We marched verry fast, verry and oh, how the sun poured down. Look either side the road, there you would see the boys laying, given out. Perhaps one faining a sunstruck man and others you would see pouring water on their heads & the Doctors constantly writing Passes or attending some sunstruck fellow. We march verry fast. The heat and dust is awful.
Present we pass Cap Richards (Gen Aid de camp) He tell us to not march so fast as it was no use & that we were going on three miles where we would find plenty of good water. And we should camp for the night. At this the Boys cheered up hollowing Bully for you &c. And we had a lively time, seemed to forget for the time that we were marching. We halt, rest some 20 minutes that being the time genrally. We go slower, resting often. At last after coming 2 miles on the road, we turn off to the left through fields, cross the Alexandria & Leesburg R.Road. But it is torn up, the trees burned, the rails carried off. We come about a mile through nice meadows and camp near good water in a large meadow. We come, it is said, twelve miles today. We had plenty of good water along the road today & came through pretty country and it is pretty here too. We reached here about 3 P.M. Some pitched tents temporary & some slept as usual in the open vis the weather being so fair. But I think we will soon have rain.
The paper of today bring bad news about the rebs in Maryland & Perm. Some of them were within 16 miles of Harrisburg. The people are responding to the govenors call as well as the Presidents.93
June 18, 1863
And fine, verry warm till about 3 P.M. an awful storm came up. Not much rain at but such a hurricane I never seen in Virginia. It blew tends down, scattered things Pell Mell for 15 or 20 minutes at the end of which there was a calm and rained quite a shower, then stoped long enough for me to get an early supper when another and showered till dark when it sett in as I thought for an all nights rain. But didnt rain much at last. We have no orders to move & stay here all day. Get a good rest. Ordered to clean up for Inspection at 8 A.M. tomorrow morning. We got ready.
The 6th [Wisconsin] Regt is out on Picket today. The rumor is that our forces had a fight at Snickers gap yesterday and whipped the rebs bad but this is only a rumor. We get no papers today. No mail since the night the Brigade joined us.
June 19, 1863
And a fine day. No rain but cloudy. We march at ten A.M. Come four miles, camped in a large field but not verry good water but plenty. We got orders to camp. It rained a little towards night. We get no papers today.
June 20, 1863
And fine day. Lay in camp all day. Quite contrary to expectation as we got up & fixed for marching by daylight but didnt go. We get orders to fix up for inspection tomorrow at 10 A.M. We get no paper. But many rumors what this corps done & that one done &c. But we know nothing.
General [Solomon] Meredith returned to the Brigade yesterday to the great Joy to all. We lay right by the side of the Alexandria & Leesburg R Road.
June 21, 1863
And fine day, cloudy. We had no inspection but got ready to march at an early hour. But no go. So about 10 A.M. our Regt was called on to furnish 100 men for Division guard & our Captain with them.
June 22, 1863
And fine day, cloudy. Our Boys were relieved from Division guard by the 6th [Wisconsin]. I was not on it but my tentmate. So I went in with Runnian [John Runion] for last night. We are ordered to clean up for Regt Inspection by tomorrow 3 P.M. We had dress parade & there we had an order read to us confirming the rumor that our cavelry had a fight yesterday at Ashbys Gap, whipping the Rebels, killing, wounding & taking Prisinor a number of the enemy. Took 3 Cassions, blew up one, took 2 guns, one a Blakesly gun. Our Cavelry behaved splendid making many charges and coming so close a number of times as to use the sabre freely. And at night had driven the enemy 5 miles from where they first attacked them. Our forces being the attacking party. Gen Pleasanton [Alfred A. Pleasonton] having command of the Cavelry forces, Gen [George] Stoneman having been relieved.94
June 23, 1863
And fine day. We clean up for inspection which came off at the time set. Inspected by Cap Ricardson [Hollon Richardson], Aid of Gen Meredith. He said our Co was rather better than any in the Regt. We had Dress parade at usual time. Several courtmartials were read. The charges in one of the cases was the expression of Disloyal sentiments. His sentence was hard but the general remitted all of it as he had always been a brave good soldier, never flinched from Duty and the Gen thought that he said it in a fit of excitement as his conduct had proved him to be anything but Disloyal. We are expecting to move evry hour in the day. I finished writing a letter to Mother & Henry. I have received since coming to this camp 2 papers & 2 letters, one each from Henry & Mother.
