Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1863-07-24

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Operations in Pennsylvania and Mar
Jlansi.
NfLLIaMspoKT Mi
! xs@ July ,th.
70 tic Editor Of tie rdig:
You no doubt have received. before ifl.s
Id more accurate and detailed aesount of,I.t
army movements in Tenns7lvanl: aud Ma.
ryland than I can give. The tsa1sstrath i
discovered by combining the facts Il each
witness. What / saw and heard give
others should DO likewise.
/ Hers S a general outline. Zee passed
(into MARYLAND at different points, prime psi
lly here BY pontoons- Advanced towsrrds
Harrisburg throEgh Greencastls and Cham
bersburg. jenkins attacked Carlisle; Lee
was still at ChambersburgA The march
toward Harrisburg and Jenkins attack was
a feint on The Capital Of Pennsylvania.
Lee suddenly wheels off the road to Har-
risburg, at right angles. crosses from Cham
bersburg the Blue ridge TO Gettysbirg. -
Then commences the fighting lasting,
while I was present, three days. What
has occurred since | don't know, though
mere are some rumors. While Lee was
marching into Maryland and Pennsy lvania.
Stuart crossed the Potomac just about Wash
1ingtoa, captured two hundred wagons and
sixteen hundred horses, and joined Lee at
Gettysburg.
Gettysburg IS sboaa.t ths size Of stauston,
! Virginia, six thousand inhabitante, il. 8
valley ten miles from tie Bile Ridge, east
side
The first days fight occurred between the
mountain and the town. one mile from Get
tysburg. The enemy held ridge of hills
parallel with the Blue Ride; they were driv-
en- past the town with heavy loss. As [
PASSED over this battle field three days after
the fight, there remained two thousand I'M
buried Yankees, though regiment Of pris-
opers We're engaged in putting their COM
rades under ground They were driven the
second day Neither party yet Fad. their
whole strength. The Yankees had fortified
a range Of hills beyond Che town a mile and
half-a strong position the ranges rising
one above the other precipitods and high
! To storm this, it was necessary to pass over
a valley of meadows and wheat fields one or
two miles, almost bare of woods
The battle commenced at 10 O'Clock, Ju-
lily Sd. Itcontinued until night. The en-
emy's wings were driven back and doubled
in, but the centre was very stubborn.
The ridge, crowned with over hundred
guns, in half mile space, and defended by
three army corps, was charged and held for
twenty minutes. A terrible fire from a
stone fence on the plateau, and cross firing
from the adjacent hills, drove back our force
Here fell mary officers. Several thousand
prisoners are in our possession.
Gen. Stuart passed around the enemy's
right and defeated his cavalry; also Gen.
W. D. Jones repulsed a cavalry force on
our right.
July 4th.-den. Lee occupies lis origi-
nal position in The centre; his wings are ad-
yanced. He is swinging his army around
TO tie right, to get between the enemy and
Washington city. He starts his surplus
wagons and wounded back to the Potomac
To engineer a train FIVE miles long in
six miles Of the enemy was assigned e Gen.
Imboden.
Two thousand wounded and as many
stragg ers, with ammunition and thousands
of horses, moved across the Blue Ridge to-
wards Chambersburg. ats o'clock. Only
eleven hundred men to guard this immense
and valuable train It was delicate and
difficult duty. On it pushed by by-roads
and through storm and darkness-the groans
of wounded rising above the roar Of the
wheels A dreadful night! He was at
tackled by the enemy about 9.o'clock on the
5th. The YANKEES were rcpalsed. The
train safely arrived here on the same day.
The enemy had burned the pnntoons, and
the Potomrc was past fording and rising.
Here stood three thousand wagons and
fifteen thousand horses Toss never
could be repaired. The enerhy were adj
vancing in heavy force Gen. Imboden had
some twelve hundred Of his own. Two
regiments came from Winchester Just in
time.
He rode over the ground planted his ar
tillery-put every straggler 10 the ranks
concealed behind a bluff his wagons and
horses, and waited the enemy's approach.
A perjllous si.uation-an impossible riv-
5er in the rear--a Eeavy force in front-but
a handful to oppose them. several wounded
generals would have fallen into the enemy's
hand if they succeeded, Gen. jenkins,
who was wounded several days previous. in
the head, rode up hill near the wagons,
looked at tie. acres on acres covered with
them, remarked cit vas an hour Of great
/ Importance; if defeated, the army OF North
Fern Virginia is ruined"
At four the enemy came rapidly up
cavalry and mounted infantry. under G .s.
Fitzpatrick and Buford-a whole .,vision.
with eighteen pieces Of caur u-one brig
ade of regular cavalry ,lAgai.st this force
was pitted about one fifth nc niainlbcr-
half stragglcrs.
lmboden seemed to be imprcssins Ill With
his owl purpose Ito die rather ,han surren
Ger. Even the wagoners caught the enthu
siasm. apd marched TO the feld the woun
ded limped to the ffonf3 one game fellow
expended all his AMMUNITION. and excused
himself for retiring, as he, cnul,lnt charge
on one .legi snoll{er Was woHn1sa saasn. 8
Their cavalry maze sescrs.l tliutts, Is
charge, but couldn't stand The terrible She'll
ing. The iifantrr s.as .ds,manntrd FL
fight was Stubborn, 'astiey I'll a ~. 80 s.
euemy never allganced from tT:efr#.;.ls 81
battle. but were beat back two tnss..5s, and
)retreated in the dark and in tliso,s,sr.
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