02 JUL 1863 (Second day of battle at Gettysburg)
> 7 AM – marched onto the battlefield
> Initially held in reserve some 75 yards to the rear of the stone wall on Cemetery Ridge and about 1 ¼ miles north of Little Round Top
> The 19th was later brought up on the front line near that same location and played a significant part in repelling the Confederate forces pursuing the Third Corps. SGT Silas Adams wrote “The enemy was about thirty-five yards from our lines when Colonel Heath gave the order the rise and fire. The Nineteenth had about 400 men in line of battle when the Regiment rose and delivered its deadly fire into the faces of the Confederates. They were staggered and halted. In this position of some thirty yards from their lines we fired about eight rounds each into their ranks. The Battery which joined us upon our left commenced firing the moment the front was clear of the Third Corps. These guns did most excellent work. The gunners, with coats off and sleeves rolled up, were working their guns throwing shell and canister into, and making terrible havoc in the enemy s ranks. Company F under Captain Starbird, held the left of the Regimental line. He discovered some of the enemy upon his left flank. The left of Company F was thrown back a short distance to meet this new emergency…During the progress of the battle, Colonel Heath received word that the enemy had made his appearance on our right flank. He ordered the Regiment to fall back, and it did so in perfect order. The distance the Regiment fell back did not exceed two or three rods, when they faced the enemy again and, in perfect alignment began firing again... We heard the ringing order of Colonel Heath to fix bayonets. Then the order to charge was given and the Regiment started forward and down across the plain, like a tornado let loose [against Wright’s Georgia Brigade]. The men made much noise in the way of cheering. The Rebels fell back rapidly and our Regiment advanced nearly to the Emmitsburg road, capturing many prisoners, two stands of colors, three pieces of artillery and four caissons…..When the Regiment was ordered to halt, its right wing could not have been more than four rods from the Emmitsburg road, the left wing being somewhat further away, as the line of our advance was not at right angles with the road. When the Rebels had retreated beyond the point where we halted, they returned a brisk fire into our lines. We were ordered to lie down…..When the Regiment appeared upon the scene [returning from their charge] with the three guns and the four caissons coming from the direction of the enemy, the whole line went wild with cheers over the brilliant charge and capture by the Nineteenth Maine. Congratulations were extended the men of the Regiment upon every side.”
> The Regiment returned to the Union lines at about the same point from which they had charged earlier. There were a number of casualties in the Regiment.
> Not long after dark John Day Smith responded to the pleas of a 17 year old Confederate soldier, the only child of a widowed mother, who had been shot through the lung and was dying on the battlefield. Smith prayed with him and tried to comfort him that night but at dawn saw that the boy had died.
03 JUL 1863 (Third day of the battle at Gettysburg)
> At sunrise four companies of the 19th ME were detailed on a skirmish line in advance of the Union line. Co. F held the northernmost position, very near the Emmitsburg road and opposite the Codori House.
> With no food or water in their possession they lay in their exposed position until the fierce artillery barrage that signaled the start of the Confederate offensive.
> These companies remained on the skirmish line until the Confederate Infantry approached, then were called back into the Union line so the field would be clear for the Union artillery.
> The famous “copse of trees”, the focal point of the Confederate advance, was near the center of the Second Corps’ front. The 19th ME was just south of that point, towards Little Round Top.
> As the Confederate lines approached nearer the Second Corps artillery batteries opened fire with canister shot.
> As “Picket’s Charge” progressed several hundred Rebel troops broke through the Union lines near the “Bloody Angle”; Confederate General Armistead was mortally wounded behind the Union line and Union General Hancock was wounded and carried from the field.
> The 19th ME was ordered to hurry to the right and joined the other troops in repelling the Confederate attack. For 10-15 minutes the fighting was very intense, close range, often hand-to-hand and very brutal.
> As more Union reinforcements arrived the Confederates began to surrender or retreat toward their lines. Union rifle and artillery fire killed many of the retreating Rebels.
