“How about that nice little trip to Baltimore and Washington, and those parallel turnpikes, now,” said Captain Murray addressing me. “Ah, that was a beautifully arranged affair, I must confess; but there seems to be obstacles in the way of its fulfillment.” “And the ten dollars,” chimed in Torsch. “It will buy a pint of Monegahaly, as the people hereabouts call it. Yes, we’ll take that ten when we reach Gettysburg. We will, won’t we, Cap?” I acknowledged my plans had miscarried, which was all owing to the enemy’s getting betwixt us and Washington’s monument; but that I was still somewhat inclined to believe it was only a small force of the enemy who had stumbled upon our advance. And this belief seemed to be strengthened as we neared the battle-field, for the discharges of artillery were not now near so rapid as they had been an hour or two before. About two miles from Gettysburg we passed a farm house by the roadside, which had been converted into a hospital and filled with our wounded, as was also the yard. A little farther on a great many ambulances were encountered, well freighted with torn and bleeding men, and directly a long line of the more slightly wounded, all making their way to the rear in search of surgical aid. From these we learned the fight had been a desperate one, and the casualties numerous on both sides; but that we had been successful at every point. A little farther and we filed to the left to avoid attracting the fire of the enemy’s artillery, which was still being served, but slowly. Passing a large field, in which were several thousand Federal prisoners, we were directly upon the battle ground. The evidences here gave most unmistakable testimony of a stubbornly-contested battle, as the ground was covered with the dead—blue and gray side by side. In and around the railroad cut dug by Thad. Stevens many years since, the slaughter of the Federal troops was appalling. They literally lay in heaps, whilst our loss at this point appeared comparatively small. We here learned that portions of Ewell’s and Hill’s corps had encountered a heavy force under General Reynolds, and that he himself was among the killed. Our own loss had been by no means slight. Besides a large number in killed and wounded, General James Archer and almost his entire brigade had been made prisoners.