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A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF EVENTS LEADING UP TO AND INCLUDING THE BATTLE FOR CEMETERY HILL
Before the 11th Corps fought at Gettysburg, it fought at Chancellorsville and gained a somewhat unfair reputation. 11th Corps and paticularly Ames' Brigade were largely composed of German immigrants . Most of them farmers, they volunteered in masse when the war broke out.
Initially, they served in defense of Washington, D.C. until ordered to Fredricksburg towards the end of 1862. There they were held in reserve as part of 11th Corps under Gen. Julius Stahel, not being involved in the battle. After the futile attempt to break Fredricksburg defenses, they went into brief Winter Quarters. In Jan., 1863, Burnside began his Mud March, which , of course, turned out to be disastrous. Having witnessed these aspects of war, they were first exposed directly to battle at Chancellorsville. Positioned on the left of the Army, they were hit hard by Stonewall Jackson's flank attack. They broke almost immediately, and Howard, stunned by the suddenness of the attack, attempted to rally his men. He was unable to do so and became agitated. The men of 11th Corps retreated all the way through Chancellorsville only to be hit by Lee's attack from the East. The 107th lost their stand of colors here and several were taken prisoner. As a result of their being surprised , the 11th Corps became known as the "flying Dutchmen" and "Howard's cowards".
After Chancellorsville, the Army withdrew across the Rappahannock. In June, Lee's forces begin their march towards Pennsylvania and shortly thereafter, the Army of the Potomac begins to follow them little knowing they would meet at Gettysburg.
GETTYSBURG, DAY 1
Howard's 11th Corps arrives at Gettysburg and are made aware of 1st Corps engagement with the Confederate forces there. They are ordered to pass through Gettysburg and take up positions North of town. There, they engage elements of Early's Corps. Confederate Gen. John B. Gordon's Georgians begin their advance at 3 pm and soon drive in elements of Ames' Brigade, sending them retreating in confusion towards Cemetery Hill. By 3:45 pm, the 11th Corps resistance has been broken with 250 killed, 1200 wounded and 1400 missing, probably taken prisoner. Upon reaching the batteries on Cemetery Hill, Howard rallies his troops and forms them up. The 11th Corps spends the evening of July 1 fortifing Cemetery Hill.
GETTYSBURG, DAY 2
The 11th Corp is constantly harassed by artillery and sniper fire during the course of the day. Around 7-7:45 pm , Confederate Gernerals Hays and Avery begin their advance. It's dusk and night is rapidly falling on 11th Corps. The 17th Conneticut of Ames Brigade is shifted to the right of the 75th OVI, while the men of the 107th OVI hold the left. On their right is the 25th OVI, 46 men strong. On the 25th's right is the 75th OVI and then the 17th Ct. Hays men advance and crash into the 11th Corps with bayonets leveled. They penetrate the line, over running the 25th and part of the 75th . The 107th stands firm until ordered back to Weidrich's battery to dislodge the Confederates who have taken charge of the guns. The 107th's stance is significant in the respect that, until now, they had broken and retreated in the face of superior numbers. Now, they stand their ground, retreat back to the battery , and rout the Confederates who have taken possession of it while capturing the colors of the 8th Louisana Tigers in the process. They hold onto the battery until re-inforcements arrive.
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VIEW OF EVERGREEN CEMETERY GATEHOUSE FROM A CONFEDERATE PERSPECTIVE
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Excerpts from Camps and Campaigns of the 107th Regiment of Ohio Volunteer Infantry:1862-1865 by Jacob Smith, Co. D
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July 1, 1863:" A goodly number of the One Hundred and Seventh were killed and wounded in this days engagement. The killed, wounded and prisoners amounted to nearly three hundred officers and men. Among the wounded may be mentioned, Lieutenant Colonel Mueller, shot in the arm; Captain (afterward Major) Augustus Vignos, loss of right arm; Captain T. B. Steiner, shot in the shoulder and lungs, from which wound he shortly afterward died; Captain Speyer, shot in the shoulder; Lieutenant Fischer, shot also in the shoulder; Lieutenant Setzler, struck in the back by a fragment of shell, and Lieutenant Harrison Flora, shot in the shoulder. Among those taken prisoner, was Captain Peterson, who, however, about the close of the engagement, was fortunate enough to succeed in making his escape and to regain the Regiment. It was evening of the first day's conflcit that the entire Union Army was ordered up to Gettysburg to take part in the great decisive battle of the Rebellion."
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Cemetery Hill, July 2, 1863. " The 'Louisiana Tigers' were selected to make the charge upon our guns. They dashed forward with furious determination against a withering fire from our Infantry and Artillery , and although they lost four-fifths of their men killed and wounded, some of them rushed over the fence and up to the cannon and called out to the Artillery men to 'surrender', but they were beaten off by the gunners with gun rammers, clubs, stones and whatever they could lay their hands upon that could be used as a means of defense."
" It was here that the One Hundred and Seventh Regiment was posted near very important Batteries, guarding the approach from the front and right. The only cover the Regiment had was , in part a low worm fence, and in part a low stone wall. On this day it held it's postion during a very heavy cannonade, and against the furious charge which succeeded it, in the twilight of the evening, made by the selected body of the Louisiana Tigers. In making this desperate attempt , some of the enemy succeeded in forcing their way thr ough the line and gained the crest of the hill; part of the force had made their way up to the Batteries , ( as noted before) attempting to capture them , when they were vigorously repulsed by the boys of the One Hundred and Seventh, and others of the Brigade, who drove them down the hill in great confusion and with severe loss. On this occasion the boys captured the colors of the Eighth Louisana Tigers, their color-bearer being killed in the attempt to hoist the Rebel flag over the Batteries. In this close hand to hand fight , Lieutenant Young, the Adjutant of the Regiment, who exhibited gallantry on the occasion, was shot in the breast and severely wounded; besides which the Regiment suffered other serious loss. For a time the opposing forces were much mixed up together, and with the uncertainty of the light, in the dusk of the evening, it was difficult to distinguish friend from foe."
"If the enemy had been victorious in this charge, the battle would no doubt been lost to us. Having secured a position on that elevation in the curve of the line, they would then be in shape to rake our forces with an enfilading fire in the rear upon both wings; but the enemy was successfully met, slaughtered in large numbers, and driven back with terrible loss. Of the eighteen hundred men compromising the Brigade that made the charge, less than three hundred of thir number returned unharmed to their lines, and from the information given by the enemy themselves , the organization of Louisana Tigers was wiped out of existence. It was a bold and desperate effort on the part of the enemy, but a most discouraging failure. This part of the battle was of short duration but exceedingly sharp while it lasted. A majority of those who endeavored to take Cemetery Hill from our hands were either captured, wounded or found there a cemetery for their bodies to repose in."
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