Co C and Co I of our Regt are out on some kind of duty. It is said they are guarding the Engineers who are building a Bridge across Goose Creek. We made out or our Cap did to get a paper today & the Rebs are rather fading back a little in Penn. And fortifying at Hagerstown, Maryland. And they seem to be less Bold and they appear to fear something in all quarters.
June 24, 1863
And fine day. We lay in camp all day. Tommy & I earned $1.70 cts today washing. We done washing for the officers. They wanted us to do it as we are the best of any of the Boys. We had Dress parade. We expect to march early in the morning.
June 25, 1863
And fine day till just night when it rained some. We were awok at just daybreak to get ready to march which we done. And about 6 A.M. the order was countermanded & we put up tents & about 10 A.M. ordered to get ready & march which we done. Come to Edwards Ferry. There the Pontoons were laid. We crossed. Here they are using the Canal bringing stuff for the army hereabouts which is not large. We come on some 4 miles, stoped, got dinner, traveled on resting as usual. Pretty warm. We come to Poolsville, a nice little town. We come through to another little town called Banesville and turned off the road a little & camped, it being just dark. It rains considerable now and for half hour past. We have to Pitch into the fence for wood, get supper with. U. Sam will have pay it. We have come, I should judge, 16 miles to. The rumor is that the rebs have crossed their whole army into Maryland & Penn., 80,000 strong.95
June 26, 1863
And rainy all day & rained most all night. We slept dry. We got up before day & got ready to march at daylight. But we didnt get started. 7 A.M. and kept raining. We come back through the town and took the Frederick City road and come on without stopping to rest till near noon when we stopped. Made coffee. Has rained steady most all the fornoon. We crossed the Manacca River just for making coffee here. There is a little village I suppose by the same name as the River. The Boys are short of rations. Have all that is allowed them but when marching we eat more especially this march as we don’t get any vegatable food except the Bread. Our living consists of Bread, meat, sugar & coffee. When we stoped, Tommy went out to a house & got a couple loaves of Bread which we soon devoured. We get them for less than half what we could in Virginia. And it is so with most evrything.
We start, come on some 4 miles to within ¼ mile of Jeffersonville and camped in a clover field in rear of a fence & nice creek & good spring not far distant. The fence was soon torn down to make tent fixtures & fire, there being no wood near. We don’t find so much timber in Maryland as in Virginia although this is a timbered country. But the farmers take most of the ground as it is thickly settled with enterprising farmers. Good houses, bad & good fences & good road to travel on in places, looks as if they had been working out pole taxes. We have to go into fields to camp now & I guess U.S. will have to pay the damages as they are a loyal people judging from the stars & stripes displayed in evry village, hamlet and many farm houses by the roadside. Evry place we are greeted with smiling faces from both sexes especially the fair sex which almost invariably have a flag in hand. We have seen many fair maids, verry many, some as good looking as ever the sun shone on. A striking contrast with Virginia for there passing through a village you would see a lot of negros half clad, looking out the doors and through the broken window pa
nes. I look on those with sorrow & awe instead of admiration. There is many negros in Maryland but they are well clad & at work with their masters appearantly well satisfied with their Position. They don’t come clambering over fences & following us as in many cases in Virginia.
