As his [Baxter's] men lay down behind the [rock] fence, Iverson's brigade came up very close, not knowing our troops were there. Baxter's men sprang to their feet and delivered a most deadly volley at very short range, which left 500 of Iverson's men dead and wounded, and so demoralized them that all gave themselves up as prisoners. One regiment, however, after stopping our firing by putting up a white flag, slipped away and escaped. Chancellorsville and Gettysburg, p. 143.There is a mixture of truth and error in these statements. The men composing
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charge up on the other side.
Engelhard's report continues: ‘[The brigade] encountered a most terrific fire of grape and shell on the left flank, and grape and musketry in front, but still it pressed forward at double-quick until the bottom was reached. . . . Here the fire was most severe.’
The brigade halted at the foot of the hill to make reply to the enemy's fire.
General Pender rushed up, urging the men to stop only to reform, and General Scales, though badly wounded in the leg, ordered his men to charge the hill.
Led by Lieut.-Col. G. T. Gordon, of the Thirty-fourth regiment, the men dashed for the ridge, and attacking it concurrently with Ewell's advance, drove the Federals through Gettysburg.
As they entered the town, the men of this brigade met their comrades from Ramseur's North Carolina brigade, and also from Hoke's brigade.
These latter brigades entered from the north side of the town.
During the progress of this battle on the right, Rodes' division of Ewell's corps had been fiercely engaged.
Baxter's Federal brigade repulsed O'Neal, and then moved forward and took post behind a stone wall on the Mummasburg road.
In that position Iverson, supported by Daniel, attacked it. Iverson seems to have sent forward his line of battle with no skirmishers in front, and reports that his men rushed upon a ‘concealed stone wall.’
General Doubleday thus states the disadvantage at which Iverson's brave men were taken:
Atlanta, Ga. 1899.
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