The Sun.
London, England, 1863-07-17 00:00:00

through the very scene of the confi ct.
General Reynolds at once threw forward the
First Division, under General Wadsworth, which
began to drive the enemy from the start. Very
soon after the Second Division of the same corp.
went on the right of the First Division, the Third
Division on the left of the First, and the whole line
began to advance. Nearly west of the town, just
in the outskirts, near the Seminary, of which I have
spoken, is a large brick edifice. Southward from
this runs a piece of woods, and the Seminary stands
on a ridge, which slopes to the west into a little
open valley of ploughed fields and meadows, rich
with grass and grain. Beyond the valley is a ridge
of higher land, thickly wooded. The valley runs
in a south westerly direction, and at its lower ex-
tremity is a large farm house, near which the Bth
Illinois Cavalry was drawn up in the field, and
formed our extreme left. Several farm houses
dotted this same rich little valley. Across this
valley General Reynolds' line advanced somewhat
hastily, almost before it was well formed, and in that
condition did not go far until against it a heavy
force of the rebel infantry was immediately thrown,
and Gen. Reynolds was in turn driven back, but
his troops retired step by step, and in excellent
order. Forward, with the utmost enthusiasm.
pressed the rebel line, eager now to turn Reynolds
retirement into a rout. Some of the rebels
had too much energy, and got too far;
for, while they pressed too closely on
the right of the centre division, the left of the same
division was suddenly swept around, and tt en en-
closed in the handsome manner an entire rebel bri
gade under Gen. Archer. Gen. Archer and his
whole staff were taken. About 1,500 of the enemy's
men thus fell into our hands, and went to the rear.
Small regiments ware the order in this brigade, and
when an Alabama colonel was asked where the rest
of his regiment was he responded laconically, Gone
to h-11, sir." One of these prisoners said to an-
other with some astonishment, " Heb ! Jakey's
we're fighting the A-my of tae Potomac n )w." They
seem to have thought they had hold of the militia.
The regiments which made this capture were the
6th Wisconsin, the Brooklyn 14th, and the 95,h
New York. Though the Ist corps still continued
to retire, the rebel advance was broken soon after
this, and Gen. Reynolds now prepared to go for-
ward in earnest.
Apparently forgetful that he had at first only
gone to support cavalry, he was very like to bring
on a general engagement with only one corps.
Formed as before, his line went forward, drove the
enemy across the valley, and over the ridge at the
further side, but it was at great expense to us,as the
fire with which they received our fellows was ter-
ribly severe. From the hill the line of skirmishers
was thrown out some distance, and Gen. Reynolds
went out to the line to reconnoitre when he was hit
by a musket ball in the back of the neck and killed
instantly.
In rather less than an hour after the fight began
the 11th corps came up the same road by which the
Ist had approached, and Gen. Howard at once as-
sumed command of the whole field, while
General Schurz assumed the command of the 11th
corps. General Doubleday had already assumed the
command of the First Corps. Across the north side
of the town runs a creek, on which shortly after
noon it was reported the rebels were massing troops,
apparently to take the First Corps on its rear. To
guard against an advance from that direction Gen.
Howard sent forward the First and Third Divisions
of the Eleventh Corps, which moved across the rear
of the First Corps, and through the town, and took
up position with the First division on the right.
Gen. Stein wehr's division, the second, held as a re-
serve.
11eantime two or three of our batteries held a
sharp parley with the rebel batteries posted on the
hills that encircle:the town, mid their balls overshot.
our batteries somewhat, and threw several shot in
among the solid people of Gettysburg. Whether
it frightened them or not I can hardly say. I doubt
if they could experience so Lively an emotion as that
of fear, but they began to get out of the way, riot

ketry was very hot in front of Gen. Doubleday, a
party of about 100 rebels stole through the woods
well up on Doubleday's left flank and fired a large
barn, one of those immense magazines of bread-
stuffs that in Pennsylvania so over peer the com-
paratively small farm houses. An immense black
column of smoke soon began to ascend from the
roof, breaking out presently into a white, sulphurous
cloud, and then into a fierce red blaze. Under
cover of this fire the rebel skirmishers exchanged
numerous shots with a line of skirmishers from the
cavalry on our extreme left. Repulsed, but not
vanquished, the rebel line was reformed and rein-
forced, and now, for a second time, came on a force
nearly twice as great as at first. Once more, also,
the batteries throwing shells, answered by batteries
of ours on the extreme right, which at this time
throws shell at the position on the enemy's centre.
