“I have never yet heard such tremendous artillery firing. The enemy must have had over one hundred guns, which, in addition to our one hundred and fifteen, made the air hideous with most discordant noise. The very earth shook beneath our feet, and the hills and rocks seemed to reel like a drunken man. For one hour and a half this most terrific fire was continued, during which time the shrieking of shell, the crash of fallen timbers, the fragments of rocks flying through the air, shattered from the cliffs by solid shot, the heavy mutterings from the valley between the opposing armies, the splash of bursting shrapnell, and the fierce neighing of wounded artillery horses, made a picture terribly grand and sublime, but which my pen utterly fails to describe. After the firing had continued for little more than an hour, the enemy’s guns began to slacken, and finally all were silenced save some six or eight, which were in a clump of woods a little to the left of the stone fence.” For three hours the firing had continued steadily; suddenly the Union fire was slackened for a moment to allow the guns to cool, when the enemy, supposing they had been silenced, prepared to make a final and irresistible attack. Their storming party was moved up. The division of General Pickett, which had arrived since the previous day, led the advance, supported on the right by General Wilcox’s brigade of General Anderson’s division, and on the left by Heath’s division, commanded by General Pettigrew. The troops of General Pickett’s division advanced in splendid order. On his left, the command of General Pettigrew emerged from the woods, and swept down the slope of the hill to the valley beneath, and some two or three hundred yards in the rear of General Pickett. The Union line met the advance bravely. As they came under the fire of the First and Second Corps, the enemy’s batteries became suddenly silent. Their ammunition was exhausted. But still the rebel advance pressed boldly forward, never wavering, even when a fire of grape and shell was opened upon them. Steadily they crossed the Emmetsburg road, and with undaunted front approached the Union infantry, who quietly awaited their advance. General Gibbon, in command of the Second Corps, walking composedly along the front of his line, encouraged his men with his calm and steady voice: