The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-07-11

louisville before them, and with Qetermln
alton to retrieve their lost honor. The twt
took position on the right of the FRS
Corps, and fought desperately agains
Ewells corps, which outnumbered then
three to Que. The first and second charges
were stoutly resisted by the Eleventh
Corps on the right, but on came thirt
charge with four regular lines for overlap
ping the little force on both TANKS. The
men still undaunted fought until botf
| TANKS were turned near half q mile.
The force now opposed to the lst and lltf
comprised the corps of A. p. Hill, and Ew.
| ell, numbering over $4,000 men. Yet
against this fearful odds the gallant band
fought for hours, inf1icting great slaughter
on the enemy.
| Reynolds and Zook were dead, and Paul
ming prisoner. Many field and line Off
GERS had been lost and nearly half the men
before the order was given to retire to the
nights held by Steinwehr.
| Gen. Howard had carefully examined
the topography of the surrounding coun-
| try. He knew that very strong force OF
the enemy lay in the valley; he felt, there
which commanded the whole surrounding
country, was of the most vital Importance
Accordingly he took the responsibility OF
| falling back south east of the town, to the
commanding nights on both sides of the
| Baltimore pike.
The troops retired in the face of an over
whelming foe with commendable steadi-
ness. AT times there was little waverins
| but nothing even approaching panic
The corps by their conduct on Wednesday
and later in the battle are entitled to great
commentator, and the characteristics
disgrace is swallowed up by the achieve
ments at Gettysburg.
/ Gen. Slocum with the 18th and Sickles
with the Sd Corps, came up and took posi-
ton to the right and left OF Howard, on the
hills.
| During the battle in the afternoon, when
his troops were outnumbered and sorely
pressed, Gen. Howard sent to Slocum, who
was within five miles, to come to his re-
| lief. He sent second time but received
no reply. Gen. Howard then sent his
brother, Major Howard. to urge upon Gen.
Slocum to come up in person If he would
not send troops. SlOcum replied that he
did not wish to take the responsibility OF
| the fight.
| In the mean time, however, he moved up
his corps to be ready to aid in defense OF
the nights if necessary.
Gen. Sickles on receiving Howards re-
quest, at once movedup rapidly; but owing
to the great distance he was in rear his
corps did not arrive until the second posi-
!
The enemy was not disposed to attempt
the carrying of the nights and here the
battle ended.
Two advantages were gained. The enc
my was obliged to exhibit his strength and
to commit himself to a position; and the
commanding positions were seized and
| held by the national troops.
During the night Gen. Meade and staff
came up to the front. The Commanding
General carefully examined the surround
ing country, and after considering the To-
cations and positions in all their strategical
and tactical bearing, he approved of the po-
sitions taken by Gen. Howard, and 50
disposed his forces on the several hills or
Ground tops and ridges, as to construct a
the centre to the southwark from the GEM
etery.
| The hills present OutcrOpS OF sandstone
rocks in lodges having a dip of from 20 to
80 degrees; these lodges in many cases are
| full 20 feet high, and afford admirable
shelter for troops. The slope of the hills at
places is moderate and regular, in some
instances abrupt, and even sometimes pre-
Sents vertical rocky faces.
| The enemy was in valley or on hills at
distance too great to be of use for shelter.
The roads on which the enemy would de-
sire to march were commanded by Meade s
guns, and hence Lee must fight with the
hills against him. For once, then, in the
history of the Army of the Potomac, the
enemy has been compelled to give battle at
disadvantage.
| On Wednesday night all the troops but
the Sixth Corps, commanded by Gen. Sedg-
| wick. arrived on the field. The veteran
division known as the Pennsylvania Re-
| serve Corps, was attached to the Fifth
Corps. The Second Vermont Brigade, nine
months men, were assigned to the First
Corps. On Thursday morning the line was
| formed as follows: Slocum's corps on the
right, Howard joining on the left, Han
cocks (Couch's) Newton's (Reynold's) and
Sickle's Corps in the centre; and Sykes
| (Meade's) on the left. Numerically, COM
mencing with the right, the line was form
ed on the 18th l4th, I'd, 1st, 3d. and 9Th
| Corps.
This was essentially the position during
| Thursday and Friday, though Gen. Meade
did not fight his army by corps. AS the
battle ragged more tiercely here or there de-
tachments of divisions or brigades were
| sent to support, and would remain till
wanted elsewhere.
So admirably were the several resistap-
ces and onslaughts managed that whenev-
er and wherever supporting columns were
needed then and there they would be found
! in sufficient force 10 accomplish the object
desired.
! All the nights, and every advantageous
| position along the entire line where artil-
| iery could be massed or battery planted,
| frowned down on the enemy through brows
| of brass and iron.
| There was no conceivable advance of APP
proach that could not be raked ard eros
sed with the artillery. The reserve artiI-
lery and all the essentials TO insure victory
were i'll position at the right time. The
immense cavalry force, too, for once, was
present covering both TANKS of the army
and continually harassing the enemy
| This was a new and an encouraging fea-
ture that gave confidence to the men and
security to the trains.
| There were no ghosts of starnpeding corps
or other scapegoats with horns fast in the
bushes ready to bear away what ever CEN
sure might befall one too weak to bear the
burden OF his own folly. These the caval-
ry prancing along the TANKS frightened
away to the swamps of the Chickahominy,
the banks of the Rappahannock, or to An
tletam's bloody fields, where erst they were
wont to congregate.
Early on Thursday morning the enemy
commenced feeling the lines of Gen.
Meade,s army. Skirmishing continued
more or less severe until O'clock in the
afternoon. Suddenly, at about this hour,
I al