Personal Narrative Essay: The Battle Of Gettysburg

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By the summer of 1863 after two years of brutal fighting the Union and Confederate soldiers were tired (Johnson 12). I was tired and wanted to go back home to Maine to see Ma and Pa. I wanted home cooked meals again because the food here was from this side of hell. Unfortunately,I don’t think I’ll be going home anytime soon. The Confederates are stronger than ever and have ambition. We have heard General Lee’s army is running low on supplies and has he launched an ambitious invasion in the North (Johnson 13). The Rebels have marched into Pennsylvania seizing food and supplies from helpless citizens. Our General George Meade got us all rounded up to drive them Rebs right out of our country back to where they belong. The rumor is we're headed …show more content…
I've been wounded twice: flesh wounds, one in the leg and one in the arm. I’ve been really lucky over the past two years to only have had to suffer twice. I’ve seen lots of bloodshed and lost many friends. It’s been hell ever since. I want to whip them Confederates and just end the war to become one nation again.
We received the battle reports from the first day of fighting. Our boys took a beating from the Confederates, but we still held the high ground. It said they were holding Culp’s Hill, Cemetery Hill, and Cemetery Ridge. Cemetery Ridge was two miles long and ended at a hill called Little Round Top (Johnson 18). I was proud of our boys because holding the high ground gave the Union a strong defensive position (Johnson 18). The hills and ridges gave many protected spots for Union artillery. The Rebels also had to attack uphill, a severe disadvantage to any soldier (Johnson …show more content…
Colonel Vincent positioned four regiments, 1,300 men total, along the south side of Little Round Top below the summit (Johnson 21). He placed our regiment on the very end of the line. Colonel Vincent left Chamberlain with the orders to hold this ground at all costs. Chamberlain gave us the orders to space out more and curve the end of the line to keep the Rebels from going out and around our wall (Johnson 21). Chamberlain ordered this because he saw a group of Rebels trying to sneak around and attack from behind. Soldiers at the very end were to drop back, forming an angle (Johnson 21). Chamberlain came up to me and said, “Son, I’m putting you and your boys on the very end of the line. It is the most crucial spot in the line, and you and your fifteen boys are the best in my regiment. If you guys fail to hold your spots, the Union army will crumble. I’m counting on you son.” With a pat on the back, he left me to line up my boys. I looked every guy in the face, and with a solemn handshake I started spacing them out. I set up in the middle of my boys, so when I yelled an order all of them would hear me. I was going to be right along with them, fighting the bloody
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