, 1863-07-21
CHICAGO. TUESDAY. JULY 21, 1868.

Gel era1 sedgewick brought up with the enc
followed, but General Sedgewi,:k refrAined
from bringing Oh general engagement.
During Sunday. between the Eours Of 10
O'Clock d, N. and p, H., after tile details
for burJiDg the dead Ind been made,,,an the
corps we're ordered to move in three columns,
as nearly as possible upon the heels Of the en-
envy. ,Headquar.ers, itself, Was ordered to
move to CrsagerstoTn that evening, twenty
tWo miles distant: This, I think, was before
the result Of Gen. sedgewfck's "a reconn oissance
had become known.
subsequently a1l tho orders for moving were
counternandeo, and the varioua corps halted
from Sunday night until Tuesday morning.
Headquartefe remained ut a point ten miles
southeast Of Getty sburg until that timer
IN the meantime our cavalry were rapidly
developing the line of the enemY's retreat.
Instead Of moving toward Chanbcrsburc,
wh1ch1s almost southwest Of Gettysburg, Lee
took took Shorter line Of retreat, and at once
tain, VIZ, the gap leading from Fairfield
through Jacks Mountain TO Wayneshoro.
esno~n Us Fountainda1e Gap, and the gap
through which passes the road from Emmsts-
burg to Waynesboro and Greencast1e, known
as Monterey Gap. Then By the country roads,
town.
There, we're then left to Gen. Meade two
routes to pnrsue-one to follow directly On
1ne Accls OF the enemy, md fight him in these
gaps, OF march at once for Harmon's Brad
South Mountain range-all below those occu.
pied by the enemy.
Tie latter route wns adopted, involving m
average cf march Of from Gften to twenty
miles further than the enemy had to 60, aud
on luesd day morning, two days af CT Lee had
fully aba1 doned his position, the army VIA
lut UPON forced marches for tho western
tlo}e Of the South Mountain. The general
rendezvous Of the corps w0s at Mtddietown.
IL the valley between the Catuctin aud South
Molntnln rauge6: Four or five Of the army
eorE,s entered this valley oy road SIX OF
eight niles north of Frederick, while two or
three Of them moved arcund b. the angle Of
Frederick, and thence west into the Middle
town Valley.
The concentration of the different corps at
Midd'etoWn was made, substantially, on Wed.
nesday n1ght--sone being in advance, some
at, and tome just III the rear Of Middle
town. Headquarters, which made single
leap Of thirty. five miles from Gettysburg to
Frederick un Tuesday, moved to Mlddletowu
On Wednesday,.
On Thursday, Jnly 9, the march was re-
euntd, the Second aud Twelfth corps passing
down The Middletown Valley to Cram mpton's
Gap, eight miles below Turner's Gap, through
which tue balance Of the army passed. Thurs
day nights headquarters were moved to the
Mou,tain House III the Gap, four miles west
Of MidaletoYn.
On Friday, the army WIS all well over the
mountain, well In hand for Mt tack or de{ensa-
nore 60 By fur thun when the enemy made the
attack at Gettysburg. for thu corps were then
twenty miles awny. Thursday night, the sixth
corI's, which was in adynnce, had pushed out
four mill beyond Boonsboro, OF within three
miles Of Funkstown, Buford's cavalry having
gallant1y cleared the road after two days &C.
war Hsyktff f1rry h
On Friday the headquarters Of Gen. Meade
were established near An fetam Bridge, on the
N'illiamsp0rt road, three miles west Ut Boons-
buro, nEd seven miles south Of 1lagersrowu,
they remaining there until Tuesday night.
From Fiiday until Tuesday morning. our
three miles. During this time our line was
formed on tbe.west side OF the Antietam, and
We approached the enemy to within distance
rapgsng from half a nile to mile and half
Here We fell to throwing up works Of de-
fierce.
to eight miles long, flat OF the eneuy being
the longest. Of courre, thus extended, both
were very weak, aud The advantage rested
with the party who made vigorous and sud
Een attack. believe am correct In suyiog
that w. never fully compelled the cnumy to
develop tis line. We knew he had one, but,
It's ex"ct locatton, character und strength, was
nor, au far as am able to learn, fully ascer-
thin. d. There is good evidence, however, for
the belief that the chief portion Of the enc
ny's works were thrown UP bet ween Thurs
day xnd Monday. What little information
We got Of their do1ugs tended 10 show this.
