The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-07-17
THE WEEKLY PIONEER AND DEMOCRAT

in piles, as if thunder bolt had fallen
upon the one living mass.
THE CENTRE.
Beyond the Taneytown road we came to
the centre Of the I'd corps. Look into
yonder field. Those blackened forms were
living men yesterday. They moved over
the meadows west of the Emmettsburg
road in martial array. They came up
determinedly. Here, by the little thicket
of scrubby oaks, stood Hayes division of
the 3D. Here are dozen Union men ly-
ing as they fell, beneath the leafy shade.
They would not run. The line of blue was
thin here-no supports. The line of gray
was thick-three thicknesses-three waves
rolling in upon the determined men
powerful enough and strong enough to
sweep the blue back from the slight breast
work to the cannon, but 40 further. Here,
juss where the ground begins to slope to-
ward the west, at the muzzles of the guns,
was the high-water mark toward conquer
ing the North.
Here stood the 10Th and Goth Massachu-
sets, the men who fought their way up
the sleeps of Fredericksburg on that De-
cember night Of last year. They are sadly
reduced. Here is the 25th, mastering this
morning .tyty-eight guns only! The 18th
and 22d are close by. They all had q
share in yesterdays struggle; also the 18th,
18th and the 9th. Further down was the
I'd, also terribly gashed. Away up on the
right the 22d and 23d were in the hottest
fire. Out there toward Trousel's house,
on the Emmettsburg pike, Bigelow's bat
terry had its terrible fight. Nearer, Phil
lips, formerly Aliens poured out its tre-
mendous fire and held thesenemy in check.
All along this ridge there is Massachusetts,
blood, freely given to the Union-to the
country. Every step you take is enriched
with the costly offering and sacrifice
Five distinct and separate attempts
were made to carry this position, but the
men guarding it were of adamant and
iron.
1t will be easy for stranger to trace
this battle line. Commence at the ceme-
terry and walk along the crest of the ridge
to Round Top, and you will have the ex-
act locality. The ID, Sd, 9th and 9th
corps did the work below the Taneytown
road. At times the ID and Sd went in
| front, the 9Th and 9th supporting, and
then the 9Th and 9th came up and gave
| their comrades o chance to rest in the
rear
There was determination on the part of
the rebels to win-equal determination on
| the part of the Union men to hold the po-
sition. When the fight was the hottest, a
| gunner in one of Osborne's batteries was
severely wounded and unable to stand,
| but seating himself behind the piece, he
twice sighted it before he would allow
himself to be carried to the rear
Men fired in each others faces not five
feet apart. There were bayonet thrusts,
cuttings with sabres, pistol shots, cool, de-
liberate movements on the part of some,
hot, passionate, desperate efforts with
| others, hand to hand contests-there was
recklessness Of life-tenacity of purpose
oaths, curses, yells, hurrahs, shoutings-
| men went down, some On their faces,
some leaping into the air with exclama-
tons wrung from their hearts. There
were ghastly heaps Of dead where the can
| non tore open the ranks.
The hours became eternities, the min
utes ages, and yet the line held out Thin
| as it was, it was strong and tenacious
the best Of mettle-not to be broken OF
twisted by the tremendous force beating
and pounding at the centre.
Harrow's brigade of the Cd division, Cd
corps, lost half its nunber-111 killed,
400 wounded. and 1873 missing.
THE SPIRITS OF THE ARMY
Last night | rode along the ridge. 1t
was past nine o'clock The pickets were
at it, our own out by the Emmettsburg
road Occasionally a shell screamed past
them, from the batteries opposite the third
corps. The enemy were beaten. The
troops were !jubilant. The third corps was
cheering-their shouts must have been
very distinctly heard by the rebels across
the fields.
At headquarters, IN the oak grove on
the Taneytown road, there waS.a collec-
ton of officers. General Meat rode in,
sat down upon stone, weary with the
hard days work An officer reported that
| Pleasanton had taken several hundred
| prisoners.
''Bully Tor him. bully, bully, all
around - was his good natured, bluff,
| frank response.
4 band struck up Hail to the Chief. -
The music, never more pleasing to the
ear than then, mingled with The cheers
still ringing at the base Of Round Top,
| and was borne on the evening air across
the fields to the discounted enemy. The
men were in good heart to-day. They
feel at last the army Of the Potomac is a
power in the world. It has worked hard,
suffered much, has been abused, has been
thought to be OF no account, but it has
written page of history-a bloody page,
but one which will be forever honorable in
the book of time.
HOW REBEL SHOWED HIS COLoRs.
When the rebel ranks gave way last
night, hundreds threw down their guns
and came into our lines. One rebel, fear
ing that he might not succeed in surrend-
ering in that way, displayeda flag oftruce
by dividing his hands into his pantaloons
and elevating his shirt above his head:
Amid roars of laughter his unconditional
surrender was accepted.
The Draft in Massachusetts.
| From the Boston Post, July Z.