Report of Col. Francis V. Randall,
Thirteenth Vermont Infantry
O.R.--SERIES I--VOLUME XXVII/1 [S# 43] -- Gettysburg Campaign
CAMP NEAR MIDDLETOWN, MD.,
July 10, 1863.
Major-General NEWTON,
Commanding First Army Corps.
GENERAL: In compliance with your request, I make the following report of the part taken
by my regiment (Thirteenth Vermont) July 1, 2, and 3 instant:
Prior to June 24, my regiment was doing picket duty on the Occoquan River, from
Occoquan Bay to near Wolf Run Shoals, headquarters near the village of Occoquan. The
balance of our brigade (Second Vermont Brigade) was stationed at or near Union Mills.
On the evening of June 24, I received orders to call in my pickets and join the brigade at
Centreville, which I did on June 25. The brigade consisted of the Twelfth, Thirteenth,
Fourteenth, Fifteenth, and Sixteenth Vermont Regiments, commanded by Brig. Gen. George
J. Stannard. The brigade then marched to Gettysburg, arriving there on July 1, at about 5 p.m.
My regiment, with the Fourteenth and Sixteenth, took position on Cemetery Hill, in rear of
our line of battle, made up of the First and Eleventh Corps.
On the morning of the 2d, we occupied substantially the same position until about 2 p.m.,
when I was ordered to advance five of my companies, under Lieutenant-Colonel Munson, to
support a battery in our front. Soon after this, I was ordered to advance the balance of my
regiment a little to the front and to the left of our former position, which brought us nearly
in rear of the right of the Second Corps. This took me entirely out of the line occupied by the
rest of our brigade, and I received no further orders from our brigade headquarters during the
remainder of that day. A heavy fight was going on in our front, in which the Second and
Third Corps were engaged, and we received some injury from the artillery fire of the rebels
without being able to engage in the fight. At this time an officer, whom I did not know at the
moment, but who proved to be General Doubleday, came galloping over the hill from General
Hancock s position, and approached my regiment. After having found what regiment we
were, and making a few inspiriting remarks to my men, he directed me to take my regiment
in the direction from which he had come, and report to General Hancock, whom I would find
there, and hard pressed, and he said he feared he would lose his artillery or some of it before
I could get there. I started, riding in advance of my regiment to meet General Hancock and
find where I was needed, so as to be able to place my men in position without exposing them
too long under fire. As I reached the ridge or highest ground between the cemetery and Little
Round Top Mountain, I met General Hancock, who was encouraging and rallying his men
to hold on to the position. He told me the rebels had captured a battery he had had there, and
pointed out to me the way they had gone with it, and asked me if I could retake it. I told him
I thought I could, and that I was willing to try. He said it would be a hazardous job, and he
would not order it, but, if I thought I could do it, I might try. By this time my regiment had
come up, and I moved them to the front far enough so that when I deployed them in line of
battle they would leave Hancock's men in their rear. They were now in column by divisions,
and I gave the order to deploy in line, instructing each captain as to what we were to do as
they came on to the line, and, taking my position to lead them, gave the order to advance.
At this time my horse was killed, and I fell to the ground with him. While on the ground,
I discovered a rebel line debouching from the woods on our left, and forming substantially
across our track about 40 rods in our front. We received one volley from them, which did us
very little injury, when my men sprang forward with the bayonet with so much precipitancy
that they appeared to be taken wholly by surprise, and threw themselves in the grass,
surrendering, and we passed over them. General Hancock followed up the movement, and
told me to press on for the guns and he would take care of the prisoners, which he did, and
we continued our pursuit of the guns, which we overtook about half way to the Emmitsburg
road, and recaptured them, with some prisoners. These guns, as I am told, belong to the Fifth
U.S. Regulars, Lieutenant Weir. There were four of them.
We were now very near the Emmitsburg road, and I advanced my line to the road, and sent
my adjutant (James S. Peck) back to inform General Hancock of our position. While he was
gone, the rebels advanced two pieces of artillery into the road about 100 rods to the south of
us, and commenced to shell us down the road, whereupon I detached one company, and
advanced them under cover of the road, dug way, and fences, with instructions to charge upon
and seize those guns, which they did most gallantly. We also captured the rebel picket
reserve, consisting of 3 officers and 80 men, who had concealed themselves in a house near
by.
