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THE WAR LIBRARY.
Dinah agin if he lived ao hundred years,
Pete heard only a part of this and rushed
away.
I tonlowed the old slave to the negro
quarters where I found a great commotion.
The center of interest was Pete who held
his wife in a dead faint in his arms, and
two good sized children were clinging to
his knees.
_ friend, and I had taken such a icing to him.
| I, which ended
The planter had a long talk with Pete and
in his making arrangements
whereby Pete might work on the plantation
and remain near his wife until future ar-
| rangements could be consummated.
Satisfied with these matters I was content
to take my departure for New York.
CHAPTER XXIII.
THE BATTLE-GROUND.
I left New York early one morning in
une,
The Confederates had invaded Pennsyl-
Vania, and the North was in a fever of sus-
ense.
p Hooker had been superceded in the com-
mand of the Army of the Potomac by Gen-
eral Meade.
battle was imminent, and it was cer-
tainly destined to be the pivotal struggle of
e war.
If the North was beaten, then woe to
them, for the rebels were ready to sweep
like a resistless tide upon all the great cities,
and overwhelm them.
With New York, Brooklyn, Philadelphia
and Baltimore, sacked and burned, the
whole North would be at the mercy of Lee
and his legions.
On the other hand, should Lee receivea
signal defeat, the rebels would never make
another attempt to invade the North, and
the future battles of the war would be
fought in Dixieland.
No one knew the great issues depending
upon the approaching contest better than
General Meade himself,
When he _ succeeded Hooker, General
Meade showed no enthusiasm, but seemed to
feel the additional weight that was placed
upon his shoulders when he was made com-
mander-in-chief of the army.
Isaw him when I joined the army, and he
seemed bowed down with care.
Many had expected McClellan would be
placed in command again, but no onethought
of Meade, for he was known only in his own
corps.
He was plain in attire and in speech.
Looking at him with no little eagerness,
Isawa tall, thin, gray bearded man, wear-
ing aslouch hat, blue blouse, and with his
pants in his boots.
This was the man on whom the fate of
the nation depended, and who was to pit his
cunning and knowledge of military tactics
against the greatest general of the South—
Robert E. Lee.
Something about General Meade gave me
confidence,
Isaw he meant business from the word
go, and that, while not arash man, he would
strike hard when the time came.
I had seen so much red tape about the un-
fortunate Army of the Potomac in times
past that it wasa relief to find aman in
charge who cared nothing for such mat-
ters.
In judging General Meade, I was sure he
was not aman who, when within gunshot
almost of the rebel capital, after a series of
splendid victories would think it behooved
him to make a masterly retreat.
This was what I thought of Meade before
the battle of Gettysburg, and after that
bloody affair I believed he was a grand
ero.
Ever since the battle of Fredericksburg,
in which he had taken such a2 prominent
part, Meade had enjoyed the full confidence
of the president, and Lincoln had now given
him the opportunity to prove whether this
confidence was misplaced or not.
Sunday we passed through Frederick, the
lines of march diverging from tbat point
like the fingers of a hand.
The rebel general, Lee, was at Chambers-
burg on that day with the main army;
Ewell, with his raiders, was at York, and
Longstreet, the last to cross the Potomac
was passing through Waynesboro.
All the rebel forces were heading toward
Gettysburg.
Later on, Stuart joined Lee with his cay-
alry, and the whole Confederate force was
gradually approaching the Pennsylvania
town among the hills,
In company with another correspondent, I
viewed the field of the approaching battle.
From the cemetery crowning the hill be-
fore Gettysburg, we hada splendid view of
e fleld.
“On the northern side of the Baltimore
pike were newly mown fields, the grass
springing fresh and green since the mower
had swept over it.
“In thuse fields were batteries with breast-
works thrown up by Howard on Saturday
night—light affairs, not intended to resist
cannon-shot, but to protect the cannoneers
from sharpshooters. . :
“The cannoneers were lying beside their
pieces, sleeping, perhaps.
** Looking over the town, the buildings of
the Pennsylvania College were in view, be-
tween the road leading northwest to Mum-
masburg, and the unfinished track of a rail-
road running west througha deep excava-
tion, half a mile from the college. .
“urning to the southeast, two miles dis-
tant is Round-top, shaped like a sugar-loaf,
rocky, steep, hard to climb on its western
face, easy to be held by those who have
possession, clad with oaks and pines.
‘*Nearer, is Weed’s Hill or Little Round-
top, now held by the Fifth corps, with Plum
Run at its base, flowing through a rocky
ravine,
“Between Round-top and Weed’s there is
a gap, where meu bent on a desperate enter-
prise, might find a pass way.
“Between Weed’s and the cemetery hill
where I stand, the ridge is broken down and
smoothed out into fields and pastures.
“The road to Taneytown runs east of this
low ridge, the road to Emmettsburg west
°
“A small house stands west of the Taney-
town road, with the American flag flying in
front of it.
“There are horses hitched to the fence in
front of it, while others are nibbling the
grass in the fields.
** Officers with stars on their shoulders are
examining maps, writing, and sending off
cavalrymen.
‘““It is General Meade’s headquarters, and
when the rebel batteries open it will be a
warm place.”
The rebels were in the town, and as I wan-
dered about, more than one bullet whistled
past my ears,
General Howard was in the cemetery
with his maps and plans around him, taking
lunch.
