and horses. The battery, after the loss of a few men, retired.

The rebels were very strongly intrenched upon the hights back of the town, and many abortive attempts were made to dislodge them. The fighting upon the left was furious, and during the charge made by one of our brigades an entire North Carolina regiment was taken prisoners. During a furious artillery duel, in which the New Hampshire battery was hotly engaged and lost several men, Gen. Bayard, the youngest general in the service, was killed.

At one time Gen. Meade's division made a most gallant charge, reaching the very crest of the hill. They drove two of Hill's brigades back upon their second line of defenses and captured several hundred prisoners. For a time it seemed as if the battle was in our favor, but a large body of rebel infantry came rushing down from their second line of defenses and bore our brave charging lines before them. The day was lost, and thousands of our soldiers lay dead upon the hills. The rebel works were still unbroken and swarming with men. The battle of Fredericksburg was over. During this contest about a dozen of the men of the Second Regiment were wounded, but none fatally.

The next afternoon a council of generals was held at Gen. Burnside's headquarters, and after much discussion it was decided to retreat across the river, under the cover of darkness. Late on the afternoon of the 15th the order to re-cross the river was given, which was accomplished during the night, without disaster. The night was so dark and rainy that the movements of our army could not be seen, and so windy that the rumbling of our trains could not be heard by the enemy.

The last of January Gen. Burnside was relieved from the command of the army, and Gen. Hooker put in his place. Grand divisions were abolished, and corps

badges were adopted; that of the Third being a diamond or lozenge, with red, white and blue colors for the respective divisions, in their order.

On the 26th of February the Second Regiment was ordered to report to Gen. Wool, commanding the department of the East. At Boston the regiment was most heartily welcomed and feasted and toasted at Faneuil Hall. At Manchester the men met a most warm and gratifying reception. They were escorted to Smyth's Hall, where tables were profusely spread with eatables. The galleries were filled with ladies and friends of the men in the regiment. Mayor Theodore T. Abbott welcomed the regiment in a feeling and appropriate speech, which was responded to by Lieut. Colonel Bailey. After the eating had been finished Hon. Frederick Smyth was introduced as toast-master, when sentiments and short speeches, by men of the regiment and citizens, followed. The next day the regiment was received at Concord, by a grand procession, dinner at the hotels and speeches of welcome. Gen. Wool was there to add to the interest of the occasion.

The headquarters of the regiment were established at Concord, while Companies D, E and K, were sent to Fort Constitution, Portsmouth harbor. The men were granted furloughs to visit their homes, many of whom did not return until long after their time had expired. The Seventeenth regiment, numbering about one hund red and fifty men, was consolidated with the Second, the officers having been first discharged. Col. Marston was promoted to Brigadier General, and Lieut. Colonel Bailey, Major Carr and Capt. Sayles were promoted to fill the vacancies consequent on this promotion.

On the 25th of May, 1863, the regiment left the State for Washington, arriving there on the 28th, where it remained until the 11th of June, when it moved and joined the army of the Potomac at Hartwood Church,

and was assigned to the Jersey Brigade, to which it was attached as long as it remained with the army of the Potomac.

THE BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG.

The brigade arrived at Emmettsburg on the first of July, and encamped for the night, having heard firing all the afternoon in the direction of Gettysburg. At two o'clock on the morning of the 3d, the brigade set off and reached the scene of action early in the forenoon, and joined its corps. The brigade was commanded by Col. Berlin. It moved up the slope into the open field, when a rebel battery opened upon it with shell, one piece hitting the color-staff of the Second Regiment, wounding several of the color-guard. The brigade was withdrawn to a grove, while a battery went into position and rapidly replied to the rebel guns, and which the brigade was ordered to support. On the crest of the ridge, in a peach orchard, was a battery of six Napoleon guns, which kept up a spirited response to the rebels who were pouring shell and spherical case into our lines with murderous effect. The Second was ordered to report to Gen. Graham, commanding a brigade in Gen. Birney's division, and by him ordered to the rear of this battery as a support. After the position was taken the roll of the Second was called, and only eight men were found absent from their places. The regiment was exposed to a more terrific artillery fire than it ever experienced before or since. The air was filled with the missiles of death and the leaves and branches of the peach trees were shorn as if by a tornado. The brave gunners did not flinch, though every discharge of the enemy's guns dealt death to their ranks or mowed down the ranks of the supporting regiment. Some shells came along the ground so closely as to wound half a dozen men at a time. Others