 4
Cloudy this morning. Very quiet at ½ past 7. Pickets are firing. The horrors of a battlefield are untold. Most quiet all day other band playing the national airs for the celebration. Threw up earthworks towards night. No firing - not enough to make a national salute. [In margin] We took 15,000 prisoners yesterday.
Sunday 5
Rebels dug out last night. Probably they were going all day. Rainy all night. Everything wet. Off for a march. Passed over the battle ground & followed the enemy all day. Schermehorn was left behind to day. [In margin] Rebel loss is 40,000.
H.M. Abbott
Thursday, July 2, 1863
45 miles We have made one of the hardest marches of the war. we did not halt for 16 hours we made 45 miles we made Gettysburg [P.a.] before we halted we rested about 2 hours + then [moved] up to the front we lay in [line] of battle all night. there was very heavy firing about sun down we drove them back a little
Friday, July 3, 1863
Battlefield o Gettysburg Cloudy we ?? and rained a little The cannonadeing [sic] commenced very early at about 3 AM + was kept up all day. we were not in the fight but were [?????] we had 20 men killed [+ wounded] by the Rebs they shelled us hard it has been the hardest days fighting of the war we drove them + took a great many prisoners. Report says we have taken Gen Longstreet
Saturday, July 4, 1863
we were our Brigade were ordered out to the front to support the line of [Skirmishers.] we lay in line all
dug about 100 yards behind the line Rebs did not attach us + we did not [see] any fight we moved back to the rear about 4 PM + [commen?] to throw up a [breast] [work] to protect us from shells I never see it rain any harder than it did this afternoon + to night. The ground [where?] [we?] [were?] in [line] to day was [covered] with dead + [wounded] it was a [?????????] [sight]
Sunday, July 5, 1863
5 miles Cloudy + has rained quite hard The Rebs have [retreated] they moved off last night we started after them mvd about 5 miles then their [rear] [ guard] is about 2 hours before us we passed over the battle field + it was a horrid sight we [see] hundreds of [????] + lots of Rebs the smell [was] [fearfull] all the [b???-] [??] [filled] with [their?] wounded The Rebs left their wounded in our hands