men, perfectly raw and undisciplined, to meet such a force, and I believe Major Haller has the honor of that smart arrangement. It is said that when we left the wood, they were but three-fourths of a mile distant, and Prof. Jacobs affirms that they captured our pickets at their posts. I cannot vouch for the latter statement, for I did not even know that any pickets had been stationed, though I presume there were, as Colonel Jennings was too good an officer to neglect a precaution of such moment.[1]
But to resume: we crossed three or four fields until we came to one of the numerous back roads, which we entered, and along which we proceeded in a rapid march. It is scarcely necessary to state, that in consequence of its muddy and slippery condition, travelling was laborious and tiresome. At first, we chose our path as much as possible, and avoided the mud puddles, but we had not gone a great
- ↑
“On reaching the forks of the road on the east slope of the mountain
about one and one-half miles from Cashtown I sent General
Gordon with his brigade and White's battalion of cavalry on the
macadamized road through Cashtown towards Gettysburg, and I
moved with the rest of the command to the left through Hilltown
to Mummasburg. I had heard on the road that there was probably
a force at Gettysburg, though I could get no definite information
as to its size; and the object of this movement was for Gordon to
amuse and skirmish with the enemy, while I should get in his flank
and rear so as to capture the whole force. * * The militia regiment
which had been encountered by White's cavalry was the 26th
Penna., consisting of eight or nine hundred men and had arrived at
Gettysburg the night before and moved out that morning a few
miles on the road to Cashtown, but had fled on the first approach of
White's advance, taking across the fields between Mummasburg and
Gettysburg and going towards Hunterstown; of this force a little over
two hundred prisoners in all were captured and subsequently paroled.
Hay's brigade was halted and camped about a mile from Gettysburg,
two regiments having been sent to aid French in the pursuit
of the fugitive militia but they were not able to get up with it.”
Gen. Jubal A. Early's official report.
