ON JULY 30, 1862, RICHARD ENLISTED IN THE UNION ARMY. AFTER ABOUT ONE MONTH'S TRAINING, HIS COMPANY WAS SENT TO HARPER'S FERRY WHERE THEY WERE CAPTURED BY REBEL FORCES.

RICHARD AND THE 111TH SPENT THE NEXT TWO MONTHS ON PAROLE AT CAMP DOUGLAS IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

IN NOVEMBER OF 1862, THEY MOVED TO THE WASHINGTON,  D.C. AREA AND SERVED ON PICKET DUTY IN CENTERVILLE, VA. THROUGH THE WINTER AND FOLLOWING SPRING.

ON JUNE 26, 1863, COMPANY F., 111^TH REGIMENT JOINED THE THIRD BRIGADE, THIRD DIVISION OF THE SECOND CORPS OF THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC AND MARCHED TOWARDS GETTYSBURG, PA. ARRIVING JULY 2^ND AT 2 AM.

HIS DIARY BEST DESCRIBES HIS FEELINGS DURING THIS TIME.

JULY 1^ST, 1863
WE WERE ORDERED TO MOVE EARLY THIS MORNING. OUR REGIMENT WAS DETAILED AS GUARD FOR THE AMMUNITION TRAIN AND WENT WITH IT AS FAR AS TARRYTOWN. WE THEN RESTED ABOUT AN HOUR. THEN THE REMAINDER OF OUR BRIGADE WAS SENT BACK TO THE TRAIN AND OUR REGIMENT WENT ON WITH THE DIVISION. WE PASSED THROUGH TARRYTOWN ABOUT 2 O'CLOCK ON THE WAY TO GETTYSBURG. WE CROSSED THE LINE ABOUT 4 O'CLOCK AND CAME TO A HALT ABOUT 9 O'CLOCK, ABOUT THREE MILES FROM GETTYSBURG.

JULY 2^ND, 1863
WE WERE CALLED UP BEFORE DAYLIGHT AND WERE SOON ORDERED
TO FALL IN AND START FOR GETTYSBURG. WE CAME NEAR THE CITY AND HALTED. WE HEARD CANNONADING IN OUR FRONT - THE FIRST FIRING COMMENCED AT 4 O=CLOCK. THE GARIBALDI GUARD WENT OUT AS SKIRMISHERS AND WAS RELIEVED BY THE 126^TH N.Y.V. THE 39^TH LOST 26 KILLED AND WOUNDED AND 2 COMMISSIONED OFFICERS. AT 4 O'CLOCK OUR BRIGADE WAS ORDERED TO REINFORCE THE LEFT OF OUR LINE AS THEY HAD BEEN HARD PRESSED. OUR REGIMENT WENT IN UNDER A HEAVY FIRE OF INFANTRY AND ARTILLERY FIRE OF GRAPE AND CANISTER. OUR LOSSES WERE HEAVY. OUR CO. HAD 17 MEN LEFT AFTER THE CHARGE. WE WERE THEN BROUGHT BACK IN LINE AND THEN TAKEN BACK NEAR OUR OLD POSITION. THERE WAS HEAVY FIGHTING ON THE RIGHT OR OUR LINE AND DURING THE NIGHT THERE WAS A GREAT DEAL OF PICKET FIRING.

JULY 3^RD, 1863
HEAVY CANNONADING COMMENCED THIS MORNING ON THE RIGHT OF THE LINE AND A GOOD DEAL OF PICKET FIRING ALL ALONG THE LINE WITH A SHELL OCCASIONALLY.  OUR CO. WAS SENT OUT TO SKIRMISH WITH THE ENEMY AND LOST 3 MEN WOUNDED. WE WAS RELIEVED IN ABOUT AN HOUR.
ABOUT ONE O'CLOCK THE ENEMY OPENED ON US A BRISK CANNONADING FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF. THEN THEY ADVANCED IN 3 LINES OF BATTLE BUT THEY WERE DRIVEN BACK WITH A HEAVY LOSS OF KILLED, WOUNDED AND PRISONERS.  LT. DRAKE WAS KILLED AND A GOOD MANY OF THE BOYS WAS WOUNDED.

JULY 4^TH, 1863
I WENT DOWN TO THE HOSPITAL WITH SERG. LOCKWOOD LAST NIGHT AND DID NOT GET BACK 'TIL THIS MORNING. WE HAD A HEAVY RAINSTORM LAST NIGHT. IT IS REPORTED TODAY THAT THE ENEMY ARE FALLING BACK BUT THEY HAVE A HEAVY LINE OF SKIRMISHERS OUT AND THEY KEEP UP A HEAVY FIRE ON OUR BOYS. IT RAINED NEARLY ALL DAY AND THE WOUNDED ARE OUT IN IT.

JULY 5^TH, 1863
WE WERE CALLED UP EARLY THIS MORNING AS OUR PICKETS CAME IN AND REPORTED THE ENEMY ADVANCING, BUT IT PROVED TO BE ONLY A SCARE FOR BY DAYLIGHT THE ENEMIES PICKETS WERE ALL WITHDRAWN AND WE HAD POSSESSION OF THE FIELD. I WENT DOWN AND LOOKED OVER THE BATTLE FIELD. IT WAS ONE OF THE HARDEST SIGHTS THAT I HAVE EVER SEEN. THE GROUND WAS COVERED WITH DEAD AND WOUNDED THAT HAD BEEN THERE 2 NIGHTS AND A DAY THROUGH THE STORM. DETAILS WERE SENT OUT TO BURY THE DEAD AND THE WOUNDED WERE BROUGHT IN. THEN THE CORPS WAS ORDERED TO MOVE AND WE WENT ABOUT 4 MILES AND ENCAMPED FOR THE NIGHT.