To: General T. J. Jackson
Commander in Chief
Army of the Valley, C.S.A.
June 3, 1863
The division, along with Glenn's division (minus one brigade), deployed outside Lorenzoville into line of battle. Between two hills, the enemy deployed behind a line of light works fortified with chevaux-de-frise in front of the town. Federal artillery was placed on the two flanking hills to cover the approaches to the works. Our line formed with a weighted end on the Federal left flank. The division was tasked to lead the attack on the enemy's left, while Glenn's division held the enemy's right. Glenn's division moved into place about 500 yards in front of the works and laid down a covering fire with his artillery. Most of our artillery was assigned to support the attack.
The division moved slowly through broken terrain in order to cover our advance and hit the enemy on the extreme end of his line. At the same time the enemy was noticed to have shifted some of his units over to his left to reinforce his line. We managed to position our rifled artillery on a hill in front of a wheat field in order to provide some counter battery fire.
Sporadic counter battery fire was traded between the two sides, with little in the way of effective results. Artillery fire was more effective against infantry, however. Our artillery was able to score heavy damage against the Federal infantry defending the works, with flanking fire taking its toll. At least one Federal regiment was routed from the field. Likewise, Hood's Texas brigade (leading the attack) took moderate damage from intensive artillery fire from both the Union works and their battery on the hill.
Our infantry brigades of Hood's and Gordon's were now in a position to start trading musket fire with the entrenched enemy. At this point, our infantry on the right was poised to deliver a general charge on the Union left, when almost all of our artillery used in the assault ran low on ammunition. At the same time Brigade General J. B. Gordon was mortally wounded leading his brigade forward against the Yankees on the hill. Our command now reached a crisis situation in the attack. More than one brigade commander suggested that we retreat and even went so far as to start planning a line of retreat from the field!
However, I felt that the situation was not as bad as it might seem and I never had much hope in our artillery doing much against the Yankees anyway. I resolved to push forward the assault and see what the bayonet would decide.
As luck would have it, we were able to rout another regiment from the works, taking the artillery crew on the hill along with the rout. The entire command felt that this would be the best time to launch an assault against the enemy and I so ordered it. The division went forward at the double quick with one of Glenn's brigade guarding our left flank anchored in the wheat field. With fixed bayonets my boys charged the Yankee line and drove them from their positions along the works.
All four of my brigades took part in the grand assault, with the 2nd Maryland, the 3rd South Carolina, and the 11th Virginia Reserves noted for routing the enemy. The 13th Virginia Reserves also captured an entire Federal battery of twenty-four pound howitzers. The 3rd South Carolina (Kershaw's brigade) is especially noted for entering into melee with a larger enemy regiment and capturing the unit along with its standard. Glenn's division also captured a section of twenty-four pound James rifles.
With our troops pouring into the Yankee works and driving them back through the town of Lorenzoville, the Federal commander was forced to abandon his positions and retreat from the field. Our casualties were very light in this engagement, with no more than 140 men lost. Our success resulted at least 200 Union casualties, the capture of six twenty-four pound howitzers and two twenty-four pound James rifles, and the capture of the enemy's works and the town of Lorenzoville.
I am committed to following up our victory with an immediate advance upon the routed foe. Now that the Yankees have no works to hide behind, they must face me, outnumbered, in the open. Surely, God is with our cause and an army that has the Lord's blessing cannot fail!
Respectfully Your Obedient Servant,
General A.P. Hill, C.S.A.
Division Commander
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