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

ITN. 440NEwN, FRIDAY EVEAING. JULY 17, 1863

AMERICA.

(REUTER'S TELEGRAM.)

LEE'S GENERAL ORDER FOR THE
II\VASION.
Headquarteis Arms, N ,rthern Virginia,
June 21, 1863.
GENERAL ORDERS.—No. 72.

While in the enemy's country the following regu-
lations for procurir g supplies will be strictly ob-
served, and any violation of them vigorousl3

punished
No. 1. No private property shall be injured of
destroyed Ly any person belonging to or connected
with the army, or taken, except by the officers
hereinafter designated.
No. 2. The chiefs of the Commissary, Quarter-
master, Ordnance, and Medical Departments of the
army will make requisitions upon the local authors•
ties or inhabitants for the necessary supplies of their.
respective departments, designating the places and
limes of delivay. Alt persons complying with
such requisitions shall be paid the market price for
the articles furnished, if they so desire; and the
officer making such payments shall take duplicate
receipts for the same, specifying the name of the
pet son paid, and the quantity, kind, and price of
the property, one of which receipts shall be at once
forwarded to the chief of the department to which
the said officer is attached.
No. 3. Should the authorities or inhabitants
neglect or refuse to comply with such requisitions,
the supplies required wilt be taken from the nearest
inhabitants so refusing, by the order and under
the direction of the respective chiefs of the depart-
ments named.

N 0.4. When any command is detached from the
main body, the chiefs of the several departments of
such command will procure supplies of the same
and such other stores as they may be ordered to
provide, in the manner and suSject to the provision/.
hereby prescribed, repo/Ong their action to the
heads of their respective departments, to whit

they will forward duplicates of all vouchers given
or received.

No. 5. All persons who shall decline to receive
payment. for property furnished on requisitiors.
and all from whom it shall be necessary to tali,-
stores or supplies shall be furnished by the i face,
receiving or taking the same with a receipt spectt) -
ing the kind and quantity of the property received
or taken, as the case may be, the name of the person
from whom it was received or taken, the command

tor the use of which it is intended, and the marke,
price. A duplicate of said receipt shall be at once
forwarded to the chief of the department to which
ne officer by whom it is executed is attached.
No. 6. If any person shalt remove or conceal pro-
perty necessary for the use of the army, or attempt
o do so, the (fficers het einbefore mentioned will
cause each property, and all other property belong-

ing to such person, that may be required by the
army to be seized, and the officers seizicg the same
shall forthwith report to the chief of his depart
went the kind, quantity, and market price of the
property so seized, and the name of the owntr.
By command of General R. E. LEE.
H. H. Chilton, A.A., and J G.
Lieut.-General R. S. Ewell, Commanoing 2d
Army Corps.

BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG.
DESPATCH OF 111 H. G. W. 1103 MER.
WEST OF GETTYSBURG, July 1, lo p.m.

General Butord's cavalry had previcusly ("riven
the rebels to the west of the town, beyond the
Seminary, and between 9 and 10 a in. the rebels
gave his pickets a pretty sharp brush, and drove
them in. Gen. Reynolds, with the Ist. Corps, was
on the road from Emmettsburg to Gettysburg, en
route to the latter place, which the road approaches
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 S.minary stands
on a ridge, which elopes 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 runt.
in a south westerly direction, and at its lower ex-
tremity is a large farm house, near which the 8 h
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;
or, while they pressed too closely on
the right of the centre division, the left of ►he same
division was suddenly swept around, and tt en en-
closed in the handsome manner an entire rebel bri.
gade under Gem Archer. Gen. Archer and his
whole staff were taken. About 1,51)0 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 whole 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 ! Sakey's
we're fighting the Army of toe Potomac flaw." They
seem to have thought they had hold of the militia.
the regiments which made this capture were the
6th Wisconsin, the Brocklyn 14th, and the 95 h
New Yurk. Though the Ist corps still continued
,o 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 ono corps.
Formed as before, his line went forwar !, drove the
enemy across the valley, and over the ridge at the
further aide, but it was at great expense to us,as the
fire with which they received our fellows was ter-
ribly severe. From tbu 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 wehea division, the second, held as a re-
serve.
Meantime two or three of our batteries held a
sharp parley with the rebel batteries posted on the
hills that encircle the town, and their balls overshot
our batteries somewhat, and threw several shot in
among the solid people of Gettysburg. Whether
it frightened them or not 1 can hardly say. I doubt
if they could experience so .ively an emotion sa fi),
of fear, but they h-Tln to ut of th ,„

the women and children particularly, but stalwau,
ablebodied-wretaes in men's gatments were What
I saw principally on the rear. At shoat half-past
2 o'clock, while the batter:es exchanged a heavy
fire, and some sharp musketry woke up the echoes
on the right, the rebels advancing in heavy force
against the First Corps, but wi ich slowly retreated
trom the hills beyond the valley to high ground
near the Seminary, where it prepared to make all
the resistance it was capable of. It was reinforced
There by some dismounted dragoons, and fought in
the open field ; for, though some wall fences were
thrown down across the front of our line, they
afforded no cover. From the woods beyond the
farm houses, and across the open space a rebel force
of perhaps three large brigades advanced hand-
somely in line of battle, while the rebel batteries
near the general centre shelled our position hotly to
cover the advance. On came the line right up within
short range of our position, when it was opened
upon v.ith a fire so sharp and well served as to
khagger and then completely repulse it. Backward
went the line that came forward in such good order,
a mere mass of stragglers, each of whom made the
bust of his way across the plain While the mus-
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_
partitively 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
eivalry en our extreme left. Repulsed, but not
vanquished, the rebel line was reformed and rein-
torced, and now, for a second time, came on a force
nearly twice as great as at first. Once more, also,
tha 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 Firzt Corps on both flanks. Two bri-
gades on the right were quite out of ammunition,
aid the order was given to retreat on the town;
and our boys accordlngly 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

