Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1867-01-31

THE BATTLE OF GETTYsBURG.-TOwn
Hall was well filled last evening by an
attentive and appreciative audience to
listen to the lecture by Rev. W S. Smart
upon the above subject, and few we
think who heard it, regret that they
were present on the occasion. Though
we have heard much praise bestowed
upon Mr.. Smart's production, we must
confess that we have heard no words of
laudation which bestowed upon it the
merit which it is justly entitled to, and
seus.hly feel our own inability TO de-
scribe it in these columns. Taking the
listener gently by the hand, the speaker
visited with him the scenes Of that
memorable three days conflict, and
after pointing out the scenery and land
scape in such manner as all could
clearly comprehend he proceeded to
show the disposition of our own troops,
under the leadership of the redoubtable
Meade, and the confronting columns of
rebels under the skillful management Of
the great Southern chieftain Lee. So
perfect was the lecturers description of
the events of that terrible scene of car
mage, that the dullest of perception
could easily comprehend the move
ments Of hostile columns, the booming
| of distant cannon, the shrieking of
shells, the whistling of bullsts and the
| dreadful yells and hurrahs incident to
! the fierce bayonet charge.
| How the rebel hordes poured down
upon the brave soldiers Of the Army of
| the Potomac on the first two days of
the fight, led by snch officers as Ewell,
Early and A. P. Hill, and the advan-
tages gained by them in ground and
! position, was depicted by Mr.. Smart in
an able and forcible manner. The night
after the battle, too, on the battlefield
and at the rear, in the hospital and
bivouac, was brought to the minds of the
audience with all its sickening details.
But Notwithstanding the fierce fight
ing of the I'd and Sd days Of July, in
| which our army was to certain extent
worsted, the greatest onslaught and
! GROWING victory was deferred until the
next day, the anniversary Of our nation
Independence, when at early dawn, the
rebels sought to cross the Baltimore
turnpike aud reach the hills ia the
! distance, movement which, if success.
| full would have fianked the Army of the
Potomac and compelled a Withdrawal if
| not a disastrous rOut. But the move
ment was appreheDded and the rebel yell,
as their columns dashed forward, was an
swered by the Union cheer, and the work
of death commenced. Here the look
er-on could distinctly see the gray mass
waver before the blue line until the
ground lost on the previous evening had
been more than regained, aad the tide Of
battle turned.
The fighting was not done with, how
ever, for while the events Of the morn
ing were in progress, Lee had from an
observing point, scanned the disposition
| of the Union forces, and at 100 p. M,
opened upon our line with deadly fire
| from the Threats of $50 cannon, which
was necessarily poured in for two whole
hours after which, in the vain hope of
cutting our army in twain, he swooped
! down upon its most exposed point a
picked force of 1000 men. Here it was
that the Second Vermont Brigade GOV.
cred itself with fame and glory, when
the gallant 18th, 14th and 10th regi-
ments, under the able leadership of that
noble son of the Green Mountain State,
General George J. Stannard, aided by
Coils. Randall, Nichols and Veazey, sue
cessfully resisted the shock of the COM
ing foe and captured three whole regi-
ments of prisoners. This movement was
the one more than any other which
proved disastrous TO the Confederate
hordes and sent Lee with his rebel mas