Carson.] t)^ [Dec. 5, 



had succeeded to the command of the Corps, and that his division was 

 going to fall back and form in line extending towards Humphreys' right 

 from the Round Top ridge in rear of and oblique to his present line, and 

 that he must change front and form on that line. In complying with this 

 order, he had to change from front to rear. While making the movement, 

 the troops on his left failed to stop on the Round Top ridge, but passed 

 beyond it. Humphreys instantly extended his line to the left to close up 

 the aperture, and was attacked on his flanks as well as on his front. For 

 a moment he thought the day was lost. Just then he received an order 

 to fall back to the Ridge, which he did slowly and in good order, stub- 

 bornly contesting every inch of ground, and suffering a very heavy loss. 

 "I did not fall back rapidly," he says, "because I disliked to fall back 

 at double quick before the enemy, and besides I did not suppose I could 

 rally my troops, or that any troops could be rallied at the place where the 

 line was to be formed, if the movement backward was made rapidly." He 

 reached the ridge, leaving three guns behind, the horses of which had 

 been killed, and rallied the remnants of his division. Quickly wheeling, 

 as the enemy came up, he poured in a fire, and his troops, joining in with 

 the Second Corps, drove back the foe, recovering the lost guns. His men 

 did not wait for orders, but dashed impetuously forward, and as there 

 were so few of them, he went with them to bring them back before they 

 got too far from the [main line. By that time it was dusk, and the fight- 

 ing ceased for the day.* 



On the third day, while moving into position, he was fiercely shelled by 

 the enemy, and about four o'clock in the afternoon formed his division 

 into columns of attack, and prepared to advance. While in this position 

 he lost some valuable officers, as well as men. No orders were given to 

 advance, and as the enemy did not renew their attack, which was the 

 great feature of the day, he returned to his position on the left, where he 

 remained until the army moved from Gettysburg. 



The services of flumphreys in this battle added greatly to his renown. 

 His skillful handling of his troops and his desperate conflict and coolness 

 in the peach orchard, where his son was wounded at his side, added new 

 laurels to his chaplet, and resulted, on the 13th March, 1865, in a brevet as 

 Brigadier-General United States Army. 



Four days after the battle of Gettysburg he accepted the position ten- 

 dered him by Gen. Meade, as Chief of Staff of the Army of the Potomac, 

 which he held from 8th July, 1883, to 25th November, 1864. He bade 

 farewell to his command in these well-weighed words of commendation : 

 "In parting from this celebrated division, after having commanded it for 

 the brief period of fifty days, I trust that I may be excused for expressing 

 my admiration for its high soldierly qualities. It is impossible to pass it 

 in review even without perceiving that its ranks are filled with men that 

 are soldiers in the best meaning of this term, and that it possesses in the 



* Ut supra, p. 392. Swlntou's Army of the Potomac. Gettysburg, the secoufl 

 day, pp. 312-355. 