Once more the packed, rapid rattle of our file fire
broke out, and once more the rebel line was
broken and went to the right about in rout.
There is a mysterious fatality connected with the
third tine, and so, after a lull and comparative quiet
of twenty minutes, onward for a third time came
the rebels quite as orderly as before, their line of
skirmishers firing as they came on. In so great
force was this line that it completely enveloped the
line of the First Corps on both flunks. Two bri-
gades on the right were quite out of ammunition,
and the order was given to retreat on the town;
and our boys accordingly retreated in good order,
while the rebels rushed forward with yells to our
position. On came the enemy's fourth line, further
to the right of the third, in good order, skirmishers
a he d, until the position at the Seminary was
reached, when they came forward with a rush and
occupied a hill we had deemed it worth while not
to hold after the other was taken. On also came
another line in support behind this, and our cavalry
on the extreme left began to retire.
At this moment the field presented a true war
picture. Across the field to the right came the rebel
tine, with colours which fluttered in the pleasant
breeze ; in the centre were two farm-houses, out-
houses, and barns in flames ; and on the left the
column of cavalry in retreat. Beyond all, the rays
of the sun beat down through the showery clouds
and gilded every object with a peculiarly golden
light, and over the heavens to the eastward stretched
a magnificent rainbow. The new position of the
Third Corps was et a line of stone wall south-west
of the town, along the slope of a hill on which is a
cemetery. When the First Corps retired to the
town, the lett of the Eleventh was uncovered, and
A heavy advance completely on its right flank at
the same time compelled it to retire. It affords me
pleasure to say that this corps is reported to have
fought well and lost many men. As I was on our
extreme left I did not see the fight of the Eleventh
Corps, and leave all particulars in relation to it to
the genTleman who was with it.
After our retirement on the town the rebel ad-
vance was not pressed farther. And so ended a
battle that was brought on in a most rash manner,
yet which was well fought against a largely superior
force, and got out of it at last much better than we
could have expected to get out.
The rebel force fought by us was the corps of
General Ewell and A. P. Hill. South of the town
is a high hill, on which is a cemetery, and this be-
came the head- quarters. Its slope to the West was
held by the Ist corps, and a continuation of hills
from it towards each was held by the Eleventh,
while the Twelfth Corps was placed so as to hold
both flanks, the First Division under General Wit.
liams, being on the extreme right, and the Second
Division, under General Geary, on the extreme left.
['he Third Corps, which came on the field just at
nightfall, was massed in the centre, ready to be
used whenever occasion might require. General
Slocum, of the Twelfth Corps, had. assumed the
command upon his arrival.

July 2.
General Reynolds, it seems more and more clear,
tought rashly on Wednesday, and very probably
against the wistles of the commander of the army ;

yt- t his battle, Which lost us many men, gave us full
information of the whereabouts of the enemy's
body, mein
and committed the enemy to the position
north of G ttysburg, or perhaps led him to believe
that we had a greater force in his front than we
then had, and so made him fear to make any such
considerable movement as would be necessary to
take up a new position in presence of this army
At Gettysburg all the good roads in this part of the
country converge. All tae other roads, except those
t hat meet here, are mere byewaSs for the use of the
neighbourhood, narrow and soon cut up, and thus
rendered unfit for the movement of an army. North-
ward from Gettysburg run roads to Harrisburg,
and southward from it run three good roads, the
principal and best of which is the Baltimore turn-
pike. For any movement towards its own border,
therefore; the possession of these roads which ruu
to the south was necessary to the Southern army,
and these roads once in our possession the position
of the Southern army became critical ; for should
Lee attempt to retire by any other roads than these,
we should have a shorter line to any point on his
route, and could consequently hit him wherever we
choose; while if he should fight us without these
roads and win, he would win but little more than a
way to get out, and if decisively beaten his defeat
would be very disastrous.