June 27, 1863
And we march at 7 A.M., come through Jeffersonville & on to Middletown where we camped. It has rained a few showers today & is still showery. We are camped within 2 miles of the South Mountain Battlefield and opposite the gap our Brigade took and held for which Gen McLellen complimented us verry highly.96
June 28, 1863
And fine day till towards night when there was showers. This being Sunday and we lay in camp most of the day. So we had Inspection of arms. One of our Boys that was in this town in the hospital all last winter and was well acquainted got a pass and went in, brought out a lot of necessaries for the Boys such as tobacco. Well we begin to think we may stay here a few days when the order come to march immediately which we done. It being about 3 P.M. we start & come out on the Road back a ways when we turned through by roads & across fields &c. But always traveling so as to make no more damage than we could possibly help. We came to within 1 mile of Frederick City & camped just at dark in clover field as usual here. They brought some wood so that saved the fences.
Here the news is that we have to go to Gettysburg some 35 miles. And the rumor that Gen Hooker has been relieved from command & Gen Mead [General George Gordon Meade] is in command.97
June 29, 1863
And rained most of the day but verry steady. We started at 7 A.M., come verry fast, not resting much till we come 13 miles. Good when we stoped, made coffee, it being about noon. When we started, traveled Jehove like coming through Mechanicsville as all other town being verry Patriotic. Traveled on through rain & mud. But it is not bad traveling as we are on the turnpike as far as mud is concerned for the mud is so thin that is not much truble to get through. At last we come to Emmettsburg a nice & patriotic Place. We go through the town & 1 mile & camp. That is the Brigade made camp but we go 1 mile farther on Picket and we stop for the night. And after throwing out a few outposts & we got supper, spread blanket, went to bed having come some 27 miles today so we think. & I guess that we think just about right to. The Colonel [Callis] spoke a few words of encouragement to us and said we might sleep but we must be ready at a seconds notice to meet the enemy if attacked. They say it is only 7 miles to the enemy.
Iron Brigade commander General Solomon Meredith oversaw a stout defensive engagement at Gettysburg on July 1, 1863, that may have saved the Army of the Potomac. Alan Gaff Collection
William R. Ray. Although Ray wrote on the back of this photo that he sat for it in the spring of 1863 (just before Gettysburg), the “W.V.V.” on his hat, which means Wisconsin Veteran Volunteers, dates it after January 1864. Sherry Murphy
June 30, 1863
And we marched at 8 oclock this morning. It is said we go 5 miles & camp & get rations. But we come only about 3 miles, turned into a piece of wood in a field. Here we lay the rest of the day. I was detailed with three men to go to a house as safeguard where we got a good supper & some milk for which we paid 25 cts a piece. Just at dark orders came to march at 3 oclock in the morning.98
July 1, 1863 [First Day, Battle of Gettysburg]
And still rainy as it was all night. We didnt march till about 9 A.M. We went towards Gettysburg. After going some 4 miles we turned off into a field.99 Cannonading begins. Soon our cannons reply. We get up near & see the cavelry supporting the Batteries. Went on a little farther. Halt, get dressed up in line of Battle. Go forward. Our skirmishers begin to fire. Soon we see the top of a rebel flag. We still advance. As soon as a man sees a reb he shoots. We fix Bayonet still going on. Pass right over their dead and wounded, they being in a hollow. We went on to the other hill topp. We took some prisinors.100
We then fell back from where we first started & the right of the Brigade swung around across a Big hollow and Bringing us & the 2nd Regt on top of the hill. All this time cannonading was kept up. We lay down. Lay there till about 3 P.M. when the Rebs advanced on our left, the left of the Brigade, also the left of the line of Battle. They flanked us. We had to fall back & they kept flanking us & we kept falling back till we got behind a Brestwork made of rails. It being only 2 ½ feet high so we got behind it and just mowed the rebs, all in front of our Regt was just mowed down. But their line being the longer they kept swinging around the end and getting a crossfire on us. We had to abandon that Place. Battery B [Fourth U.S. Artillery] was just in the rear of us when we lay behind the Rails and evry gun poured in the grape which swept the rebs. But there being no Battery on the left to help the Boys so they couldnt hold up under double their number. We retreated through the town or the Regt did.101
