Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-07-23
MADISON, WIS.
The Three Days Battle at Gettysburg.
GRAPHIC ACCOUNT.

Especial correspondence OF the Boston Journal
NEAR GETTYSBURG, July 2.
How poor, how tame, how insignificant
are all descriptions OF great battle. Vic
tor Hugo stirs your blood with his des-
cription of Waterloo. Kinglake gives You
the battle of the Alma in detail, with a
minuteness that wearies, and yet neither
of them has produced picture much like
the reality. [ shrink from the task OF
attempting even an outline of the series OF
battles at Gettysburg, where nearly two
hundred thousand men have met upon the
f Id. | cannot picture the ground, the
hills, ravlnes, fields, houses, roads, rocks,
trees, the little things OF locality all i'm
portant 10 a military commander; neither
can | place the men IN proper position IN
line of battle, behind walls and fences,
sheltered by hillocks, gathered in groups
IL some all important position, the holding
Of which may turn the tide Of battle.
Then there are the batteries in play, flash
ing and th7ndering, hills smoking like vol
canoes, and hollows RENTING flames, as If
subterranean fire were bursting upward.
All this to the sight, and quite as much
to the ear-the rolls of musketry, like
ocean breakers on the beach the rafting
fire, which is as you have heard hailstOnes
upon window pane, or the great drops
of summer shower upon q roof. There
is the screaming of the shot, the explosion
of shells, the terrifying whizzing OF pieces
in the air and then there are the groans
of the wounded, which touch ones sensi-
bilities, and if he be not lndQrated to
scenes of suffering it takes hls strength
away and humans him.
GETTYSBURG.
1t is the county seat Of Adams, Penn
sylvania. Nearly forty miles, little
north OF cast from Frederick on the head
waters of the Monocacy. Rock creek,
which in spring time leaps over huge
granite boulders, runs south, mile east
of the town, and is the main stem of the
Monocacy. Being a county seat, it is
also grand cen ire for this section of the
State, contains six or eight thousand in
habtants,G and has a beautiful location
surrounded with scenery OF quiet beauty,
hills, valleys, the dark outline and yerdure
clad sides OF the Blue Ridge in the west,
and the heaved up, billowy Cacoctin range
on the south. 1t is a focus Tor roads
north, east, south, west, from nearly eli
points of the compass. You are reminded
of a spider, or a bug, or an old daddy
long legs, with its numerous limbs reach
ing in all directions.
Notice its locality. the Cacoctin range
of mountains is south of it-knols, here,
but ten miles down, over the State lire,
they become mountains OF respectable
size. There are two ranges-the CacOc-
tin, and the South mountain, with q mar
C
ty and beauty between. Gettysburg is at
the head of this valley. Down in Mary
land, the mountain walls have few gate
ways, so few that Lee having massed his
army at Gettysburg, could not be tianked
through those passes except by very
large force. To attack him there from the
South, or from the direction of Hagers-
town would be a complete division OF our
army. 1t would be comparatively an easy
matter for him to fall upon our inferior
force, debouching through the South
Mountain passes and aGnihilate it, because
it would not be in supporting distance of
any force moving upon him from the east
at Gettysburg. Or, if superior force
went to move through those passes to at
tack him, he being at the head OF the
mountain range, would have an open road
to Baltimore.
make this explanation in regard to
locality that the motions, the marchings
and the concentration of the Union army
may be clearly understood. Lee chose
Gettysburg for battle ground because be
knew he could not be fanked on the
South; that any attempt to flank him
there would be just what he would like
to see. Chess players sometimes set traps.
Perhaps he thought Meade would rush
through those gaps to cut him off from
the Potomac al Wiliamsport.
On Saturday last the army was at Fred
erick, and Meade was placed in command.
Early, of Ewell's corps of rebels, was at
York and on the Susquehanna, threatening
to cross at the Columbia bridge. Rhodes
and johnson of his corps were In front OF
Harrisburg. Philadelphia was greatly ex.
cited for fear that Lee was about TO make
a grand dash for its capture. The army
must be maneuvered to circumvent him.
If he crossed at Harrisburg, Meade must
cross below to preserve his short line of
march to keep the inside of the track and
get in ahead. Or if he was not intending
such a scheme, it was necessary to keep
the army in position to head him off from
an advance upon Baltimore and Washing
ton. 1t may be easily seen that if Meade,
alarmed tor Philadelphia, should throw
his entire army over to the SuSquehanna
north of Baltimore, that by a rapid march
to the mouth of the Monocacy, he could
keep Meade at bay, and hence Baltimore
and Washington would be at his mercy.
Some such considerations as these doubt
less were elements in Lees calculations.
But the Union army has not been thrown
over to the Susquehanna, neither has Bal
timore or Washington been uncovered,
but has been so man9Qvered that it could
be concentrated right or lett, as circnm~
stances might require.
THE MOVEMENTS.
On Sunday, the 2Sth of June, the First
and Eleventh corps were at Middletown,
in the valley between the Cacoctin and
the Blue Ridge. They were moved east
to Frederick, and then directly up the
Monocacy valley, on the west side of the
stream, through Mechanicstown and En-