This is a small excerpt of an article written by Colonel Joseph Mayo, for the Richmond Times Dispatch Dec.13,1914

[Draggingtree]

 "24th Virginia Infantry's Action at Gettysburg."

 This is a small excerpt of an article written by Colonel Joseph Mayo, for the Richmond Times Dispatch Dec.13,1914 He was a survior of that dreaded day at Gettysburg.

 The 24th's Action

 "At 2:00 A.M. on July 2, the 24th Virginia and Pickett's division proceeded eastward on the Chambersburg Pike toward Gettysburg. Under a broiling sun the Virginians rapidly crossed South Mountain and by 2:00 P.M. had trudged twenty-three miles through suffocating dust. The exhausted men encamped early in the afternoon near Willoughby Run. They Were three miles west of Gettysburg, which for the previous two days had been the scene of a desperate Struggle. As July 2 closed, the Virginians sensed that tomorrow would bring their entry into the combat.

 By 3:30 A. M. on July 3, the Virginians had broken camp and were headed down the Cashtown Road for Gettysburg. Kemper's brigade led the rest of Picett's division and arrived just west of Gettysburg around 8:00 A. M. Under the watchful eye of Lee the brigade headed south and began discarding all nonessentials.

 Along the march, the men had witnessed Confederate burying parties interring the dead of the previous days battle. After a twenty-minute rest stop at Pitzerss Run, the troops turned eastward.

 Around 11:00 A. M., Kemper's brigade formed line of battle behind the crest of a ridge just west and south of the Spangler House. Major James Dearing's artillery battalion was stationed on the crest of Seminary Ridge. Four hundred yards behind Dearing's men, Kemper alligned his brigade from left to right as follows: 3rd, 7th, 1st, 11th and 24th Virginia. The Virginians remained in the open field behind the ridge for the next three hours. Under a blazing sun, the men could do little except watch and wait.

 By noon, Col. Terry had instructed his captains on the general plan of battle. The company commanders barely had time to return to their Commands and instruct the men on the location of the enemy position and the difficulty of their task; for at 1:00 P. M., the Confederate artillery commenced shelling the enemy position on Cemetery Ridge. The Union artillery quickly replied in kind, and for the next two hours the ground shook from the incessant artillery fire.

 Remaining in the open field behind the Confederate artillery, the 24th Virginia "suffered considerably from the iron hail of the enemy's batteries. The only protection that the man had were small piles of rocks. Needless to say, theserocks were of little value against artillery.   https://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=AwrJ61zcL51gp1oAVnhXNyoA;_ylu=Y29sbwNiZjEEcG9zAzEEdnRpZANDMTYxMl8xBHNlYwNzcg--/RV=2/RE=1620942940/RO=10/RU=http%3a%2f%2ffreepages.rootsweb.com%2f~cnoelldunc%2fgenealogy%2fVirginia%2fThe24thsAction.htm/RK=2/RS=sX6Sbo_zUhunz9eIUJZtsHDkIeU-