, 1863-07-09
The GREAT PENNSYLVANIA
VICTORY,
THE BATTLES OF THURSDAY
AND FRIDAY,
Graphic Description of the
Combat.

| From the New York Herald, 9Th.
After series Of the most desperate and
| fearfnlly contested battles that the world has
t known, 1t is my pleasure to report to you that
the proud army Of iuvasIon-the rebel host
led by the renowned. Lee in person-ls COM
| pletely yapqufehed, and Its demoralized parts
flying to the mountains In the Widest disor-
der, utterly confounded and routed, with no
hope OF ever escaping to the south Of the Po-
tonac-
The victory Of Gen. Meade is complete, be-
| yond parallel in the history Of the war. But
the victory SO glorious has been won By ter
rible sacrifice Of noble blood.
| GREAT SACRIFICE OF LIFE.
The loyal sons Of the North have not
thrunk to lay down their lives by thousands
and tens Of Thousands to drive back the i'm
| pudent invader off sacred soil, and their sacri-
flee has been signally favorable and accep.
table.
| DESTRUCTION OF THE REBEL ARMY.
The rebel army is virtually annihilated. The
| fragment remaining Of it, scarcely half the
| original band that crossed the Potomac, with
tansers and S, outs Of defiance, now remains :;
and that half is disorganized mob, calling
| uron the rocks and the mountains to hide
! them from the face Of their pursuers.
| No anniversary Of our nations fndepend-
cnce has ever been half 50 glorious as that of
! TO day, which witnesses such q proud euccess
to the n1tion's arms, and so severe punish.
| ment to those who would 1end The country in
t TWIN.
TIE particulars Of the first and second days
battle and the severe contest that has been
| rngfng in this vicinity, hare been communica-
| ted 10 yen.
TIE GREAT BATTLE +:
| was fought on Friday. It was, beyond MI
| question, the hardest fongbt and most desper-
*te1y contested engagement Of the war. It
lasted with unabated fury from four o'clock
~ the morning until nearly five o'clock in tho
AFTERNOON, When the enemy. repulsed at every
point, and ffightfully punished, Withdrew bis
| forces and abandoned the contest. }
The day was Dobly won by our heroic army.
md their vtctory is beyond contest. What re-:
mains Of the enemy has fled to the mountains
West OF Gettysburg. Pleasanton's cavalry and
artillery are already annoying them, and gath.
ering the scattered fragments by hundreds and
| thousands.
TIE FIELDS ABOUT GETTYSBURG
arc strewed with the dead and dying of both
armies, and every farm hunse ami barn for
miles about Is d crowded hospital. From
these nguinary fields aud OVERLOOKING hos
pitals, FROM the throats Of mangled and tor
tnrcd loyal soldiers, there arises one common
shout Of triumph, and In the enthusiasm of
The moment III pain and torture is forgotten.
On every baud glad voices join In the song Of
''where is the rebel arny." "Wnerc oh
nhere, Is tue rebel army. Where, oh where:
Is the rebel army, flying away to the noun.
tain laird: Bye and bye We'll complete tue
tor, bye and bye well complete the victory:
they meier shall reach fair Dixie agaiu."
THE DECISIVE BATTLE or FRIDAY
was 50 extended and continuous that it is i'm
| possible that auy one man should be able to
describe it in full.
| l WAS awakened at the first dawn of day BIZ
| the eI'i efol explosion Of shell over mud about
ne, indicating that the enemy had begun the
| fight. This WIS on the extreme 1eif of the
| line, and about mile und a half south Of Get
tJsburg, on the road leadiur to Tarrrytuvn.
At this point the above road skirts alou., the
Immediate EASTERN bass Of range Of rocky
and Woody hills. rising precipitoasly to an at-
titude OF fur or 1--WE INJURED feet On the
west OF these hills IL broad and highly cult
vated p!nin, more than mile In width, across
the western portion of which the road from
Gettysburg to Emmettsburg Jnns. It was
here that tue fearful battle Of ThurHday even
ing vas fought, in which we had suffered 50
heavily.
MOVEMENTS OF GEN. sIcK1Es.
Tie enemy had sought to gain possession
Of this range Of hills, and thus, with tAeIr a.
tillery, command the position on the left. In
this shey Lad been defeated BY the fortitude
and military skill Of Gen. Sickles, who saved
the arm, and day BY assuming the respousi-
bility Of changing The front Of his CORDS, the
N144aAk AAAA@A AANfCACut LUAL WAS Q4f&lf
executed in tune to meet the rapid approach
tf Longttrcet's md Hills united corps, max
i1f force Of lot less than fifty thousand
men.
