Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1863-07-10
The Great Battle in PennsyI-
Vania!

Three Days Terrific Fighting !-Immense Slaugh-
terLUni0n Forces Victorious Rebels Routed
aud Attempting to Escape to Virginia Our
Forces Pursuing!
Who can write the history Of battle, whose
eyes are immovably fastened upon a central
figure of transcendingly absorbing interest
the dead body of an oldest born, crushed by a
shell in position where battery should new
er have been sent, and abandoned to death in
a building where surgeons dared not to stay !?
The battle of Gettysburg! am told that
il commenced on the LIST OF july a mile north
Of the town, between two weak brigades of in
fantry and some doomed artillery and the whole
force of the rebel army. Among other costs
of this error was the death of Reynolds. Its
value was priceless, however, though priceless
was the young and the old blood with which it
was bought.
The error put US on the defensive, and gave
US the choice of position. From the mo-
ment that our artillery and infantry rolled
back through the main street of Gettysburg
and rolled out of the town to the circle of en-
inences south Of it, we were not to attack but
to be attacked. The risks, the difficulties and
tho disadvantages of the coming battle were
the enemys. Ours were the heights for artill-
cry, ours the short inside lines for manauver-
ing and reinforcing ours the cover of stone
walls, fences and the crest of hills The ground
on which we were driven to accept the battle,
was wonderfully favorable to Us. A popular
description of it would be to say that it was in
form al elongated and somewhat sharpened
horseshoe, with the toe to Gettysburg and the
heel to the south.
Lees plan of battle was simple. He mass
ed his troops upon the east side of this shoe oi
position, and thundered on it obstiuately to
break it. The shelling of our batteries from
the nearest overlooking hill, and the unhinch-
ing courage and complete discipline of the
Army OF the Potomac repelled the attack. II
was renewed at the point of the shoe-renewed
desperately at the southwest heel-renewed
on the western side, with an effort consecrated
TO success by Ewelrs earnest oaths, and on
which the fate of the invasion of Pennsylva-
MIA was fully at stake. Only perfect infant
ry, and an artillery educated in the midst o.
charges of hostile brigades, could possibly
have sustained this assault. Hancock's corps
did sustain it, and has covered itself with i'm
mortal honor by its constancy and courage
The total wreck of Cushing's battery-the
list of its killed and wounded-the losses o.
officers, men and horses Cowen sustaiusd-and
| the marvellous outspread upon the board o.
death Of dead soldiers and dead animals-o
dead soldiers iE blue and dead soldiers in gray
more marvellous to me than anything have
ever seen in war-are a CHASTITY and shocking
testimony to the terrible 6ght of the 2d Corps
that none will gainsay. That corps will ever
have the distinction of breaking the pride and
power of the rebel invasion.
For such details as have the heart for
The battle commenced at daylight, on the side
of the horseshoe position, exactly opposite tC
that which Ewell had sworn to crush through
Musketry preceded the rising of the sun.
thick wood veiled this fight, but out of its lea
| fy darkness arose the smoke and the surgins
and swelling OF the fire, from intermittent t.
continuous, and crushing, told of the wise tao
tics of the rebels Of attacking in force ant
changing their troops. Seemingly the attacl
of the day was to be made through that wood
The demonstration was protracted-it was alb
solutely preparative but there was no artille
ry fire accompanying the musketry, and shrewl
officers in our western front mentioned, will
the gravity due to the fact, that the rebels hat
felled trees at intervals upon the edge of tn
wood they occupied in face of our position
These were breastworks for the protection q
artillerymen.
Suddenly, and about ten in the forenoon
the firing on the east side, and every where g
bout our lines, ceased. A silence as of dee
sleep fell upon the field of battle. Our arm
cooked, ate and slumbered. The rebel arm
moved one hundred and twenty guns to tn
west and massed there Lougstreet's and Hill
corps, to huri them upon the really weakes
point of our entire position
Eleven o'clock-twelve o'clock-One O'Clock
In the shadow cast by the tiny farm house
sixteen by twenty, which Gen. Meade ha
made his headquarters, lay wearied staff officer
and tired reporters. There was not wautin
! to the peacefulness Of the scene the singing c
a bird, which bad nest in peach tree with
in tie tiny yard of the white washed cottage
| In the midst of its warbling. a shell screame
over the houss, instantly followed by another
and apotbeF, and in moment the air was fu
of the most complete artillery prelude to q
infantry battle that was ever exhibited
Every size and form of shell known to Britis
or American gunnery, shrIeked, whirled, moan
ed, whislled and wrathfully Suffered over on