Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1863-07-09

men stood the shock with q courage sub
lime 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 this deadly fire was
mainly direc cd was the Second, the po
sition being commanded by Gen. Hays.
The artillery fire continued without in
termission for threo houts, when sudden
ly, having been formed under cover Of
tho smoke of their own guns, the rebel
troops were hurled against our lines by
their officers 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 ter
ror. Not man ia the federal ranks
Ainched from his position. Not an eye
turned to the right or left in search Of Sc
curity; not hand trembled as the long
array Of our heroes grasped their muskets
as a charge, and waited the order to fire.
On and up came the enemy, hooting.
crowding, showing their very teeth in
venom of their rage until within thirty
yards Of our cannon.
As the turbulent mass of gray uni
forms, of flashing ayonets and cleaning
eyes, lifted itself in last leap forward
aim ost to the very mouth of our guns, a
volley Of shot, shell, scrampncl and bull
lets went crashing through it, levoling it
as a scythe. Its overwhelming onward
rush was in the next instant turned to
the hcsitating leap forward of a few sol
diors more daredevil than the rest, the
wild bounding upwards of more than a
few mortaly wounded heroes, and the
succeeding backward surge of the disioin-
ted remainder, which eliminated in
scamper down the slope that was in some
instances retarded by the pursuing bul
lets of our men.
Tho carnage of this assault among the
rebels was so fearful tat even federal
soldiers, who rested on their arms tri-
umphant, after the fce bad rctreated be-
yond their fire as they cast their eyes
downward upon the panorama Of death,
and wounds illuminated by the sun that
shone upon the slope before them, were
seen to shudder and turn sickening away
Then the Third and Fifth corps joine
in the fight. AS the rebels rallied for an
instant and attempted to make n stand,
they were met with such combined vol
leys as threatened to reduce their col.
umns to fragments.
The panic which ensued is unparalleled
in any battle in which the Army of thc
Potomac has ever been engaged. Tht
enemy queiled like ewes before tempest
The main line again receded, but nun.
bcrs palsied by the horror and tumut,
fell upon their knees, upon their breasts
upon their faces, shricking and lifting up
clasped hands in token of surrender and
appeal for mercy.
Gen. Garnctt's brigade surrendered
almost entire, but Garnett himself, by the
aid OF two of his men, succeeded though
wounded, in making his escape. Long
street, who led the reinforcements which
+ enabled the rebels to make their seconC
, brief stand, was wounded, captured, anC
is now prisoner. The muskctry firing
slowly ceased, and the discharge of ar
tillery continued Tor brief period, hu
even these reverbcrations finally die,
e away.
a Gen. Meade was not deceived in antic
ipating another onslaught. Lees cl
umns were collected and reformed wit
,, magical haste, Within an hour wha
seemed to be his whole force was agail
, massed directly in our front. where th
contest once more opened. The contos
this time was made with fury even sur
, passing that Of the first, it would seen
i that the entire rebel army had resolve,
= itself into gigantic Forlorn Hope, anC
bore in its CO Elective bosom the consci
business that the effort now made was tn
a last and the only one that could be mad
a towards retrieving the fortunes of tina
|. army, or preventing the inevitable dis
gra ce which lowered over it.
l.. 1t is said by rebel prisoners taken
the later part Of the engagement that tn
charge was led by Lee in person. Th
mention of his name could certain
r., not have added to its power or enthusi
asm. Yet the cool and gallant phalan
= which, secure in its position and conf
- dent in its leader, waited with a sienC
- only broken by the occasional roar Of a
ls tillery, the approach of the foe, and view
N ~ ed it as camly and met it as unlaltering
~ y as before Back, as easily as the gi
~. ~ hurls the shuttecoclI, did the soldiers
=, our gallant army hurl into chaotic rctrct
y the hosts that came on and on, over til
=, stones aud bitches, over the bodies {
- fallen comrades, piling its dead in heaI
II and making the soil over which it trc
- ghastly and alive with the strugglin
q wounded.
~ =. The firm array of Union soldiers whic
"a previously remaining stationary, no
=, bent forward to a charge, and became
7; pursuing Nemesis to the hordeS that
great numbers went rceling westwar
,c through the streets of Gettysburgh, an
= hey ond, as the brave troops of Reynold
~ corps went through them eastward on Il
Il previous day but one.
The victory was secure.
1t was a victory won not without sat
dening losses--sadder in their compar'
|, tive extent perhaps, than those whic
~, y, have chilled tho nations heart so oftc
% before to-day. OF our actual disaste
!, in killed and wounded it is now impo
4 sibc to make just estimate. The san
Of is true of the rebels, though it is pos
y lively known from the appearance OF Il
~ field from the Acknowledgements of rel
II. prisoners themselves, that it is far greF
- 49,, 80, 1,,,n fnha nnn, bor of ~;