Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1863-07-10

puiBu' promising only LOT 'hS UehSu' VI Jul
readers, that the 2nd Vermont Brigade was
in the lst Corps, and ihe let Vermont Brigade
IN thel6th corpst We copy for the facts stat
ed, not for some Of the writer's reflections.
THE PRELIMINARY CAMPAIGN. .--
HEADouARTBRs Army OF THE PoroMAo.
Near Gettysburg, Saturday eve, July 4.
The campaign which has practically terminated In the
rout wh0ke last sNen echoes dying away among
The hills beyond Getty sbufg the significant and
remarkable " the II has solved more ridhles II
has taught more lessons il has been brighter aivan-
tage to the Of the Union, and signal dsas
that Of the rebellion than any victory won by the
federal armies since Mcclellan hurried back the rebel e
gions 10 Virginia from the memorable field Of hntetam
/ ihe Army q ne. tolomac' under cloud slnee The
slaughter at Fredericksburg and the bunder at Chanoel
lnrsve, has redeemed Itself Ia the eyes OF the haun
and The world 70 level with rs standard OF the days
when u led 10 victory by the leader wose heart may
well leap within him A. he clutempates slastAchieve-
nlent Of his beloved oldtme comrades Tbeofes OF its
inierotiy, born u the mistakes Pope, burnside aud
Hooker and nutufed By contrast Of its failures with
me recent victories Of western troops are sheetuay
shattered Its showRt) The public- has always been
evident 10 military udgCshst this army has the capac
lily f'f SIGHT, the endurance the elan and the energy 70
render It inyinci6ie IN the hands Of cool aud skml
The first movement toward the invasion Of Pennsylva-
mia was opened after the battle of Chanceorsyile
By cavalry movement. which me; and qpashed at
BfAudy Station by Gen Pcaa0n about the LIST VI June
On the 18Th ultimo, Gen Mioy attacked at Win
chester by the advance Of Lees army under Gen Ewe,
and fed dsgIacefuy, afcr short conflict, 10 Harpets
Fery abandoning an his stores and cannon to the feb-
els This opened the way for the advance Of the foe
across the Potomac Anoer force Of ia cavalry cross
ed the upper PotomacUn ta 10Th, causing great conset
nation in Maryland aud lower Penusyvania II entered
! Chambersburg and Mercersburg in the evening. The
alarm caused by this raid was unnecessarily great for the
army OF Lee had not yet reached the south side Of
the Pvtumac. The Union garrison at Frederick Nd,
fell back 70 the Relay House on the l6th. detAch.
ment Of the enemy attacked Harpers Ferry the same
day, but vas shoed back BY Gen Tyler from Maryland
Heights Ten thousand rebel infantry crossed the Po.
IN he bpulu
est the great Invasion which fully shown 10 be
intended. The fights At Aide the 18th aud 10Th were
between Gen Peasauton's aud body Of The enemy's
eaysy, which Is supposed to have fsnked their rear.
More rebels constantly poured the Potomac aud
on the 18th Ewes entire division occupied ShNrpsbug
/ IN Maryland. .4 IU ...u
BY this tine Pcnnsy vania, New York and New Jet-
sey began their great effort to Tepel Lees advance from
the North, Hooker reposine In pastoral et Fairfax
Station, in Virginia, did disturb himself with any
/ such activity. lie watched waited, and was puzzled
Miroy's stampcde the elarnor Of which It seems nigh
have come To him from tho western mountains; the
cries " help from Harrisburg, Piltsburg Carlisle, AUD
/ minor Pennsylyana towns the remuous appeals from
Philadelphia and balnmore--a there did "a
arouse him from his cihafgy, give him the least deu
Of whore MS enemy WAS. IL was no until a voice u
command from Washington inspired, 1t is believed frow
the mldt Vt his own army, came sounding IN his ears
like hreba IN the bright, that he ordered up his tent
stakes and began ms march northwad the Potomac
MeanWhiie, Gvne,al Couch had commenced the organt
cation Of militia force at ysburg check the
~ thousand men under Ewe who rading like ban
dittl through the county The mau rebel army was
10Th, moved north ward via MctiunnesbuTg aud Cham
bersbugh, and began in partially scattered columns
advau through Pennsykania in The direction Of Phila
dephia and Baltimore. The rashness and dtcity O
this movement seemed TO contound the general then ia
I command Of this army Every mile I,ct which Lee
now marched heightened his lines OF communication ia
such degree would have imperiod IL beyond perAd
venture had Hooker 1T g. improve his advantage
Forty thousand troops and hundred pie es Of rebel az
ulery passed through Chambefsbutg on the 27th. Or
Sunday York occupied by General Early, mad,
his amodslevy on is QUEENS Harrisburg, long threat
| ened, was not yet attacked. rr r
General Meade took command Of this army on Sunday
| the 2Sth ult At that time his headquarters a
Frederick, and Lees At Hagetstown II will be seer
that he was in the southwest and consequently IN tbs
rear Of the foe, mmncnty threatening mis- line Of
treat The army II the Potomac begAn its campaign
from that moment Orders were issacd 10 the severa
corps to early in the evening, the morning
Of the 18th our whole brilliant and hopeful host was il
motion toward Peunsyiyania Fhe First, Third anc
Eleventh corps enoamped on Tuesday at Emmetsburg
the Second aud Twelfth also pitched their ieuis by
he Sixth corps marched to Carlisle Wednesday morn
ing the first day n this month forever memorable Tn,
iIst corps under MAJOR General Reynolds, and the
Eleventh, under jO General Howard started for Get
psburg Reynolds in Command where they arrived at Il
o'clock A. NJ The First cOIps, In the advance marcne ed
directly through TIE town. The enemy discovered
posted in euod 40 tEe westward, near the AntheraI
Theological Seminary The beginning Of the three days
| conflict was at hand u
THE BAT. OF WEDNESDAY, JULY l.
