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be seen; at the same moment the Third North Carolina and Second Maryland
received an enfilading fire from Green's New York Brigade, which was posted
in an angle of the works, about three hundred yards to the right. The balance
of Steuart's Brigade was on the other side of the ridge, and was not exposed to
the fire at all. To make matters still worse, the First North Carolina, which was
marching in reserve, believing they were being fired upon by the enemy, opened
fire, by which a number of men in the two right regiments were killed and
wounded.

The Second Maryland and Third North Carolina were staggered for a
moment by the enemy's fire, but, quickly recovering, pressed forward and drove
the enemy out of the works.

By this terrific fire in front and flank Lieutenant-Colonel James R. Herbert
fell wounded in three places, and the Third North Carolina and Company A,
on the right of the Second Maryland and commanded by Captain William H.
Murray, suffered severely.

In describing the part taken by the Second Maryland Infantry in the battle
of Gettysburg after the fall of Lieutenant-Colonel Herbert and the capture of
the breastworks, the author will present it more in the form of a personal narra-
tive, as he believes thereby it can be better understood and made more interesting
to the reader :

After the fall of Colonel Herbert, finding myself in command of the regiment,
I immediately threw the three left companies, commanded by Captains Torsch,
Stewart and Crane, over the breastworks, at right angles with it, and, sheltered
by the immense rocks, I was thereby enabled in a measure to open an enfilading
fire upon the enemy in the angle, although we had but the flashes of their guns to
guide our fire. That there were no troops in our immediate front I was
convinced. Therefore, having acquired some knowledge of the country in my
youth, and knowing the Baltimore turnpike was but some four or five hundred
yards distant, I ordered Captain John W. Torsch to take one of his most reliable
men and feel his way through the darkness until he reached the turnpike, unless
he encountered the enemy in the meantime. This Captain Torsch did, and
reported to me that he had been so close to the turnpike that he was able to see
the wagons in motion. This satified me that we were not only on their flank, but
in the rear of the enemy's right. This information I imparted to General Edward
Johnson in person a very short time after.

In the meantime the three left companies kept up a steady fire, and I knew
from the frequent cries to "cease that firing; you are shooting your friends!"
that it was doing some execution.

Meanwhile a heavy body of troops were assembling in my front, and several
officers and men came into my lines by mistake, and I learned from them that