rtsched, when they came forward with a rush and
occupied a hill we had deemed it worth while not
to bold after the other• was taken. On also came
another line in support behind t his, 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
line, with colours which flattered 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

ht,and over the heavens to the eastward stretched
a magnificent rainbow. The new position of the
Third Corps was at a line of stone wall south-west
of the town, Along the slope of a bill on which is a
cemetery. When the First Corps retired to the
town, the lett of the Eleventh was uncovered, and
4. heavy advance completely on its right fink 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 Eleventb,
while the Twelfth Corps was placed so as to hold
both flanks, the First Division under General Wil-
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,
fought rashly on Wednesday, and very probably
against the wishes of the commander of the army ;
yet his battle, which lost us many men, gave us full
information of the whereabouts of the enemy's M'ln
body, 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 bad, 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 toe other roads, except those
hat meet here, are mere byeways 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 run
to the south was necessary to the Southern army,
arid these roads once in our possession the position
of the Southern army became critical ; for should
Lea 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 hold those roads o the best advantage.
South of the town the country is generally hilly ;
but there are three hills that deserve especial men
tion, as they forty the points on which our line is
drawn—Cemetery hill. in the southern edge of the
town ; a nameless hill halt 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 ; eculiarity was that,
practically, it had no flanks; for in case of necessity
the line could have swept around so 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,
iike countless others, amount to very little when__
t. theD.
fight came, they proved eventually w be of
mist va,ue.
-II 11 /tie'
C 4
S ct,s-np;erl CemPter3 Ti• ,

-t4il,

4'2o'

conitiands the town, ?mite. 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•

went 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,
ndeed, every point that could possibly command a

fire was crowned with a battery; for, i❑ addition
to the guns regularly attached to the corps, we had

up the teserva artillery. Throughout the wide ex-

.ent of the fields enclosed within our lines ambu

Lances and ammunition trains were parked every

where, and it proved that they we.ie all under fire,
for the field of fire of the rebel gum opposite our

right met that of the rebel guns opposite our left in
this enclosed space, end shellsexploded 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 ont tnat he
was massing his forces on our extreme right. It:
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 o
(be country that, had the enemy really wished to
muss his forces there, he could have done it without
making a man visible.
Al day more or less picket firing had taken place
on our left, and it became pretty sharp between 2
end 3 p.m. Some movements were in progress be-
eind this fire, and to develop these General Sickles
was ordered to advance with the whole Third Corps.
ibis 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. Iu 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.
fhe whole valley in which Gettysburg lies was one
immense network, with the trace of shells from
oattery to eatery. Such a concentration of fire on
our pcsition naturally necessitated come move
ment of ambulances and ammunition waggons, and
in ten minutes after this extensive duel began the
Baltimore turnpike was lined with vehicles
in motion towards safer places, All sorts
of shaky fellows also improved this op-
portunit) to effect a slight skedaddle, and
soon the cAurrin 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 vary
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 precipitated an attempt on the part
of the enemy which might otherwise come when we
wer not so well prepared to ieceive it.
Hard pressed on its whole line, the Third corps
called for support, and at five p.m. the Fifth corps
was marcned from its position on theßaltimore turn-
pike, by a little cross road right across to the little
tail just north of Sugar Loaf Hill, and went into
action on the left 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 Emmetteburg road, and perhaps at our
ammunition waggons near it. As the division of
regulers and Griffin's division of the Firth corps
went forward, and before the fire had opened in their
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 s,,,me confusion ; but it was relied 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 reeky, 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. Here,
however, it met a different fate. Two divieions,
which proved to be Anderson's and McLaw's? of
Longstreet's corps, were formed for this great
attempt, and came forward in their usual
ove r ;
magnifi-
cent style. They had difficult ground to c,,bme
the
low
but on they came over rocks and through gthey made
wood, until within a fair distance,
a rush with all possible yells roawrehedeveonu,
They did not keep their line vearym butt in
tohneey.
ass than they
were scarcely
"killed men on the
less impetuous
would have been in line.
r'
reletYond men were even
crest of the hill, over thethe
e.orther side; but these rale
ed on those that held their
iplaces,) and bullets were
poured into the rebel mass y volleys. Checked,
broken, benten back by s one Titanic
was
atsffo scattered
edretatotfetrhe
Fifth corps, the attacking column
down the hill, and the battle was over on the left,
with the enemy completely beat.
In 20 minutes after the heavy fight was over on
was gone, and
our left, the last vestige of daylight
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
right. Intel in o IlttL 1!. d inj,

Jll4 ut C.iJ