Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-07-09
S HEADauARrERs AENL OF PoTOMAc, !

whose eyes are 1mmoTably fastened upon
"a central figure Of transcendingly absorb
on ing interest--the dead body of an oldest
born, crushed By q shell in 3 position
q where battery should never have been
sent and abandonedt 10 deathin building
where the Surgeons dared not to stay2
a The battle Of Gettysburg I am told
that It commenced on the lst Of July, a
mile north Of the town, between two weak
brigades Of infantry and some doomed ar
tillerv and the whole force Of the rebel
army. Among other costs OF this error
vFss the death Of Reynolds. Its value was
10 priceless, however, though priceless was
~. The Young and The old blood with which it
2, was bought The error put US on the de-
-. fansiFe, and gave as the choice Of position.
From the moment that our artillery and
infantry rolled back through the main
street Of Gettysburg and rolled out Of the
town TO the circle Of eminences South Of
-u1afe we were not to attack, but to be at
tackled. The risks, the difficulties and the
80 disadvantages Of the coming battle were
- the enemys. Ours we're the heights for
artillery ours the short, inside lines for
manoeuTering and reinforcing; ours the
cover Of stoneWalls, fences and the erests
Of hills. The ground upon which we
we're driFento accept battle was wonder
fully favorable to us. A popular descrip
ti0iS Of il would be 70 say That IL was IN
form an elongated and somewhat sharpen
ed horseshoe, with the toe to Gettysburg
ana the heel tosthe South VI
gLee's plan Of battle was simple. He
massed his troops upon the East side Of
this shoe Of position, and Numbered on it
obstinately 10 break it. The shelling OF
our batteries from the nearest overlooking
-Hr hill, and the unfinohing courage and com
nlefel diseipline of the army Of the POto-
Gao mac reuelled the attack. 1t was renewed
gds -ottbe 6oint Of The shoe-reneWed desper-
iiiH ateIy Ct the southwest heel-renewed on
The western side with an effort consecrat-
ed 10 success by EwelIs earnest oaths, and
~ on which the fate Of the invasion of Penn
5ie.. sylEania was fully put at stake Only
perfect infantry and an srtillery educated
~ in the midst Of charges Of hostile brigades
sl. could possibly have sustained this assault
o. Hancock's corps did sustain it. and has
ai'l covered itself with immortal honors by its
constancy and courage. The total wreck
of C1shings bsttery-the listof its killed
and Wounded-the losses Of officers, men
s- and horses CoWen sUstained-snd the mar
vellous outspread upon the board of death
of dead soldiers and dead animals-of
- dead soldiers in blue, and dead soldiers in
Rray-more marvellous 10 me than any
thing I have ever seen in wsr-are
ana Rhastly and Shocking testimony TO the ter
-'e rible fight Of the I'd corps that none will
eainsay. That corps viii ever have the
distinction Of breaking the pride and power
Of the rebel invasion. -
~. mFor such details as l have the heart
for. The battle commenced at daylight
b-f on the side of the horseshoe position eX-
scsIy opposite to that which Ewell had
sworn to crush through. Musketry preced-
ed the rising Of the sun. A thick wood
veifed this fight but out Of its leafy dark
ness arose the smoke and the surging and
1ss swelling of the FIRE, from intermittent to
iszI continuous, and crushing, told of the wise
tactics of the rebels Of attacking in force
and changing their troops. Seemingly
syoafhe stack Of the day was to be made
hah through that wood The demonstration
'h was pFotraoted-it was absolutely prepa-
ratiTe; but there was no artillery firing
t,- accompanying the musketry, and shrewd
n officers in our western front mentioned,
,y-H the gravity due 10 the fact, that the rebels
lr,u had felled trees atiBterEals upon the edge
Of the wood they occupied in the face of
our position These were breastworks for
Y the protection Of artillerymen.
Suddenly, about ten in the forenoon, the
firing on the east side, and everywhere
ssasabout our lines, ceased. A silence as Of
deep sleep fell upon the field Of battle
Our army cooked, ate and slumbered. The
rebel army moved about l20, guns to the
vest, and massed there Bongstreet's corps
and Hiils's corps, to hurl them upon the
really weakest point Of our entire posi-
'S$tleveh ooiook2twelve oolook-one
- O'clock. In the shadow cast by the tiny
a., fsrm-house, l6 BY 20, which General
- Meade had made bis headquarters, lay
\, vearisd staff officers and tired reporters.
There was not wanting to the peaeefnlness
os.ssof the scene the singing Of a bird, which
lslz had Q nest in peach tree within the tiny
sai1 yard Of the Whitewsshed cottage. In the
az midst Of it's warbling shell screamed
over the house, instantly followed by IN
other, and another, and in q moment the
~ sir vas full Of the most complete artillery
- prelude to an infantry battle that was ever
~ exhibited. Every sizs and form of shell
s.is known 10 British and American gunnery
81 shrieked, Fhirled, moaned Whistled and
-. wrsthfuily huttered over our ground. As
<, many as six in a second, constantly two in
q second, bursting and screaming over and
slA sr0und the headquarters, made very hell
of IRE that amszed the oldest officers.
- They burst in the yard-burst next to the
fence on both sides, gsrnished as usual
.---H With the hitched horses Of aids and order
- lies The fastened animals reared and
,7sl plunged with terror. Then one FELL then
a-a another--sizteen lay dead and mangled
siH before the FIRE ceased, still fastened by
their halters, which gave the expression Of
y being wickedly tied up to die painfully.
These brute victims Of cruel war touched
all hearts. Through the midst of the
storm Of screaming and exploding shells,
sn ambulance, driven by its frenzied con-
hductor at full speed, presented te all OF us
the marvellous spectacle Of a horse going
rapidly on three legs. A hinder one had
been shot off at the hook. 2
r'r ga shell tore up the little step of the
O. Headquarters Cottage, and ripped bags Of
oats as with q knife. Another soon car
risd off one Of its two pillars. Soon q
spherical case hurst opposite the open door
another ripped through the low garret,
The remaining pillar went almost immed-
lately to the howl Of fixed shot that Whit
worth must have made During this fire
the horses at twenty and thirty feet dis
tant were receiving their death, and sol
diers in Federal blue were torn to pieces in
the road, and died with the peculiar yellE
that blend the extorted cry of pain with
horror and despair. Not an orderly-noi
an ambulance-not straggler was to bJ
= seen upon the plain swept BY this tempes
Of orchestral death thirty minutes after i
commenced. We're not one hundred anC
twenty pieces Of artillery trying to Gu