The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1863-07-10
THE BATTLES OF GETTYSBURG,
THE GREAT CONFLICT OF THE WAR.
Terrific Egbtiayof Wennesday,
Thursday and Friday.

/ f"'0uJI Puiou"S ''0'i oN''J
tons Of the past week, the armies OF the
Union and the rebellion have been plying
the trade of war with most fearful results
while the farmer has swung his scythe
through and laid low the grass Of his
fields, whole ranks Of men have beer
moved down in heaps and lie in winrows
upon the bloody fields Of our neighbor'
ing State.
The battles of Wednesday, Thursday
and probably Of Saturday also, were
among the heaviest of the war. Lee had
upon different occasions, repulsed and de-
feated Burnside and Hooker but he has
found in Meade more than match fol
his own skillful generalship and a sue.
cessful valor. The contest is watched
with feverish anxiety, as the turning
point Of the rebellion. The army Of the
Potomac has felt the responsibility rest
ing upon it, and has been equal to the
work.
In brief, the operation seem to have
been as follows: On Wednesday Gen.
Reynolds corps, the First, reached Get
tysburg from the eastward, passed through
the town and attacked the advance of
the enemy. Longstreet's and Hills rebel
corps were engaged, the rebel force great
ly outnumbering our own. General How
ards (the EIeventh) arrived upon the
ground during the early part of the bat
tie and fought with great fury. The
strength of the enemyenabled them to drive
our forces through the town to a hill in
the rear, where the battle rested for the
day. The main body of the Army of
the Potomac came up and were put in
position for Thursdays battle. General
Reynolds was killed. The loss on both
sides was very heavy.
On Thursday no fighting occurred un,
til about four o'clock p. M. At that time
the rebels made furious attack upon our
left and center, and for four hours the
battle ragged with terrific force. General
Sickles was wounded and had his leg am
putsted.~ The enemy at length fell back
after fearful slaughter, Meade remaining
victor of the field.
On Friday, the battle began at o'clock
in the morning the attack being commen-
eed by the rebels on our right. The bat
tie lasted all day and the loss was abso
lutely frightful. A dispatch estimates
the rebel loss at 10000, but this is Of
course an exaggeration. General Han
cock was shot and General Gibbons bad
ly wounded. 1t is said that one thous-
aud prisoners were taken.
The experience ofthese three days was
enough for the rebel General, and he be-
gan rapid and demoralized retreat to.
ward the Potomac. Gen. Meade did not
sit down, as Mcclellan did, after the bat
tie Of Antetam, and let Lee escape across
the Potomac unmolested, but followed up
his victory with swift4ursuit.
In regard to the number Of prisoners
accounts differ Gen. Meade's
official dispatch Of Tuesday night reports
5000. Ifanything like forty thousand
of the enemy were put hors da combat on
that day. it answers the purpose fully as
well as if they had been captured. Of
course the loss of the Federals in officers
and men is very great. But if Lees
army is only destroyed, the end is worthy
the price we pay.
We present below such details as have
come to hand of the successive battles.
THE BATTLE OF WEDNESDAY.
A correspondent of the New York
Herald describes the death Of General
Reynolds
Major General Reynolds was placing
his men when he was fatally wounded,
and urging them on to the support of Gen.
Buford. He cried out in his enthusiasm,
"For Gods sake forward, my brave
p and forward they did
yo-that iron brigade of old Col. Mere
1ith's which has never failed since the
war began. Just then Gen. Reynolds re-
,eived his fatal wound, and falling over
ipon Capt. Wilcox, his aid, VINO was ri
ling beside him, he exclaimed, Good
iod, Wilcox, l am killed !"
The correspondence of the Philadel-
,hia Inquirer give these particulars: