Alpheus Williams alone on the Culp Farm (PART 2)
Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2010 2:29 am
The 150th NY of Lockwoods Brigade is ordered to drive the rebels off from our right flank. They fixed bayonets and charged.
Fighting was close...the 150th NY didn't realize they were about to be engaged with 2-3 large rebel units that were intermingled. This wasn't going to be pretty.
The 150th NY is forced to retreat after suffering 140+ casualties in hand to hand combat. The rebels didn't budge. I needed to plug this hole. I had an available 4 gun battery 300 yds distant. I rolled it up to plug the hole.
Meanwhile, on the left flank. All is quiet. McDougall's men anxiously await orders to assist Ruger and Lockwood on the right flank.
My right flank is beginning to crumble...the salient I created is working against me. My regiments posted along the fence line are taking heavy casualties.
A courier is sent immediately to John Geary, roughly a mile away. He is told to provide a defensive line on the opposite side of the creek, east of Gettysburg. Geary knows a general retreat by Williams division is imminent.
I sent the 1st Maryland Potomac Home Guard of Lockwood's Brigade to work on the rebel right flank. I thought this might take some pressure off of my own right flank....we'll see.
A battery from Geary's division arrives and sets up across the creek overlooking the Culp Farm. From this position, they can see that Alpheus Williams is heavily engaged on 3 fronts. It isn't looking good.
Ruger has had enough...he's lost over 70% of his brigade. Lockwood's men refuse to fight, their morale is in the tank. McDougall has only lost about 200 men and is now being attacked on his right flank. Lockwood and Ruger begin to fall back to the creek. What started out as a general organized retreat, has become a rout. McDougall is ordered to provide cover fire so that the remaining two federal brigades and batteries can safely make it across the creek.
The 27th Indiana of Ruger's Brigade...has bee shot to pieces. More than half its men were left on the field. It retreated in good fashion east of the Culp Farm.
MORE TO COME...
- JNewton
Fighting was close...the 150th NY didn't realize they were about to be engaged with 2-3 large rebel units that were intermingled. This wasn't going to be pretty.
The 150th NY is forced to retreat after suffering 140+ casualties in hand to hand combat. The rebels didn't budge. I needed to plug this hole. I had an available 4 gun battery 300 yds distant. I rolled it up to plug the hole.
Meanwhile, on the left flank. All is quiet. McDougall's men anxiously await orders to assist Ruger and Lockwood on the right flank.
My right flank is beginning to crumble...the salient I created is working against me. My regiments posted along the fence line are taking heavy casualties.
A courier is sent immediately to John Geary, roughly a mile away. He is told to provide a defensive line on the opposite side of the creek, east of Gettysburg. Geary knows a general retreat by Williams division is imminent.
I sent the 1st Maryland Potomac Home Guard of Lockwood's Brigade to work on the rebel right flank. I thought this might take some pressure off of my own right flank....we'll see.
A battery from Geary's division arrives and sets up across the creek overlooking the Culp Farm. From this position, they can see that Alpheus Williams is heavily engaged on 3 fronts. It isn't looking good.
Ruger has had enough...he's lost over 70% of his brigade. Lockwood's men refuse to fight, their morale is in the tank. McDougall has only lost about 200 men and is now being attacked on his right flank. Lockwood and Ruger begin to fall back to the creek. What started out as a general organized retreat, has become a rout. McDougall is ordered to provide cover fire so that the remaining two federal brigades and batteries can safely make it across the creek.
The 27th Indiana of Ruger's Brigade...has bee shot to pieces. More than half its men were left on the field. It retreated in good fashion east of the Culp Farm.
MORE TO COME...
- JNewton