I was hit about ¼ mile out of town by a Ball on the top of the head, come near knocking me down. But I straightened up, went on, another Ball hits sole of my shoe cutting it nearly in two, it only making my foot sting a little.102
I come into town with the Regt & soon found a hospital. But it was the 2nd Division. I went in, stayed 2 hours. Soon after getting in it was surrendered to the Rebs, they having got possession of the town. I started out, soon found our division hospital down amongst the warehouses & Railroad depots & with many others, here I got some supper and attended to my wound as all was busy attending on worse than mine. There was a little shelling this evening. Night comes on and we lay on our straw, some dying, some having their limbs amputated, others waiting. I will leave the reader to imagine for it would take to long to give the particulars. I threw away my knappsack when hit and lost my haversack so I lost both Bedding & food. But I can get along for that.103
July 2, 1863 [Second Day, Battle of Gettysburg]
Sharp skirmishing all the time and occasionally a canon fired till 3 P.M. when musketry begins and the canonading which had been incessant for an hour now ceased except when the Rebs would charge on our pieces and try to take them. The Battle raged til 10 oclock at night resulting in a complete victory to our arms for this day.104
This image looks west down the Chambersburg Pike from the western fringes of the town of Gettysburg. In the left distance is the Lutheran Seminary, near which the Iron Brigade made its last stand on the afternoon of July 1, 1863. William Ray fell wounded on the slope below the seminary. National Archives
Our men were so near the town ever since they took position that many bullets come to the Hospital which is on the opposite side of the town from them. There was many of their Soldiers laying around town till the fight begun when the officers come around. I suppose their provost guard and drove evryone out towards the Battlefield. Quite different to our officers who have always neglected that part till the last 2 Battles when they done the same thing. That thing of leaving the stragglers out of the fight has played out. The stragglers was what helped to defeat us at 2nd Bullrun Battle. For there the officers didnt look up those cowards and nearly half the army was stragglers. We couldnt tell whether we were defeated or not. But we knew from the sound that we were not driven much. Lots of wounded secesh going back. They don’t say much, seem mum. That tells me that they were not victorious.
July 3, 1863 [Third Day, Battle of Gettysburg]
And sharp skirmishing all day till about 4 P.M. when musketry begins & cannonading ceases, it having been going on for an hour awfully. The musketry is awful for about an hour, terrible. Wounded secesh go to the rear in great numbers. Our line seems to be in the same place as last night. The secesh soldiers don’t say much but think they will whip us. I told them that things will take a turn in a few days. They thought they would be in Harrisburg. But late tonight they let or their Gen [John B.] Gordon let our Doctors have his ambulances go bring some of our wounded of the first days Battlefield and they brought in a number of loads. Several of our Regt came in. But none of our Co. Poor fellows, I have often thought of them.105
They look bad, having nothing to eat or drink since wounded and some were
wounded early on the first. Today we got as much as we wanted to eat for the first day since wounded. Many of the People left the town and took evrything with them. And others houses, the rebs entered taking evrything eatable & valuable and what few was left were either afraid or couldnt furnish anything. But there were a few that did bring [food]. They done well by us considering how they were surrounded.
The weather has been showers & sunshine & cloudy intermixed ever since the Battle begun till last night when we had hard rain. We all know that the rebs havnt broke our lines and the general impression [is] that they will retreat.
July 4, 1863 [Confederate Retreat from Gettysburg]
And rather stormy, rained hard last night. Well, I awoke this morning, found the streets deserted. All the Rebs gone someplace, ambulances, wagons & all. Then comes a Reb cavelry at great speed down the street saying at the top of his voice, keep in your heads, your skirmishers are coming and as he said it, crack went a gun. The Ball went whizing down the street after him. Then comes our cavelry men dashing down the streets & in a minute or two the infantry. Some of the 11 corps. They run in evry Battle. But now they appear verry Brave. They searched evry Barn & house taking a great many Prisinors right in the town. I guess nearly as many as they took of our Boys when they could.
Four Years With the Iron Brigade Page 27