The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1863-07-11
The Battle on Thursday.
BATTLE-riELD NEAR GETTYSBURG, Penn.
Iia BALTIMORE. Friday. July 3.


Via BALTIMORE, Friday, July 3.
My brief dispatches regarding the des'
perate engagement of yesterday have
hardly conveyed true idea OF its mag
nitude and character. We have now
had two days fighting Nearly the whole
Of Wednesday was thus employed by the
lst and llth Corps, with varying success,
finally being obliged to fall back before
greatly superior numbers.
This morning there were strong pre-
monitions of an early engagement with
the enemy IN force, but as the day wore
away and no positive exhibition was made
by the en"n: :y, we oe.an to think that per
haps there would he no immediate battle
after all. We were hardly in a condition
to give battle, as all our dispositions had
not been made, Gen. Meade not having
arrived on the ground until o clock III
the morning. The position of our forces
after the fight Of Wednesday was TO the
eastward and southwark of Gettysburg,
covering the Baltimore pike, Tie fancy
town and Emr,itt5bargh roads, and still
being neatly parallel with the latter. The
formation OF the ground on the right
and centre was excellent for defensive
purposes. On our extreme left the ground
sloped off until the position was no high
/
of our line was level, open country, in-
terspersed here and there with au orchard
or very small tract OF timber, generally
oak, wi'h the undeI brush cut away
During the day portion Of the troops
threw up temporary breastworks and an
abattis. Gen. Meades headquarters were
! at an old house on the fancy town road,
Immediately In rear Of our centre.
Our line was not regular III shape In
deed the centre protraded GU, toward the
enemy so a. to form almost the two sides
| of a triangle Before shutdown General
Meades headquarters proved TO be the
hottest place on the battle field, so tar as
careless Smelling was concerned.
Gen Howard occupied with his corps, a
/ beautiful cemetery on a hill TO the south
ofGettysturg Cannons thundered, horses
prauced, and men carelessly trampled over
the remains Of the dead From this hill
a beautiful view could be obtained Of the
valley, and also of a good portion OF the
euemy's line of battle.
The forces had all been concentrated
on Tuesday night, save the 9TH and 9TH
Corps. The former arrived during the
morning, and the latter soon after noon.
They were all nlassed immediately behind
our centre.
tent.on to attack, ! cannot say, but he was
hardly ready for It before The afternoon OF
Yesterday. The day had become almost
dull SkirmIshing was now and then brisk
and the sharpshooters IN the stecples and
beltrys OF the churches perz!stently blazcd
away at officers and artillery horses II
was by sharpshooter in a barn just OPP
pcsite Wadsworths division, yesterday.
that Capt. Stevens, OF the 9Th Maine Bat
terry, got hit. 4 bullet passed through
both legs below the knee, i.-tiictiDg 4 Sc
were, but not dangerous wound.
At 3! click Gen. Meade had received
sufficient assurances TO Justify him in the
belief that the rebels were concentrating
their forces on our left flank, which all
felt TO be secure under the protection Of
the inyinciDle 81 Corps Our line was
Immediately strengthened on that flank.
Gen. Sickles being sent 10 its support, and
severa! batteries from the reserve being
brought out nd placed in position.
At about 4! clock p. NJ, the enemy
sent his first compliments By salyo Of
artillery, his first shells falling uncomfurt-
ably near Gen Meades headquarters
| From this hour forth TO : o clock, occur
red by all odds the most sanguinary en-
gagement yet chronicled in the annals Of
the war, considering its short duration
The artillery attack which was maze by
the enemy on the left and centre was
rapidly followed by the advance of his in
tantry The 81 Corps received the attack
with great GOODNESS. The rebels at once
made for our flank, and kept moving
necessitated support, which was quickly
given by the 9Th Corps. The division Of
Gen. Barnes being sent to the right, and
that of Gen. Ayres, regulars, to the left,
with Gen. Crawford in reserve.
The bat tie now became perfectly fearful.
! The armies engaged each other at a very
short range, and for three long hours the
war of rnusketry was incessant | have
| heard more noise, louder crashes, in other
| battles, bat | never saw or heard of such
desperate tenacious fighting as took place
on this flank The enemy would often
bring up suddenly heavy column Of men,
and force our line OF gittering steel Our
| gallant columns covered themselves with
glory over and over again. They fought a
superior force in numbers The DISPOSE
tons of the enemy were very rapid, for
| look where you would eli that field body
of rebels would be advancing. Our dispo
sitions were equally rapid, and the enemy
found more than their equal in such gall
! LIANT veterans as Sickles and Birney and
Humphreys. At half past Gen. Sickles
was struck in his right leg by piece of
shell, and was borne from the field. The
injury was ogreat that amputa,ion became
necessary, and it was performed success
| fully-the limb being taken OFT below the
| knee.
The struggle grew hotter and hotter
| The ID Corps was called on for aid and,
though its own position was strongly
threatened, yet the lst Division, formerly
Gen. Hancocks, threw themselves into
the fight with desperation, an6, after
| long and obstinate conflict the enemy
slowly and sullenly gave way. In this last
charge the brigade of Gen. Caldwell, I'd
Corps, and that of Col Switzer from the
| 9TH Corps, won great honors. The charge
made by our men deserves mention, but
want of time forbids The rebels made
frequent attempts to capture our artillery,
and at one time had Watson's battery IN
their possession, but it was retaken in a
furious charge by Birney's division
The battle lasted till fully ST clock,
when the enemy fell back to his old posi-
ton, and left our veterans the ensanguin-
ed victors of that field. Our pickets were
thrown out, and our lines covered most of
the field, including great number of the
enemys dead and wounded.
visited some portions of the line by
moonlight, and can pear personal witness
to the terrible ferocty of the battle In
front of some Of our brigades. who had
good protection from stone walls and
fences the rebel dead laid piled in lines
like winrows of hay. In front of General
Webb's-the Philadelphia brigade,-they
Law sothicls rs to literally cover the ground !
Not far from here was found the body of |
Gen. Barksdale, that once naughty and |
violent rebel, who craved as dying boon |
a of water and stretcher from an |
ambulance boy. He is literally cut to |