In pursuance of orders from General Hancock, we now slowly fell back to the main line of
battle. It was dark, and no further operations took place on our part that night.
In the morning of the third day of the battle, we were placed in the front line, to the left of
Cemetery Hill. In this position we remained, sustaining the same against the heavy assaults
which were made on our position during the day.
During the heavy artillery fire on the afternoon of that day, preceding Longstreet's great
charge, my regiment being badly exposed, I asked permission to advance it a little to the
front, about 15 rods, so as to take advantage of some rocky points that emerged from the
ground, and also the more favorable conformation of the ground. This was granted me, and
I immediately advanced my regiment to the more favorable position, and the Fourteenth
Vermont, which occupied the position next to my left, also advanced so as to conform to my
line. This placed us that much farther to the front than the regiments to the right and left of
us, but gave us a very favorable position, which we immediately strengthened with loose
stones and rails that we found in the vicinity. Before we had fairly completed our little
arrangements the great charge commenced, and the course they took brought them directly
on these two regiments. Our general officers were quite solicitous for this position, General
Hancock repeatedly coming to me and giving us the benefit of his advice and encouragement,
and offered us supports, but my men, as well as those of the Fourteenth Regiment, expressed
a desire to hold the place alone if they could. The heavy rebel column, which I need not
describe, bore down steadily upon us until about half way from the Emmitsburg road to our
position. Our men were directed to withhold their fire up to this time, when the two regiments
rose up and poured in a volley that seemed to level their front rank and all mounted officers.
We continued to pour in our fire as best we could, and very soon the charging column seemed
to slacken and nearly halt. In this way they staggered for a moment, and commenced to move
by their left flank toward a position more nearly in front of the cemetery. As our front became
uncovered, I moved my regiment a little by the flank, so as to extricate my left from some
shrubbery that partially surrounded and hid them, when I changed front forward on my right
company, throwing my left flank toward the rebel main line of battle. The Fourteenth
Regiment remained in their position. The Sixteenth Regiment, or a portion of it, were on the
skirmish line, and were driven in by this charge.
General Doubleday at this time rode up to me, and assured me that my movement would
be a success, and he ordered the regiments to my right to cease firing and allow me to pass
in front of their line, which we did, following the rebel column so close that when they faced
to charge up Cemetery Hill we were within 15 rods of them, and they passed directly in
review before us, my men at the same time pouring one of the most withering fires I had ever
beheld into their exposed flank. We had fired about 10 rounds per man when they seemed to
be in utter confusion, and large numbers came in in rear of my regiment for shelter. I do not
know how many prisoners my regiment captured, but I had apparently more than there were
men in my regiment.
While this was going on, the Sixteenth Regiment, Colonel Veazey, came up in my rear
(having gathered up his regiment as far as he could after having been driven in with the
skirmish line), and formed his regiment in rear and partially to my left, where he succeeded
in capturing some prisoners. He had been in this position but a few moments when we
discovered a small rebel column approaching over nearly the same ground the main rebel
column had passed over, and for the moment it seemed as though we should be squeezed
between the two, but Colonel Veazey promptly faced his regiment about, and advanced to
meet this new danger, and I very quickly followed. When I got nearly opposite my original
position, General Stannard sent orders to me to bring my regiment back to the main line, and
he sent a portion of the Fourteenth Regiment to support Colonel Veazey. This rebel column,
however, about that time commenced to diverge in the opposite direction, and entered the
woods to the south of us, where they were pursued by the Sixteenth and Fourteenth
Regiments. This substantially ended our part in the battle.
General Hancock was wounded while sitting on his horse giving me some directions. I was
standing very near him, and assisted him from his horse. General Stannard was also wounded
soon after, and compelled reluctantly to leave the field, since which time I have been in
command of the brigade.
The casualties in my regiment, as near as I can now ascertain, were 8 killed, 89 wounded,
and 26 missing. As we know of none captured, probably many of the 26 may prove to have
been killed, or severely wounded, and cared for in some private house.
FRANCIS V. RANDALL,
Colonel Thirteenth Regiment Vermont Volunteers.
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