The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1863-07-15
The Great Battles.

IS SettlhS better.
ONE OF THE 9TH.
The Great Battles.
Sam. Wilkinson formerly correspondent
Of the New York Tribune, gives an account
of the late battles Of Wednesday and Thurs
day at Gettysburg, which, although we have
given something with reference, seems
worth republishing for the graphic and
thrilling details. The allusion in the open.
ing is to his son, who was fatally wound
ed:
Who can write the history of a battle
whose eyes are immovably fastened upon a
central object Of transccndingly absorbing
interest = the deal body Of an eldest born,
crushed hy shell in position where
battery should never have been sent, and
abandoned to death in building wher,
surgeons dare not stay?
THE BATTLE OF WEDNESDAY.
The battle Of Gettysburg! am told
that 1t commenced on the lst of July, mil
north OF the town, between two weak br q
AIDES OF Infantry and some doomed artillery
and the whole force Of the rebel army
Among other costs of this error was the
death Of Reynolds. Its value was priceless
however, Though priceless was the yolne
and the old blood with which it was
bought The error put us on the defensive
and gave US the choice of position. From
| the moment that our artillery rolled back
| through the man streets of gettysburg and
rolled out OF tn, town to the circle of emf
| n nf
but be attacked. The risks and the disad-
van'aGes of the coming battle were for the
enemy. Ours were the heights for the ar
tillery; ours the short inside lines for man
euvering and reinforcing: ours the cover of
stone walls, fences, and the crest of hills
The ground upon which we were driven to
accept battle was wonderfully favorable to
us a popular description of it would be
to say that it was in form an elongated and
somewhat slarpencd horseshoe, with the
toe % Getty sburs, and the h ,el towards the
South.
LEES PLANS.
Lees plan Of battle was simple. lie
massed his troops upon the east side of
this shoe or position, and thunderod on it
obStinately to break it. The shelling Of eur
batteries from the nearest overlooking hill,
and the untlinching coArage and complete
discipline OF the army of the Potomac re.
PEELED the attack. 1t was renewed at the
point of the shoe, renewed desperately al
the southwest heel, renewed on the western
side with an etfor. consecrated to success
by Ewelrs earnest oalhs, and on which the
fate OF the invasion of PENNSYLVANIA was
fully put at stake. Only perfect infantry
and an artillery educated in the midst o
charges Of hostile brigades could possibl,
have sustained this assault.
| HANcoCK's CORPS
Hancock's corps did sustain it, and has
covered itself with immortal honors by it,
constancy and courage. The total wreck
OF Cushing's .battery-the list Of it's killed
and wounded the heavy losses Of officers
men and horses Cowan sustained, and ths
marvellous outspread upon the board o.
death, Of dead soldiers and dead animals. o
dead soldiers in blue, and dead soldiers in
gray, more marvellous to me than any thing
have seen in war, are a CHASTITY and shock
ing testimony to the terrible fight of the Cd
corps that none will gainsay. That corps
will ever have the distinction Of breaking
the pride and power Of the rebel invasion.
TUE FORM OF TIE BATTLE FIELD.
The battle commenced at daylight, on
the side Of the horseshoe position, exactly
opposite to that which Ew ell had sworn to
crush through. Musketry preceded the
rising Of the sun. A thick wood veilei
this fight. but out Of its leafy darkness
arose the smoke, and the surging and swell.
ing of the fire, from intermittent to contn.
uous. and crushing, told Of the wise tactics
of the rebels Of attacking in force and
changing their troops. Seemingly the at
tack Of the day vas to be made through
that wood. The demonstration was pro.
trac!ed, it was absolutely preparative; but
there was no artillery fire accompanying
the musketry, and shrewd officers in our
western front mentioned, with the gravity
due to the fact, that the rebels had felled
trees at intervals upon the edge of the wood
they occupied in face Of our position
These were breastworks for the protection
Of artillerymen.
| THE FIRING CEASES
| Suddenly, and about 10 in the forenoon,
the firing on the East side, and everywhere
about our lines, ceased. A silence as of
deep sleep fell upon the field Of battle Our
army cooked, ate and slumbcred. The
rebel army moved one hundred and twenty
guns to the West, and massed there Long
streets corps and Hills corps to hurl them
upon the really weakes, point of our entire
position.
THE SCENE AT HEADQUARTERS.
Eleven o'clock twelve o'clock-one o.