Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1863-07-16

others had fallen even to the last man.
With what thrill of relief General
Howard who had sent q messenger daring
the day to Slocum and Sickles, saw in
the distance at evening the approaching
bayonets of the Third and Twelfth corps.
Those corps arrived and assumed positions
to the right and left of the First and
Eleventh on the heights about Cemetery
Hill at dusk. 70 The enemy made no fur
ther demonstration that night. General
Meade and staff arrived before l / o'clock.
The commander then examined the posi-
tion, and posted the several corps in the
following order the Twelfth (Slocum) on
the right, the Elevnth ( (Howard) next,
the Second (Hancock) First Doubleday,
and Third (Sickles in tho centre, the
Fifth Sykes on the extreme left. The
situation was brilliant, commanding.
For almost the first time in the history of
this army's career belonged the advan-
tage in the decisive battles which en-
sued. a..~ ey.iaus. bed aIua sH
The heights on which our troops were
posted sloped gently downward from our
front. The line stretched in a semi circle
Its convex centre towards Gettysburg,
the extremes toward the southwest and
south. Ledges on the interior sides gave
our soldiers in some instances partial
shelter from artillery. Every road was
commanded by our cannon. and the
routes by which Lee might otherwise
soonest retreat in case of his defeat we're
all in our possession. OF At every one
weaker than others reserves were judi
ciously posted, and the cavalry--an arm
of the service scarcely brought into play
in some recent and destructive battles
protected both our tanks in immense
numbers. .amii 5maa nj
4 l Thus the great army lay down to sleep
at midnight, and awoke on the morn of a
day more sanguinary than the last. 'an-
| l -aD THE BATTLE OF THURSDAY. 5aJ 10
On what spectacle the sun of Thurs
day rose, tile memory of at least that por-
tion of our forces who witnessed it from
Cemetry Hill will linger forever. From
its crest the muzzles of fifty cannon point
ed towards the hills beyond the town.
From the bluffs to the right and left ad-
ditioual artillery frowned, and away on
either side, in graceful and majestic
curve, thousands of infantry moved into
battle line, their bayonets cleaning like
serpcnt's scales. The roofs of Gettys-
burg in the valley below, the riffs Of
woodland along the borders of Rock Greek,
the orchards far down on the left, the
fields green and beautiful, in which the
cattle were calmly grazing, composed .
scene of such peace as it appeared was
never made to be marred by the clangor
of battle. / strolled out to the Cemetery
ere the dew was yet melted from the grass
and leaned against monument to listcn
to the singing of birds Que note mil.
der than the rest, had just broken from
the throat of an oriole in the foliage above
me when the sullen rattle of musketry
on the left told that skirmishing had be-
gun. Similar firing soon opened along
the entire rebel line. and although no no.
table demonstration was made during the
forenoon, it was apparent that the enemy
was feeling our strength preparatory to
some decisive effort. 40 Ifgffa
The day wore on full Of anxious sus-
pense, and it was not until 4 o'clock in
the afternoon that the enemy gave voice
in earnest. Ls1t HtnJeL Li'a'
He then began heavy fire on Genet
cay Hill, and it must not be thought that
this wrathfil fire was unanswered. Our
artillery began to play within few mo.
nents and hurled back defiance and like
destruction upon the rebel lines. Until
o'clock the roar Of cannon, the rush Of
J missiles, and the bursting Of bombs filled
all the air. The clangor alone Of this
. awful combat might well have confused
and awed less cool and watchful com.
, mander than Gen. Meade. It did not con.
fuse him. With the calculation Of a tao
q ..4.l- Ii IL c y IA L. 4 q.