July 1st. The enemy are heading for Gettysburg, their cavalry scouting through Chambersburg and to the very outskirts of Harrisburg, where everything is said to be in great disorder. We fell in at daylight, took breakfast, and immediately marched, expecting to meet the enemy towards evening. Passed through Taneytown, and during the afternoon heard heavy artillery firing ahead of us. The cavalry under Pleasanton and the First corps under General Reynolds are in front and reported to be heavily engaged, and so we accelerated our steps and made every effort to reach the battlefield before night, but the distance was too great. General Hancock, however, went ahead to assume command (Reynolds having been reported killed), directing us to follow as rapidly as possible. With few halts for rest to the music of the distant guns, we hurried over the dusty roads, and at 10 P. M. reached the slope of a rocky hill, about a mile and a half in rear of the battlefield. The moment the column halted the men dropped down on the road and most of them fell asleep immediately, exhausted by the march of thirty miles on a July day over roads knee deep in dust.
We were ordered to establish a guard, and together with the officer ordered to command it, I endeavored to wake the men up to fill the detail, but found it impossible to do so and had to give it up. They were too utterly exhausted. Zook sent me to report the fact to General Caldwell, who suggested that the troops be allowed to remain in the road for the night, which was obviously the only thing to be done.
On arrival we learned that a very severe action had been fought, lasting from daylight till dark by Pleasanton and Reynolds against the bulk of Lee’s army. They had stubbornly contested the fighting, desiring to preserve Gettysburg until the rest of the army came up, but had been overpowered and driven through the town with great loss, holding on, however, to Cemetery Ridge, a commanding position, where our line of battle is now established. General Reynolds was killed, gallantly fighting, and both cavalry and infantry did well. Hancock, with the assistance of General Warren of Meade’s staff selected the lines now established, where the fate of the Union of these United States must be decided before to-morrow night. What a momentous epoch in our history! With this thought uppermost, we dismounted, wrapped ourselves in our blankets, and by the side of a large friendly boulder, surrounded by thousands of sleeping forms, great numbers of whom were sleeping their last earthly sleep, we lay down and were instantly asleep, the general and I lying close together to keep warm.
