Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1863-07-10
The Battle of Thursday.


#a.f -ai IH " III.
The Battle OF Thursday.
On what spectacle the SUI of Thursday
rose, the memory of at least that portion
of our forces who witnessed it from Gene
terry Hill, will linger forever. From its
crest the muzzles of fifty cannon pointed
| toward the hills beyond the town. From
the bluffs to the right aud left, additional
artillery frowned, and away on either side,
| in a graceful and majestic curve, thousand :
of infantry moved into battle line. their
bayonets cleaning like serPeuts' scales.
Tue roofs of Gettysburg in the valley be-
| low, the riffs of woodland along the bOr-
ders of Rock creek, the orchards far down
on the left, the fields green and beautiful,
10 which the cattle were calmly grazing
| composed a scene Of such peace as 1t ap-
peared was never made to be marred by
| the clangor of battle. / strolted out to the
cemetery ere the dew was yet melted from
| the grass and leaned against q monument
to listen to the singing OF birds. One note,
milder than the rest, had just broken from
the throat of an oriole in the foliage above
me, when the sulIen rattle of musketry on
the left told that skirmishing had begun.
Similar firing soon opened along the entire
! rebel line, and although no notable demon
stration was made during the forenoon, it
was apparent that the enemy was feeling
our strength, preliminary TO some decisive
effort aa .....aa .f t
The day wore on full of anxious sus-
pense. II was not until o'clock in the
afternoon that the enemy gave voice in
earnest. ~ s..4r .....ra. .. I.
He then began heavy FIRE on Cemetery
Hill. II must not be thought that this
Wrathful FIRE was unanswered. Our arIil-
lery began to play within few moments
and hurled back defiance and like destruc-
ton upon the rebel lines. Until 6 o'clock
the roar of cannon, the rush of missiles
and the bursting of bombs filled the air.
The clangor alone of this awful combat
might well have confused and awed a less
cool and watchfnl commander than Gen.
Meade. II did not confuse him. With the
| calculation of a tacticiau and the eye of an
experienced judge he watched from his
headquarters on the hill whatever move
ment under the musky cloud which envel-
oped the rebel lines might irst disclose the
| intention which it was evident this artille-
~ firing covered. About O'Clock P. NJ,
silence, deep, AwfulIy Impressive, bat mo
mentary, was permitted as if by magic to
dwell upon the field. Only the groans uu-
heard before of the wounded aud dying,
Only the murmur-a morning memory -Of
the breeze through the foliage, only the
low rattle of preparation for what was to
come, embroidered this blank stiffness.
Then, as the smoke beyond the village
was lightly borne to the eastward, the
| woods on the left were seen filed with
dark masses of infantry, three columns
deep, who advanced at a quick step
| Magnificent Such a charge by such \
force-full As 900 men, under Hill aud
Lougstreet-even though it threatened to
pierce aud annihilate the Third corps,
against which it was directed, drew forth
cries of admiration from all who beheld it.
General Sickles and his splendid command
witbstood the ehock With a determination
that checked, but could not fully restrain
lit. Back, inch by inch, fighting, falling,
ldying, cheering, the men retired. Toe
rebels came on more furiously, halJing At
Intervals, pouring volleys that struck our
troops down in scores. General Sickles,
6ghting desperately, was struck in the leg
aud fell. The Second corps came 10 the
aid of his decimated column. The battle
then grew fearful Standing firmly up
against the storm, our troops, though still
outuumbered, gave back shot for lsh OF,
yolIey for Tolley, Rlmsst death for death.
Still the enemy was not restrained Down
i he came upon our left with momentum
that nothing could check. The rified guns
that lay before our infantry on knoll we're
in danger of capture. General Hancock
was wounded in the thigh, General Gibbon
in the shoulder.
The Fifth corps, as the First and Second
waveTed- anew, went into the breach With
such shouts aud such ,Yolleys IS made tue
I fehel column tFembls at last. Up from
the valley behind ) apothee battery, came
i, rolling to the heights and flung itsleou-
tents 10 an instant down in the midst Of
the enemy's ranks. Crashl crash With
discharges deafeaing, terrible, the musket-
, ~ firing went on; the enemy reforming
after each discharge with WOndrous celer-
ity and irmuess, still pressed up the de-
clivity. What hideous carnage filled the
, minutes between the appearance of the
Fifth corps and the advance 70 the support
ofthe rebel columns Of still another col.
| umn from the right, cannot bear TO tell
Men fell as the leaves fall in autumn be.
fore those horrible discharges. Falteriup
tor an instant, the rebel columns seemed
about to recede before the tempest. Brt
their ofiEers who could he seen through
the smoke of the eoafiiet gahoping and
. swinging their swords along the lines, raj.
lied them anew, and the next instant the
whole line spraug forward as if 10 break
through our own by mere weight Of mum.
bers. eilt s..s Il.
A division from the Twelfth corps on
the extreme right reached the scene at thi.
instant, aud At the same time SedgWick
came up With the Sixth corps, having en-
ished q march of nearly thirty six iconsec-
, ptive hours.iLT0 what rescJs they cAme
. their officers saw and told them. Weary
Is they were, bare-fOoted, hungry, At Il