Final answer:
Tom tells Chamberlain that Sergeant Kilrain has been wounded in the Battle of Gettysburg, as depicted in the novel 'The Killer Angels' by Michael Shaara.
Step-by-step explanation:
The news Tom delivers to Chamberlain on July 3 pertains to the condition of Sergeant Kilrain. Tom informs Chamberlain that Kilrain has been wounded in the previous day's fighting at the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. This interaction is part of the historical fiction novel "The Killer Angels" by Michael Shaara, which dramatizes the events at Gettysburg. Kilrain's character, although fictional, is part of the 20th Maine regiment that Chamberlain commanded. The news of Kilrain's injury highlights both the human cost of the battle and the close ties between soldiers and their leaders in the face of adversity.