General Meade, therefore, began from the first to
mass his forces in such a manner as would enable
him to bold those roads to the best advantage.
South of the town the country is generally hilly ;
but there are three hills that deserve especial men
tioc, as they form the points on which our line is
drawn—Cemetery hill, in the southern edge of the
town ; a nameless hill half a mile to the east of
Cemetery hill, and Sugar Loaf hill, directly south
of Cemetery hill and about two miles distant from
it. Between Cemetery hill and Sugar Loaf hill the
country is open and level, and our men in that
position faced directly west from Cemetery Hill to
the nameless one ; we faced to the north, and be-
tween the latter and Sugarloaf Hill you looked to
the southeast. Our position was there a somewhat
irregular triangle, and its peculiarity was that,
prae•ically, it had no flaiks ; for in case of necessity
the line could have swept around co that the ex-
treme right and left would meet on the turnpike.
Our line from Cemetery Hill to the right was on a
rocky ridge, very thickly wooded ; and here, during
the early part of the day some defences were con-
structed under the direction of Generals Williams
and Geary, of the 12th corps, which was posted at
this placed. Though many of those who helped to
construct these defences thought that they would,
like countless others, amount to very little when
the
fight came, they proved eventually
utmost value. to be of the
Gen. titeinwehr occupied Cemetery 11111 i which

commands the town, wnile the fight raged on Wed-
nesday, and at the close of that day's battle the
remnants of the Ist and 11th corps were posted there
and a little down the lire to the right and left, and
there they remained on Thursday at the commence-
ment of the second, battle. On the open country to
our left lay the 2d and 3d corps, and the sth was
so massed as to fill up the third line. The 6th was
put near to the sth when it came up.
On Cemetery Hill we had several batteries, and,
indeed, every point that could possibly command a
fire was crowned with a battery; for, in addition
to the guns regularly attached to the corps, we had
up the leserva artillery. Throughout the wide ex-
tent of the fields enclosed within our lines ambua
lances and ammunition trains were parked every
where, and it proved that they wen all under fire,
for the field of fire of the rebel guns opposite our
right met that of the rebel guns opposite our left in
this enclosedspace, and shells exploded everywhere,
and round shot hustled through the air in every
direction.
After what had taken place on Wednesday, and
with the knowledge of the force that had come up,
there was good reason to believe, and all in camp did
believe, that the day would be ushered in with the
noise of battle. Day broke in quiet, however, and
breakfast was taken at ease. Now and then there
were little disputes between the enemy's pickets and
ours in the streets of the town, for we held part and
they part, and sometimes a gun in one of our bat-
teries would send an experimental shell towards
the enemy's lines. The enemy through all this
kept marvellously shy with his artillery, and did
not fire a shot, which it was thought indicated that
heavy ammunition was scarce in the rebel camp.
During all the earlier part of the day very little
was known in respect to the enemy's movements,
but it was thought to be clearly made out that he
was massing his forces on our extreme right. In
view of this additional preparations were made to
meet whatever might come in that direotion. But
there were some who thought from the first that the
movements of the enemy towards our right were
made only for a show, and to distract attention from
.
more important points; for such was the nature of
the country that, had the enemy really wished to
mass his forces there, he could have done it without
making a man visible.
Ail day more or less picket firing had taken place
on our lett, and it became pretty sharp between 2
~nd 3 p.m. Some movements were in progress be-
hind this fire, and to develop these General Sickles
was ordered to advance with the whole Third Corps.
l'his advance brought on the general engagement.
Under cover of a fire from the eight brass pieces in
battery on the open field, the corps went forward
in line of battle, corps and division and brigade
colours all in the air, and the men in excellent
spirits. Then the enemy's artillery, so long silent,
began on our left at the pieces in the field. In turn
our pieces on Cemetery Hill opened on those of the
enemy in the field; other batteries of the enemy
nearer our centre opened on those on Cemetery Hill,
and so it went around until our guns on the
northern face of the hill engaged the enemy's
batteries two miles across the country on our right.