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During the battles on the 2nd and 3rd of June the 19th ME Regiment reported:
- 67 killed or mortally wounded
- 149 wounded, not fatally
> 7 AM – marched onto the battlefield
> Initially held in reserve some 75 yards to the rear of the stone wall on Cemetery Ridge and about 1 ¼ miles north of Little Round Top
> The 19th was later brought up on the front line near that same location and played a significant part in repelling the Confederate forces pursuing the Third Corps. SGT Silas Adams wrote “The enemy was about thirty-five yards from our lines when Colonel Heath gave the order the rise and fire. The Nineteenth had about 400 men in line of battle when the Regiment rose and delivered its deadly fire into the faces of the Confederates. They were staggered and halted. In this position of some thirty yards from their lines we fired about eight rounds each into their ranks. The Battery which joined us upon our left commenced firing the moment the front was clear of the Third Corps. These guns did most excellent work. The gunners, with coats off and sleeves rolled up, were working their guns throwing shell and canister into, and making terrible havoc in the enemy s ranks. Company F under Captain Starbird, held the left of the Regimental line. He discovered some of the enemy upon his left flank. The left of Company F was thrown back a short distance to meet this new emergency…During the progress of the battle, Colonel Heath received word that the enemy had made his appearance on our right flank. He ordered the Regiment to fall back, and it did so in perfect order. The distance the Regiment fell back did not exceed two or three rods, when they faced the enemy again and, in perfect alignment began firing again... We heard the ringing order of Colonel Heath to fix bayonets. Then the order to charge was given and the Regiment started forward and down across the plain, like a tornado let loose [against Wright’s Georgia Brigade]. The men made much noise in the way of cheering. The Rebels fell back rapidly and our Regiment advanced nearly to the Emmitsburg road, capturing many prisoners, two stands of colors, three pieces of artillery and four caissons…..When the Regiment was ordered to halt, its right wing could not have been more than four rods from the Emmitsburg road, the left wing being somewhat further away, as the line of our advance was not at right angles with the road. When the Rebels had retreated beyond the point where we halted, they returned a brisk fire into our lines. We were ordered to lie down…..When the Regiment appeared upon the scene [returning from their charge] with the three guns and the four caissons coming from the direction of the enemy, the whole line went wild with cheers over the brilliant charge and capture by the Nineteenth Maine. Congratulations were extended the men of the Regiment upon every side.”
> The Regiment returned to the Union lines at about the same point from which they had charged earlier. There were a number of casualties in the Regiment.
> Not long after dark John Day Smith responded to the pleas of a 17 year old Confederate soldier, the only child of a widowed mother, who had been shot through the lung and was dying on the battlefield. Smith prayed with him and tried to comfort him that night but at dawn saw that the boy had died.
03 JUL 1863 (Third day of the battle at Gettysburg)
> At sunrise four companies of the 19th ME were detailed on a skirmish line in advance of the Union line. Co. F held the northernmost position, very near the Emmitsburg road and opposite the Codori House.
> With no food or water in their possession they lay in their exposed position until the fierce artillery barrage that signaled the start of the Confederate offensive.
> These companies remained on the skirmish line until the Confederate Infantry approached, then were called back into the Union line so the field would be clear for the Union artillery.
> The famous “copse of trees”, the focal point of the Confederate advance, was near the center of the Second Corps’ front. The 19th ME was just south of that point, towards Little Round Top.
> As the Confederate lines approached nearer the Second Corps artillery batteries opened fire with canister shot.
> As “Picket’s Charge” progressed several hundred Rebel troops broke through the Union lines near the “Bloody Angle”; Confederate General Armistead was mortally wounded behind the Union line and Union General Hancock was wounded and carried from the field.
> The 19th ME was ordered to hurry to the right and joined the other troops in repelling the Confederate attack. For 10-15 minutes the fighting was very intense, close range, often hand-to-hand and very brutal.
> As more Union reinforcements arrived the Confederates began to surrender or retreat toward their lines. Union rifle and artillery fire killed many of the retreating Rebels.
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During the battles on the 2nd and 3rd of June the 19th ME Regiment reported:
- 67 killed or mortally wounded
- 149 wounded, not fatally