The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-13 00:00:00

Southern Account of the Battles of Gettys-

burg.

I proceed to• day to give you a hasty sketch of the move-
ments of this army since we crossed the Potomac. As I was
not with our advance, under Lieut.-General Ewell, I shall
not be able to give you as full and reliable reports of the
movements of his corps up to the battle of Gettysburg as of
the main body of the army, which crossed the Potomac two
clays after his corps. I learn that Eweil's corps crossed on
23d June—one portion at Shepherdatown and another at
Williamsport, and that the two columns united at Hagers-
town, From the latter place one division—Rhodes', I think
--was pushed on through Greencastle and Chambersburg
to Carlisle, making at all three of these places considerable
captures of army supplies—hats, shoes, clothing, and medi-
cal stores. Another division—Early's—turned to the right
from Chambersburg and moved on York, on the Northern
Central Railroad, when, after a short and inconsiderable
engagement with a body of Pennsylvania militia, in which '
quite a number were taken prisoners, the town surrendered.
Early then pushed on to Wrightsville, on the south side of
the Susquehannah, where were posted a small body of mi-
litia, who fled precipitately at his approach across the river,
and burned the brio ge. Some few prisoners were taken at
Carlisle -200 or 300—all militia, and they, as also those
captured at York and Wrights Ville, were immediately pa-
roled and d scharged.

On the morning of the 24th of June A. P. Hill's corps
(the Third) crossed the Potomac at Boteler's Mill, one
mile below Shepherdstown, Anderson's division being in
the advance. That night the head of Hill's corps r, ached
Boonsboro', which latter place was occupied by Wright's
brigade of Andersen's division. From this place we moved
on Chambersburg, via Funkstown, Hagerstown, and Mid-
dleburg, reaching the former on the 27th. Passing through ,
Chambersburg on the 27th, we pushed on to Fayetteville,
live miles from Chambersburg, on the Baltimore and Phi-
ladelphia turnpike. Here we halted until Tuesday, the
30th, waiting for the rear of the corps and our supply
trains to come up. In the meantime Longstreet's corps had
turned up the river from Millwood, and passing through
Martinsburg, crossed the River at Williamsport, and,falling
into our line of advance at Hagerstown, followed it to
Fayetteville, reaching the latter place on Monday, the 29th.
Having now concentrated our army, except Ewell's corps,
whose operations have already been given, on Tuesday th©
30th General Lee ordered the line of march to be taken up
for Gettysburg, 20 miles distant in an easterly direction. In
this movement Hill's corps was in the advance, and iu the
following. order :—Heth's division, Fender's division, An-
derson's division ; then Longstreet's corps, M'Laws' divi-
sion, Hood's division ; Pickett's division being left at Cham-
bersburg to protect our rear and convoy the reserve trains.
Two miles from Fayetteville we crossed the South
Moun-
tain at Stephens' (Thaddeus) Iron Works, all of which were
completely destroyed. Owing to the narrow road through
the mountain pass only two divisions of Hill's corps crossed
the mountain on the 30th. Early on Wednesday Hil. s re-
maining division (Anderson's) and Longstreet' s corps moved
on after Hill's advance.
At 10 o'clock a.m. on the let instant, Heth's division
being ahead, encountered the enemy's advance line—the
11th corps—about three miles west of Gettysburg. Here
a sharp engagement began, our men steadily advancing
and driving the enemy before them to the town, and to a
range of hills or low mountains running out a little east of
south from the town. Late in the evening two divisions
—Early's and Rhodes's, of Ewell's corps—came up on our
left from Carlisle and York, and, falling upon the enemy's
right flank, drove him with great slaughter upon and
through the town to the heights on the south. In the
meantime Fender's division (of Hill's corps) had moved up
to the support of Heth on the right, and opened a hot fire
upon the enemy, which drove them back upon the low
mountain range already alluded to. Anderson's division
got up too late to participate in the day's engagement, owing
to its having been unnecessarily halted for more than three
hours on the eastern slope of the South Mountain, at a small
village called Cashtown. This halt was made while the
division was not only hearing the fire of the battle, but was
actually in sight. From its position the men could see each
discharge of our own and the enemy's guns—could see that
Heth was driving him slowly but steadily. If Anderson
had pushed on, it is more than probable the whole Yankee
force would have been captured ; for up to this time (Wed-
ne4day, evening) the enemy had not brought up his main
force. The addition of Anderson's force to that already en •
gaged on our side would have enabled us to get possession of
the mountain range upon which the subseqaentbattles were
fought by the enemy. Had our army succeeded in getting
possession of this range there can be no doubt that the
whole Yankee army would have been destroyed. As it was,
the delay of Anderson prevented Heth and Pender from
taking possession of this important position, and permitted
it to fall into the enemy's hands. I have no hesitation in
saying that the fatal blunder was fraught with the most
disastrous consequences to our arms. I learn that all of
the brigadier commanders in Anderson's division were
anxious to advance, but the major-general would not con-
sent. I have heard no reason given for this delay, and
presume that General Lee will have the whole matter in-
vestigated. It is due lo himself and his noble army that it
should be done—that the country and army should know
why seven or eight thousand man were kept idle in sight
of a terrible and important battle, without being allowed
to fire a gun. The result of the day's fight may be
summed up thus :—We had attacked a superior force—had
driven him over three miles ; captured three thousand
prisoners, and killed and wounded five or six thousand.
ur own loss was not heavy, though a few brigades suffered
severely. The conduct of Gordon's and Hays' brigades is
said to have been very fine. It was these two brigades of
Early's division which drove the enemy through the town
of Gettysburg. All of our troops behaved well that were en-
gaged.