One who had been in the presence, who now sits amon
the echoes, fnd whose brain with rushing memo
res Of conflict so recent and vast, may well pause be
lre attempting it, magnitude describe its pogress
itash tue advance OF Zen. Reynolds has been pro
n9unced by many brother officers who now lament hi
DEATH question whether il after all 70 the
It served al ouce as Reconnaissance, showing tue
my's exact position aud probable force and as a chec
upon any oiisnsve movement which then the enem,
might have been intent upon 1t secured the Army 0
the Potomac the commanding position Cemetery Hi
f0n which the battles Of the two succeeding days wer
chiefly fought aud which, had the rebel ander
uoipeted TIE engagement he would doubtless have Sc
cured for himself Not less, perhaps than the skill
generals rho directed the battle on our side gave
the victory When, therefore, the heroic First corps
rs leted e3mmsndsr placed themselves in The terrible d
lemma of "wednesday morning they won knowledge b.
their sacrifice worth all the world 10 thereafter Tn
corps marched in the following order First vision
der Gen. Wadssorlh Third dsision under Gen DIAble
day hive lul batteries under Col. WanwIght tOuttl
division under Gen. Robinson.
portion of our artillery took position half mil
south 'f the seminary. The enemy opened fire upon
with such herceness forced the batteries TO
which tney commenced doing in good order. Genera
Nsasworth Immediately came TO their add two OF hi
Ieglments, The second scohsin and the Twenty fJutu
Michigan, charged the rebel infantry, forcing
turn 20 retire The batteries assumed an exc lieut. posi-
ton further in the rear, which they held during ay
General Reynolds rode forward to the hed
and ascertain the most favorable line for the disposal
his troops One OF two members u his staff were wit
nm The enemy at thatin poured ia cruel mus
kerry hre upon the group Of officers bullet struck Gen
eIat lteynplds IN the neck, ~oundng him mortally:-
soldiers Forward for ds sake forTsrdi' he turn
ed for an instant, beheld the order obeyed by line
shouting infantry, and falling into the arms OF Captain
WILCOX MS ard who rode beside him, his life went GU
with the words, Good God Wilcox, l am kiled.h
The command Of the corps devolyed upon, GENERA
Doubleday, who hurried the 'front.' placed in position
and awaited charge which II was seen the rebels we
about To make, An eminence whefeon stood apieee 0
woods was toe important point thenceforh be defend
ed The rebels advanced aud opened from the entir
line Ihfy, were Instantly charged upon by Meredith
western brigade, Who without fling shot, but with
tremendous cheer, dashed forward With sch swilness
TO surround nearly QUO of the foe, who were prs
oners a strong column immediately advanced agaiLs
us from the woods, aud though voliey after votey wa
poured into them, did S&ser. Their proximity an,
strength at last 6ee4ne 90 threatening that the bIgade
OF the Second division were ordered 10 make anothe
charge, which was bven more Successful than the fst
lhsn momentum was like an avalanche; the rebels wef,
hot bayoneted and driven partial retreat more thar
two regiments falling iato hands alive Our ranks
suffered iearfalY in this demoasraton and il was eE
dent that such lighting could not long 20 on. The
EeTenh corps now made s appearance aud its genera
th9~Atd) assumed cofals.lid Of the iofeeS Stenwen
was ordered TO hold Gettysburg and Cemetery hi-al
his artillery being placed ia the latter position Tn,
Other ts9 d~lssonsof the Eleventh corps under Shuu
and Barlow, then supported the First corps on the
in time TO resist two desperate by wes troops
thnd charge was made by the entire rebel force
rent which comprised the corps Of Hill and Rweu sixty
two thousand strong The shock was awful The super
or numbers OF the foe enabled them overlap both ou
Hanks, thTeatening with surrounding and capture
Their sineforts directed ains our left wing ant
Notwithstanding the gallant fighting de hy our sodier
A. That point they at last such advantage tina
Zen howard was freed 70 retire his comm and througl
the town to the east which dons IN good order
compliments OF the rebels meanwhls falling thick amonl
~ IN he shape OF shells, grape, canister The corp
were placed IN line Of battle Cemetery Hui evening
having Whsood during the entire day the assaults
D hon, NJ. sh,..