On the evening of July 1st, 1863 the regiments of the Army of The Potomac's III Corps arrived in Gettysburg and settled into bivouac after a fatiguing forced march. That day had seen sharp fighting north of Gettysburg as Confederate infantry clashed with Federals of the I and XI Corps. Among the tired veteran soldiers to arrive in Gettysburg on the evening of July 1st were Col. Hiram Berdan's 1st U.S. Sharpshooters and Lt. Col. Henry Stoughton's 2nd U.S. Sharpshooters. Both regiments of elite marksmen were at the time attached to General David Birney's 1st Division after their previous stay in Whipple's 3rd Division was ended in June following devastating losses at Chancellorsville.