The whole valley in which Gettysburg lies was one
immense network, with the trace of shells from
battery to battery. Such a concentration of fire on
our position naturally necessitated borne move
went of ambulances and ammunition waggons, and
in ten minutes after this extensive duel began the
Baltimore turnpike was lined with vehicles
in motion towards eater places, All sorts
of shaky fellows also improved this op-
portunity to effect a slight skedaddle, and
soon the column of men in motion towards the
rear became more considerable than the column of
vehicles. When men once begun to go each addi-
tional shell that explodes in the air above them
makes them want to go faster, and owing to this
peculiar constitution of the human animal, a stam-
pede down the Baltimore road was imminent, when
a line of men was established and every fellow dis-
posed to retire was forced to the front.
By this shelling the Cemetery Hill was cleaned.
All day it had been occupied by lines of men, and
there groups of officers gathered together, inspected
the position, and canvassed the possibilities. Many
men sat upon the graves, leaned against the tomb-
stones, and recounted their various mischances.
Orderlies came and went incessantly, for there
Generals Howard and Steinwehr had their head-
quarters. Altogether the City of the Dead was a
very lively place; but very soon atter the artillery
fire became warm, it was deserted by all but the
generals whose headquarters were there, and the
men necessary to hold the place.
Meantime the musketry fire on our left seemed to
become every moment more and more fierce. Already
the Third Corps had once been driven in disorder
from ground it had won, but rallied by Gen. Sickles
in person, it had again gone forward, and now held
its place with desperate tenacity against a very
heavy force, for this advance on our left had de-
veloped that the enemy's force were in reality
massed here; and when the Third corps took the
initiative, it only pr, cipitated an attempt on the part
of the enemy which might otherwise come when we
wer not so well prepared to receive it.
Hard pressed on its whole line, the Third corps
called for support, and at five p.m. the Fifth corps
was marceed from its position on theßaltimore turn-
pike, by a little cross road right across to the little
Hill just north of Sugar Loaf Hill, and went into
action on the lett of the Third corps. The advance
developed still further the intention of the enemy,
which was to get around our left flank, and so to
get at the Emmetthburg road, and perhaps at our
ammunition waggons near it. Ae the division or
ieguiars and Griffin's division of the Filth corps
went forward, and before the fire had opened in then
front, some fire swept from their left down the line,
and the right brigade of the division of regulars
was wheeled so as to face that way. No sooner had
it done so than the fire in front opened, which then
came in the rear of the right brigade and threw
it into same confusion ; but it was raeied and went
on again, and the line of the two divisions drove
the enemy before it until it had taken the position
previously occupied by one of the enemy's batteries.
Here a fire was concentrated on these two divi-
sions from batteries further to the rear, and at the
same time the enemy was reported on the left.
At once the line was ordered to retire, and went
back steadily to the crest of the hill. This hill was
not particularly precipitous, but on the front it
was very rough and rocky, and the crest was
covered with a growth of scrub oaks.
It was half an hour before sunset, and now came
the final great attempt with which the rebels
usually endeavour to close up great engagements—
the attempt which certainly has in the larger num-
bers of instances been crowned with success.
however, it met a different fate. Two dli'lls0130;
which proved to be Anderson's and "chL'9swg'reat
Longstreet's corps, were formed for
at.
rni
attempt, and came forward in theirdutsou I Here,
Corns over;
cent style. They had difficult grodunthr
through the low
but on they came over rocks an,
when they made
wood, until within a fair distanne
even, but they
a rush with all possible
They did not keep
.their
as a mass than they
Leasvier'oryared out in one.
were scarcely leas i.raPet °u
They killed men on the
would have been in line.
other side • but these even
ral-
lieddriven well down on
hthe "or laces and '
crest of the bill, over the crest, and men were
pullets were
on those that held t pb
rad into the rebel mass y
,volleys. Checked,
pOU
broken, beaten back by this one iitanic effort of the
Fifth corps, the attacking column was scattered
and the battle was over on the left,
completely beat.
'teys after the heavy fight was over on
downwiithn 2tthoheetnehianieiuml
our left, the last vestige of daylight was gone, and
the moon was so much enveloped in clouds that it
was scarcely possible to see at all. Just in this im-
penetrable darkness the fire of pickets began across
on our right, and in tt -little \iliac. swelled into a