Birney, commanding the first division OF
This corps, consisting Of the brlgades Of Gra-
CbancellorsTille, with Clark's New jersey
battery, we're first In position, and were COM
pelltd to meet the first assault alone and m.
supported, although completely overwhelm-
I'd, and subjected to fire Of lausketzy and
artillery that never was eqnalled In this oraoy
other war. This latter division held thcir
ground bravely, AID fought as veterans only
can tight; but they could not be expected to
stand long against such fea,ful odds, and soon
we're forced to fall back They were then Join
I'd by sykes division Of the 5th corps, and
Humphreys Of the3d, PerTy's old division,
formerly Hooker's; and being heavily rein.
forced with artillery, again adyauced aud re-.
new ed tie conflict At this advance the bat.
tie ragged ertn de1cer than heforc- Closer
ard c'escr the lines drew together, until the
encounter, the bayonet and sabre playing
conspicuous part, stre"iDg the ground with
National aid rebel troops In one common
masE-
THE TACTICS OF THE ENEMY.
at this junctnre novel mannuvre was dis
pla1 Cd By tie enemy in order to gain posess-
ion Of the mountains on the right Of their line.
By moving up Il regi inent they would lcploy
it III line Of battle, and while tlat was en-
gagged move another along Its rear to the
right and deploy it there; but steadily ad-
yancing their line Of battle In that direction.
though really gaining in advance in this way,
they fought to the base Of the hills, and then
ont to the crest, finally moving over to tho
western slope.
ARRIVAL OF TIE OLD SIXTH CORPS,
At this iuneture the noble Sixth corps, Just
ar1iyed by forced marches from Westminster,
came into service. They were formed in line
at the eastern base Of the mountain. As the
enemy pushed his way across the ridge, they
were enabled to open an enflladlDg Ire upon
hin, that determined the fate Of the day. Not
expecting this fire when they received it,
they were thrown into the widest disorder,
md fell back in confusion
TIE PENNSYLVANIA RESERVES
then advanced and took possession Of the
mountain crests, which terminated the fight
ing for that day, and left us masters OF the
had made great eacriflcss. Our men had been
compelled literally to charge up to the csn-
mons mouth to contend againet vastly supe-
1ior numbers. On all sides our Losses wero
very heavy, and the proportion OF field and
dent. 1t was in this deadly struggle that Gen.
Sickles Wns wounded, and also Gen. Graham
Of the SAME corps, and here, too, Gems, Zook
and Weedaoth sacrificed their lives leading
their respective commands up to the fight.
The record Of the Third corps shows num-
berless chief officers sacrificed In ills fierce
encounter, witnessing the desperation with
which it vas fought. Ont of this little corps
ntar]J three thousand men were placed hors
du combat in this short engagement
TIE LIST or CASUALTIES
I send with this, embraces the names Of |
scores Of Colonies, Lieutenant Colouela and
Nnjors--who fell in this struggle. You will
$~kvr 81
old Excelsior md the Jersey brlgades. The
other commands Of the corps, Including
Wards brigade especially, suffered equally.
Even the division commanders were called |
upon for examples, and but few escaped un-
hurt.
THE GALLANT BrRSEY
was twice struck by the bullets Of the enc.
is but proper to mention that this single &C.
ton saycd US the day.
J: EFFORTS OF sIoHEs.
, And for this credit Is due to Gen. 8ick1es,
who also saved ua at Charlottesville, Re.
peatedly he notified Gen. Meade that the enc
my were pressing to enf1lade our left flank,
which the Sd corps formed; but still be was
required to hold o position facing the west,
when he WAS convinced the attack was coming
from the south. Against this he protested,
without await, until o. clock in the afternoon,
when council Of corps commanders was
calleQs n0At luls cOHHCu was In eea310n, anu
before it had decided upon plan Of battle,
the attack came. :.
rRoMPTNEsS OF GEN. MEADE.
Gen. Meade at once said to Gen. Sickles,
Your left flank is attacked; that deter
mines our plan; mike your dispositions to
meet it."
s1cK1Es TO TIE FRONT.
Gen. Sick1cs gallopcd away to the field, aud,
in less than ten minutes, and in the face of q |
gnl1lrg fire, changed the front of his corps,
and ADVANCED to IN elevation a IiftIa r., hfa