Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1863-07-09
.r,,e nn,,ic OF Friday.


.,r,ne Than that which is Just itIngng us
3,.no RAYS over the field OF this lh' third
If successive battles, The victory
1", Nv General Meade is now 50 decis-
W.. ,b,i ma one in this army pretends TO
,.,,ion the rout and Decentralization of the
I,e army under General Lee, The bat
,I.. of Wednesday aud Yesterday were
,,g,,en,y terrible hu, in that which has
,.oaed today the fighting done, not only
', our troops but by those Of Lees army,
,.., rank in herosm, in perseverance, and
w IN savage energy with that Of Water
The position Of Lee at the close OF last
...,,jug was such that he was forced to-
5ay 10 reduce all his energies into one
rand desperate and centralized attempt
70 break through our army, His divisions
we're so much cut up as to render pitch
Oh hattie from wing to win one of awful
hazard. The dilemma was a terrible one,
and that the rebel commander fully real
iled all its risks is evinced 10y the
desperation of his onset to-day. Friday
morning found our army reinforced. The
wick, and the twelfth, General SlOcum,
had arrived and taken up strong positions.
At the last hour our troops We're ranged
in hne along the Emmettshurg turnpike
and the TaneytOwn road. The engage
ment began by AN assault of our troops
upon some rifle pits on the extreme right,
which were left in the possession of the
L. flbai.
turned by the rebels and the fight imme-
diately became general. Until nearly
noon the battle ragged without intermlssion
but with no loss to us, when we finally OBJ
tanned possession of the rife plts-the
rebel force which had previously held them
retreating. The firing then slackened,
but at one o'clock was renewed at differ
ent points along the line with a tierceness
premonitory of the terrific engagements
that ensued. Several charges were made
by the rsbels as feints, their troops falling
back after the first rush in every part of
the field, except that held by their forces
under General Ewell, who was seen TO con-
centrate themiantry and artillery together,
and who soon opened murderous fire of
cannon on our left center.
Then the engagement began in earnest.
The firing became continuous roar
battery after battery was discharged with
a swiftness amazing; yell on yell from the
rebels succeeded each gust of shot and
shell, until the valley overhung with
smoke from whence these horrible sounds
issued, seemed alive with demons. 1t APP
peared at times as though not foot of air
was free from the hail of missiles that tore
over and through our ranks, thinned but
not shaken. Our men stood the shock
with a courage sublime-an endurance so
wonderful as to dim even the heroic record
of the band that fell upon the acre of
Tourney. The corps against which The
deadly fire was mainly directed was the
second, the position being commanded by
General Hayes.
The artillery fire continued without in
PERMISSION for three hours, when suddenly,
having been formed under cover of the
smoke of their own guns, the rebel troops
were hurled against our lines by their off
GERS in masses, the very tread OF whose
feet shook the declivity up which they
came, with cries that might have caused
less dauntless troops than those who
awaited the onset, to break with terror
Not a man IN the federal ranks finched
from his position. Not an eye turned tc
the right or left in search of securlty-not
hand trembled as the long array of our
heroes grasped their muskets at a charge
and awaited the order to fire. On anC
up came the enemy, hooting, crowding
showing their very teeth in the venom Of
their rage until within thirty yards of our
cannon. As the turbulent mass of gray
uniforms, of flashing bayonets and CLEAN
ing eyes, lifted itself in a last leap for
ward almost to the very mouths of oul
guns, a volley of shot, shell, shrapnel an,
bullets went crashing through it, levehn!
1t as a scythe. Its overwhelming onwar
rush was in the next instant turned to tn
hesitating leap forward of few soldier
more daredevil than the rest, the vii
bounding upwards Of more than a fey
MORALLY wounded heroes, and the succeed
ing backward surge of the disjointed II
mainder, which eliminated in scampe
down the slope that was in some instance
retarded by the pursuing bullets of on
men.
The carnage of this assault among ii
rebels was so fearful that even federal so
dier6 who rested on their arms triumphar
after the foe had retreated beyond the
fire. as they cast their eyes downward u
on the panorama Of death and wounds
Illuminated by the sun that shone upon tt
slope before them, were seer to shuddt
and turn sickening away.
Then the Third and Fifth corps joine
in the fight. As the rebels rallied for !,
instant and attempted to make star,
they were met by such combined wolfe
as threatened to reduce their columns
fragments. The panic which ensued
unparalleled in any battle in which Il
army of the Potomac has ever been e.
gagged. The enemy quailed like ewes b
% fore tempest. Their main line aga
receded, bat numbers palsied by the no
ror and tumult, fell upon their knees, u
on their breasts, upon their faces, shrei
ing and lifting up clasped hands in toll,
of surrender and appeal for mercy. Ge
eral Dick Garnett's brigade surrender,
o1...,-+ ,,,t;,, I,,+ b;,ocalf u