In addition to this, They kept NJ. m exceed
sh hiruiehers, and acted III every WY Just IS
VT know they always do, when they wish to
conceal SOME Important movement-just as
We d. when We desire to do the came thing.
commanders, aleo attended By the Chief En-
gInetr, the chief OF cavalrF, and the chief Of
staff, VILE held. The question Of attacking the
enemy waa discussed Of the seven infantry
corps commanders, i've opposed an att tuck,
oud two favored lt-Gens. Howard and Wads-
gineer, and Gen. PIeusanton, commanding tile
cavalry corps, earnestly favored 4 forward
movement, as they had not failed to do from
the first. 4 council was said to be necessary
berallse 1t was tue only Way, in view Of the
nctiYe nature Of the campaign thus far, BY
which Il correct Idea Of the efficiency of each
corps could be asccr aimed. It Is worthy Of
lIote that Gems. Howard aud Wadswosth, who
advised an attack, were the weakest III NUM-
berg.
What Gen. Meade's own inclination Was,
anl not positively informed, but think ho
desired to push Al4ead, but flnaEly deferred to
this opinion Of the majority Of his subordt-
mites. l. consideration which, doubtless,
had rome influence In delaying q movement,
were the fact that rctnforcements were slowly
other Idea prevailed very strongly with some
Of the corps commanders, VIZ, Tint Lee
Eculd be compelled to attack US, because Of
tho continued high stage Of the Potomac,
and that he could not, SO long as 1t lasted,
ub.atn any rtlfahle means Of crossing; and
the belief a1so existed that, as matter Of
pride, he would not retreat, but would arbi-
tratc again on the bloody field Of another bat.
tie. I may add here that our information
concerning the condition Of the river aud the
opezn ions Of the enemy in its vicinity, was
exceedingly scanty, and generally considered
unreliable. One or two reports Of scouts,
however, which were at fist discredited,
nfterward proved to have been wall founded,
! ,iz., that Lee had obtained number Of pom
toons from Winchester, and that he was
building lat boats at Williamsport.
On Sunday night, July L, some Of the
Corps Commanders began, on their own re-
sponsibiity, to throw up earthworks for q
line ct defence Tits was continued through
Monday and Monday night, even up to the
momtnt Of the departure Of the enemy 5 rear
guard. It is due to Gen. Warren, Chief Engi-
neer, to say that this was entirely without
proceeding. as well as condemned the position
of much Of the line.
The escape Of Lee was reported at daylight
on Tuesday morning, by negro who camu In
| FRI III Nlliiumsport. Ills statement was not
CREDITED, Gen. Meade believing thatthe enemy
| was merely concentrating his forces ut some
point on his long line to resist au attack.
but by Q a. M, everybody was convinced.
| The manner and means By which he escaped
| you hare already had In full.
THEE Of four facts grouped together tell the
| whole story. The national army took up its
! line on Friday nna remained nearly In the
eamc position until Tuesday; the troops
were in superb spirits, and their confidence
| that they could whip the rebels was stronger
than have ever yet seen It, and was fully
! exempli6ed in the few short skirmishes that
took place both cavalry and infantry,
| resulting uniformly in our favor. The enemy
had strong line, but not one third so formi.
| dable Oh ours 1T Gettysburg-da dangerously
! weak because Of its length, and welker by
far on Friday, June 10, than on Monday, July
| 13. The enemy's mcalls Of crossing On Fri
day were incomplete, on Monday they wera
| complete enough to carry him away; and
| Jet on Monday his army WIS divided By
the river, and In state Of trepidation
for fear their hazardous movement should
| be discovered. We were growing stronger,
| by additions Of troops, while We lny still,
| and the enemy was improving the same time
In recovering from the disheartcnment Of bis
defeat, and the aggregation Of supplies and
ammunition from Winchester. In short, de.
l vrI II>F arlx .,%n 49,