Some of the men were removing the
monuments and headstones, for it was ex-
pected that the cemetery would be the hot-
test part of the field during the battle, and
if a ballstruck one of the stones the frag-
ments of marble would be apt to do as
much damage as 2 shell.
I cannot describe the situation better
than again using the words of a friend and
fellow correspondent whose genius and
power as exhibited in his reports of military
operations and battles have seldom been
equaled,
“The flowers were blooming all around
us. I gathered a handful as a memento of
the hour. Preparations were rapidly going
on for the approaching struggle. North,
west and southwest the whole country was
alive with rebels—long lines of men deploy-
ing in various directions, tents going up
with yellow flags above them on the dis-
tant hills, thousands of canvas covered
wagons slowly winding along the roads,
reaching as far as the eye could see toward
Chambersburg, Carlisle and Fairfield—turn-
ing into the fields and taking positions in
parks. There were batteries of artillery,
the cannon sleamipg in the noonday sun,
and hundreds of horsemen riding in hot
haste on many adesperate errand.”
Such was the condition of affairs at noon
on the second of July. Ere many hours
could pass those two immense armies would
be throttling each other,
CHAPTER XXIV.
GENERAL HOWARD AT GETTYSBURG.
On the previous day,at Hanover Junec-
tion, some thirty miles away from Gettys-
burg, I had heard the booming of can-
non and knew that an engagemeut was tak-
ing place.
Tnow learned the particulars of this des-
perate enpagement which was the opening
boom of Gettysburg.
Howard was attacked by overwhelmin
odds, while he could get no assistance, an
was obliged to retreat.
General Reynolds, his superior, was killed
while ridiug in front of his men, and im-
mediate command devolved upon General
Doubleday, while Howard took Reynolds’
pla
ce.
Howard fell back, having sent three bat-
teries and Steinwehr’s division to take pos
session of the cemetery and the hill north
of the Baltimore pike, where he intended
making a stand if he had to fight the whole
of A. P. Hill’s force, with Ewell’s and Long-
street’s thrown in.
The head of the Eleventh corps reached
Gettysburg in this retreat, about twelve
clock,
The first and third division passed
through the town, moved out beyond
the college and joined the right of the First.
corps.
Thus far success had attended the Union
rms.
A large number of prisoners had been
taken with but little loss,and the troops
were holding their own against a superior
a
orce.
About half past twelve cavalry scouts re-
orted that Ewell was coming down the
york road,an@ was not more than four
miles distant.
General Howard asked for assistance from
two quarters, but General Sickles was at
Emmettsburg too far away to render it, and
General Slocum, with the Second corps,
three miles away at Two Taverns, being.
Howard’s superior officer, did not see fit to
accede to the request, his reason being that
Meade did not wish to bring on a general
engagement until his plans were more fully
arranged.
So the brave boys of the Second corps lay
there, hearing the roar of battle and seeing
the clouds of smoke rising above the in-
tervening hills, but forced to remain
where they were while Howard foughtit out
alone.
When Ewell’s forces came in view, How-
sent ngain, declaring that his right flank was
in danger of being turned—still Slocum
moved not.
Slocum did gallant work on the two suc-
ceeding days, und later on with Sherman in
his march to the sea, but many have ques-
tioned the propriety of his refusing How-
ard assistance when the latter was ina ter-
rible situation, simply because he knew it
was Meade’s desire not to bring on n general
engagement if it could be prevented.
tfour o'clock Howard had given his
men all the reinforcements he could spare,
and was holding his own ina manner truly
remarkable, considering the fact that he
was confronted by a force at least four
times the number of his men.
Matters were getting desperate now.
Slocum being moved again, consented to
send a portion of the Twelfth corps to act
under Howard, but before they could
hardly get in motion, the retreat was
egun.
.The two corps crowded through the town,
‘aiming for cemetery ridge.
The First reached it almost intact, where
they were rallied by Howard, Steinwehr
and Hancock, the latter of whom had just
arrived, to take command, by order of Gen-
eral Meade of all the troops fn front.
Itseemed as though the Eleventh corps
was not so fortunate, for they lost between
two end three thousand prisoners, the ex-
ultant rebels following them through the
A portion of the Coufederates flushed with
victory pushed up the northern slope, but
Weiderick’s battery poured such terrible
discharges of canister into the ranks that
they were soon broken.
There was no more fighting after that, for
the rebels had had enough of it, though they
outnumbered the Federals greatly.
General Slocum arrived and took com-
mand, he being the senior officer.
_ At three in the morning the commander-
in-chief arrived upon the battlefield in per-
son.
In company with General Howard he rode
along the lines, and it was his order that the
position should be held, for it was hardly
possible to better them, and too late in the
day to make the attempt.
Imostat the same time Lee was riding
along his lines surveying the positions of the
enemy, and preparing for the attack.
It may seem strange that so cautious a
leader should take it upon himself to assault,
whenin the enemy’s country, and yet he
had manifold reasons for it, his men being
enthusiastic and his generals in favor of such
a move.
Leo gives some of his reasons as follows:
“Tt had not been intended to fighta gen-
eral battle, at such a distance from our
ase, unless attacked by the enemy, bu
t
finding ourselves unexpectedly confronted