The weekly pioneer and Democrat., 1863-07-17

maneuvering and reinforcing; ours the
cover of stonewalls, 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 sharpened horse
shoe, with the toe to Gettysburg and the
heel to the south.
HIS PLAN OF BATTLE.
Lees plan of battle was simple He
massed his troops On the east side of this
shoe OF position, and thundered on it OBJ
stnately to break it. The shelling of our
batteries, from the nearest overlooking
hill, and the unfinching courage and COM
plete discipline of the Army of the Poto-
mac, repelled the attack. It was renewed
at the point OF the shOe-renewed despe-
rately at the southwest heel-renewed on
the western side with an effort cOnsecra-
ted to success by Ewell's earnest oaths,
and on which the fate of the invasion of
Pennsylvania was fully put at stake. Only
a perfect infantry and an artillery educa-
ted in the midst of charges of hostile bri-
gades could possibly have sustained this
assault. Hancock's corps did sustain it,
and has covered itself with immortal hon
Ors by its cOnstancy and courage. The
total wreck of Cushing's battery-the list
of its killed and wounded-the loss of off
GERS, men, and horses Cowen sustained
and the marvellous Outspread upon the
board of death of dead soldiers and dead
animals-of dead soldiers in blue and dead
soldiers in gray-more marvellous to me
than anything I have ever seen in war
are a ghostly and shocking testimony to
the terrible fight of the I'd Corps that none
will gainsay. That corps will ever have
the distinction of breaking the pride and
power of the rebel invasion.
COMMENCEMENT OF THE ENGAGEMENT.
For such details as I have the heart for.
The battle commenced at daylight, on the
side of the horseshoe position, exactly
opposite that which Ewell had sworn to
crush through. Musketry preceded the
rising of the sun. A thick wood yelled
this fight, but out of its leafy darkness
arose the smoke and the surging and
swelling of the fire, from intermittent to
continuous, and crushing, told of the wise
tactics OF the rebels of attacking in force
and charging their troops. Seemingly the
attack OF the day was to be made through
that wood. The demonstration was pro-
tracted-it was absolutely preparative
but there was no artillery fire accompany
ing the musketry, and shrewd officers in
our western front mentioned, with the
gravity due to the fact, that the rebels had
telled trees at intervals upon the edge of
the wood they occupied in face of our po-
sitiOn. These were breastworks for the
protection of artillerymen.
A LULL.
Suddenly, and about 10 in the forenoon,
the firing on the east side, and everywhere
about our lines, ceased. A silence as Of a
deep sleep fell upon the field of battle.
Our army cooked, ate and slumbered.
The rebel army moved 12O guns to the
west, and massed there Longstreet's corps
and Hills corps, to hurl them upon the
really weakest point of our entire position.
II oclock-12 o'clock--1 O'Clock. In
the shadow cast by the tiny farmhouse
16 by 20, which Gen. Mead had made his
headquarters, lay wearied staff officers and
tired reporters. There was not wanting
to the peacefulness of the scene the sing
ing of q bird, which had nest in peach
tree within the tiny yard of the white
washed cottage. In the midst of its warb-
ling, a shell screamed over the house, in
stantly followed by another, and another,
and in a moment the air was full of the
most complete artillery prelude to an in
tantry battle that was ever exhibited.
Every size and form of shell known to
British and American gunnery shrieked,
whirled, moaned, whistled, and wrathfully
tuttered over our ground. As many as
six in a second, constantly two in a sec
Ond, bursting and screaming over and
around the headquarters, made very
hell of fire that amazed the oldest officers.
They burst in the yard--burst next to the
fence on both sides, gavnshed as usual
with the hitched horses OF aids and order
lies. The fastened animals reared and
plunged with terror. Then one fell, then
another-sixteen laid dead and mangled
before the fire ceased, still fastened by
their halters, which gave the expression OF
being wickedly tied Up TO die painfully.
These brute victims OF a cruel war touched
all hearts. Through the midst OF the
storm Of screaming and exploding she Is,
an ambulance, driven by its frenzied con
ductor at full speed, presented to all OF Us
the marvellous spectacle OF horse going
rapidly on three legs. a hinder one had
been shot off at the hook 4 shell tore up
the little step OF the Headquarters Cot
tage, and ripped bags Of oats as with a
knife. Another soon carried off one
Of its two pillars. Very soon spheri-
cal case burst opposite the open door
-anotherripped through the lower garret
The remaining pillar went almost immedi
ately to the howl Of fixed shot that Whit
worth must have made. During this fire
the horses twenty and thirty feet distant
were receiving their death, and soldiers in
Federal blue were torn to pieces in the road
and died with the peculiar yells that blend
the extorted cry OF pain with horror and
despair. Not an orderly-not an ambu-
lance-not a straggler-was to be seen
upon the plain swept by this tempest OF
orchestral death, thirty minutes after it
commenced. We're not one hundred and
fifty pieces Of artillery trying to cut from
the field every battery we had in position
to resist their proposed infantry attack, and
tO Su-oo,, ou-o,, +l,o cl;o.ht 1afapcoc hohind