Late in the evening Anderson's division and M'Laws'
division, of Longstreet's corps, got up to within a mile or
two of the town and bivouacked for the night. Early next
morning (Thursday), the 2d, Hood's division also got up,
and our line of battle was formed. The enemy, during the
night, had succeeded in getting up his entire force—some
130,000 to 150,000 men—and took up a strong position on
a low mountain range, or ridge, which runs nearly south
from Gettysburg. The town is situated on the northern
slope of this range, and about a mile and a half or two miles
from its summit. The western slope of this range is in
cultivation, except small patches, where the mountain side
is so precipitous as to defy the efforts of the farmer to bring
it into subjection to the ploughshare ; these patches are co-
vered with small timber and undergrowth. At the foot of
the mountain is a narrow valley, from a mile to two miles
in width, broken in small ridges running parallel with the
mountain. On the western side of the valley rises a long,
high hill, mostly covered with heavy timber, but greatly
inferior in altitude to the mountain range upon which the
enemy had taken up position, but running nearly parallel
with it. The valley between this ridge and the mountain is
in cultivation, and the fields were yellow with the golden
harvest. About four or five miles south from Gettysburg the
mountain rises abruptly to an altitude of several hundred
feet, presenting a sharp, rugged, and almost perpendicular
peak, covered with original forest growth. Upon this peak
the enemy rested his left flank, his right being upon the crest
of the range about a mile or a mile and a half from Gettys-
burg. Our line of battle was formed along the western slope
of the second and inferior ridge described above, and in the
following order—E well's corps on the left beginning at
the town, with Early's division, then Rhode's division,
On the right of Rhode's division was the left of Hill's
corps, commencing with Heth's, then Pinder's .and Ander-
son's divisions. On the right of Anderson's division was
Longstreet's left. M'Laws' division being next to Ander-
son, and Hood on the extreme right of our line, which was
opposite the peak upon which the enemy's left rested. A
brisk skirmish firing was kept up during the entire morning,
but no general engagement took place until late in the after-
noon. It will be seen that in the order of battle given above
neither Johnson's division of Ewell's corps, nor Pickett's
division of Longstreet's corps, had a place. Up to Thurs-
day noon neither of these divisions had come up. Pickett
had been left at Chambersburg to protect our rear and
escort our reserve train, and Johnson had been operating on
the Susquehannah, in the direction of Harrisburg. At one
time, early in the morning, Hays' brigade of Early's divi-
atli:::raatie an attack upon the enemy on the south side of
taiiil4_77t, and charging up the northern slope of the moun-
'°n got possession of the enemy's first line, driving
them trolo a strong position on the Cemetery Hill. It is
thought that it d
a equate support had been near at hand he
might have
dislodged the enemy from his strong position
on the right.
.brigade, which was in the town,
was double-pliZio,,Te7a
owint g tc.
the
support, moving promptly and
rapidly ; but,
great distance they had to tra-
verse, Hays was
compelled to fall back before his support
reached him. In this
men clubbed their guns „ague of Hays' it is said that his
s fearful.
conflict with a very superior force
a desperate hand to hand
War
feet the enemy, and that
the slaughter of the Yankees
About the middle of the afternoonelvers were issued
to the different commanders to
tfoonr a general
attack upon the enemy's centre and left.e rtreet was
ollodvi d. u p
to commence the movement, which was to be
on his left in quick succession by the respective
movement,
of Hill's corps. As Anderson's division, or at leassiotnas
portion of it, took a conspicuous part in this
I have ascertained, and now give you the order of its
different brigades :—On
the extreme, right of Anderson's
division, connecting with l‘PLa ss left, was Wilcox's bri-
gade, then Perry's, Wright'a,Posey's, and Malone's. At
half-past 5 o'clock Longstreet commenced the
Perry' the attack, and
Willcox followed it up by promptly movingforward;
s
brigade quickly followed, and Wright move:sl simultaneously
with him. The two divisions of Lon,
rears
s corps soon en-
countered the enemy posted a little in rear of the Emmets-
burg turnpike, which winds along the slope of the range
upon which the enemy's main force was concentrated. After
a short but spirited engagement, the enemy was driven back
upon the main line upon the crest of the hill.
ArLe,ws' and
Hood's division made a desperate assault upon their main
line ; but owing to the precipitate and very rugged charac-
ter cat the slope, were unable to reach the summit. The
enemy's loss on this part of the line was very heavy. I have
heard several officers say that they have never seen the
enemy's dead cover the ground so thickly, not even at the

first Fredericksburg fight, as they did on that portion of
the field over which Al'Laws' troops fought. While the fight
was raging on our right, Wilcox and Wright, of Anderson's
division, were pressing- tho enemy's centre. Wilcox pushed