he final blow.

_Friday, July 3._--Third day's battle of Gettysburg. The enemy's batteries
on his right opened on us before daylight. Three limbers of Battery A,
Fourth regulars, were blown up early in the morning. Our caissons were
sent after ammunition several times. At eleven o'clock firing ceased,
rations were given out, and the men commenced cooking. At one o'clock, all
of a sudden, two signal guns were fired by the enemy, followed by the most
terrific cannonade of more than a hundred pieces of artillery, playing on
our centre. Our reply did not seem to make any impression at all. That
dreadful artillery fire seemed to paralyze our whole line for a spell.
Suddenly as it commenced it ceased, and three immense lines of infantry
advanced to take our almost annihilated batteries. Battery B, Rhode
Island, A, Fourth regulars, I, First regulars, and Pettit's New York
Battery, were taken, but not held by the rebels. Our battery withdrew
their guns with honor, leaving the dead, some of the wounded, and two
caissons behind. At the time of our leaving, the battle was at its turning
point. The most desperate fighting was done on Cemetery Hill and the
Emmettsburg road. The field presented a ghastly appearance. Our officers
behaved very well, especially Lieutenant Jacob Lamb, who, being wounded in
the hand, refused to leave the field, carried ammunition and encouraged
the men. Our loss was: Killed--Patrick Lannegan, first piece, shot in the
groin; John Zimmerli, fourth piece, head taken off by a cannon ball; Simon
Creamer, sixth piece, skull severed by a shell. Wounded--Lieutenant J.
Lamb, hand; Sergeant Benjamin Childs, shoulder; Corporal W. Rider, arm;
Corporal W. R. Calder, back; Corporal Shaw, shoulder; Privates--Grady, leg
off, died afterwards; Gil. Harrison, foot; Higgins, arm shot away, died
afterwards; Markey, shoulder; Curtis, foot, slightly; Googin, arm,
slightly; Cargill, leg; Byron Snow, back; Walter Arnold, leg; Wellman,
elbow, slightly; Morrissey, leg, badly; Hathaway, shoulder; Shampman, hip;
Tuttle, arm; Carlier, slightly; Middleton, leg, slightly; Dawson,
slightly; Tomdorf, leg, slightly; Oaks, slightly. Jack Hughes, and Long
Clark and his brother, ran away. Our battery went two miles to the rear,
in an exhausted condition. The Sixth corps reached the battle-field about
three o'clock P. M.

_Saturday, July 4._--Gettysburg. The battle is over. The skirmishers of
the two armies are yet still confronting each other