The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1863-07-11
The War in Pennsylvania.
The Battle ON "Wednesday.

BivoUAC on THE FIELD
WEST OF GErrYsBUKG, July l-lOr.M.
Gen. Bufords cavalry had previously
driven the rebels to the west of the town,
beyond the seminary, and between fine
AID ten o'clock A. NJ, the rebels gave his
pickets pretty sharp brush and dtove
them in. Gen. REYNOLDS, with the lst
Corps, was on the road from Emr1ets-
burg to Gettysburg, en- route to the latter
place, which the.road approaches through
the very scene of the conflict
Gen. Reynolds at once threw forward
the lst Division, under Gen. Watlsworth,
which began to drive the enemy from the
start Very soon after the I'd Division OF
the same corps went on the right OF the
lst Division. the 3D. Division on the left OF
the LIST, and the whole line began to adj
vance Nearly west of the town Just in
the outskirts, near the seminary, Of which
have spoken, Is large brick edifce.-
southwark from this runs piece Of WOODS,
and the seminary Glands on ridge which
slopes to the west into little open valley
Of ploughed fields and meadows rich with
grass and grain. Beyond the valley is
ridge of higher land. thicky wooded
The valley runs in a southwesterly direc>
ton, and at it's lower extremity is a large
farmhouse, near which the Sth Illinois Cav
airy was drawn up in the field, and formed
our extreme left. Several farmhouses
dotted this rich little valley. Across this
valley Gen Reynolds line advanced some
what hastily, almost before it was well
formed, and in that condition did not 90
far until against it heavy force of the
rebel infantry was Immediately thrown,
and General REYNOLDS ~ re.s Il turn driven.
But his troops retired step by step, and
in excellent order Forward with the ut
most enthusiasm pressed the rebel line,
eager now to turn Reynolds retirement
in to rout Some of the rebels had too
far; for, while they pressed too closely on
the right Of the centre division, the left OF
the same division was suddenly swept
around, and then enclosed in the hard
soonest manner an entire rebel brigade un-
der General Archer
General Archer and MS whole staff were
taken. About fifteen hundred of the en-.
emy's men thus fell INTO our hands, and
went to the rear. Small regiments were
the order in this brigade; and when an
Alabama Colonel was asked where the
rest Of his regiment was, he responded Ia
conically, Gone TO hell, sir
One OF the prisoners SAID to another,
with some astonishment, Heb Jakeys,
wer @ fightin the Army of the Potomac
now They seem TO have thought they
had hold of the militia. The regiments
which made this capture We're the 9th
Wisconsin, the Brooklyn l4th, and the
95th New York
Though the lst Corps still continued to
retire, the rebel advance was broken soon
after this, and Gen. Reynolds now pre-
pared to go forward in earnest Appar-
emily forgetful that he hal at first only
gone in to support cavalry, he was very
likely to bring on a general engagement
with only one corps. Formed a. before,
his line went forward and drove the ene>
my across the valley and over the ridge at
the farther side, but II was at great ex-
pense to US, as the fire with which they
received our fellows was terribly severe
From the hill the line Of skirm.silers was
thrown out some distance, and Gen
Reynolds went out TO the line TO recon
noitre, when he was hit by a musket ball
in the back of thy neck, and killed in
stan,ly.
In rather less than an hour after the
fight began the lIth Corps came up the
same road 10y which thelst had approach
ed, and General Howard at once assumed
command Of the whole field, while Gen
Schurz assumed command Of the llth
Corps. General Doubleday had already
assumed command of the lst Corps
Across the north side of the town runs il.
creek. on which shortly after il was repor
ted the enemy were nassing troops, appa-
rently 10 take l-t Corps on its rear 10
guard against an advance from that direc-
ton. General Howard sent forward the Ist
and 81 Divisions of the 18th Corps which
moved across the rear OF the LIST Corps
II. j
position with the lst Diyison on the right
General Steinwehrs division-the I'd
was held as a reserve.
Meantime :wo ar three of our batteries
held sharp parley with the rebel bat
teries posted on the Mills that encircie the
town, and their balls oversize. our batteries
somewhat, and threw several shot iu
among the solid people of Gettysburg
Whether It frightened them or not can
not say. | doubt if they could experience
an emotion so lively as that of fear; but
they began to get out of the way, not the
women and children particularly, but
stalwart. able bodied wretches in mems
garments were what principally saw on
the road TO the rear.
AT about half past two o'clock, while
the batteries exchanged a heavy fire and
some sharp musketry woke up the echoes
on the right, the rebels advanced in heavy
force against the lst Corps, which slowly
retreated from the hills beyond the valley
to high ground near the seminary, where
it prepared to make all the resistance it
was capable of 1t was reinforced there
by some dIsmounted drasoons aud fought
in the open field; for, though some rail
fences were thrown across the front of our
line, they afforded no cover from the
woods beyond the farm houses. and across
the open space, rebel force of perhaps
three brigades advanced handsomely in
line Of battle, while the rebel batteries
near the general centre shelled our posi-
ton holly to cover the advance.
On came the line, right ur within short
range of our position, when it was opened
upon with fire so sharp and well served
as to stagger and then completely repulse
it. Backward went the line, that came
forward in such good order, a mere mass
of stragglers, each of whom made the best
of his way across the plain.
While the musketry was very hot in
front Of Gen. Doubleday, party of about
one hundred rebels stole through The
woods we'll upon Doubeday's left flank,
and tired large barn, one of those i'm
mense magazines of breadstuffs that in
Pennsylvania SO overpeer the comparative
ly small lfarmhouses An immense black
column of smoke soon began to ascend
from the roof breaking out presently into
white ,sulPhurous cloud, and then into
fierce red blaze. Under cover of this fire
the rebel skirmishers exchanged hume.
rous shots with line of skirmishers from
the cavalry on our extreme left. Repuls-
ed, but not vanquished, the rebel line was
reformed and reinforced; and now, for the
second time, came on a force nearly twice
as great as at first. Once more, also, the
batteries threw shells, answered by our
batteries on the left. and also by batteries
of ours on the extreme right. which at
this time threw shells at the position on