Tag Archives: retreat from Gettysburg

Return to Virginia

“Monday. Heavy rain last night, raining again today. Our wagon trains commenced crossing the Potomac at Williamsport, Maryland, this morning.” So wrote Spartan Band diarist William H. Hill on July 13, 1863. The 13th Regiment had left their rifle pits … Continue reading

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Digging in

Spartan Band diarist Will H. Hill wrote in his diary on Saturday, July 11, 1863, that the brigade had moved two miles north towards Hagerstown. They were shoveling up fortifications and digging rifle pits to defend against an expected Union … Continue reading

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On picket duty

On Tuesday, July 7, another day of rain, the Mississippi Brigade was ordered out on picket duty at Downsville, Maryland, four miles southeast of Williamsport on the swollen Potomac River. The pontoons over their intended crossing at Falling Waters had … Continue reading

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