The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-07-02

iIa5 .I Dlo ahall nave peTl8hed, men will
s1lll 1i read Of Moses and the Pass az
IheTmopyl@. Monuments, after alI
are DuI Ior the present, and may only
rious deed is joy forever.
Dix years ago, day after to. roorro--,
the Union army was stretched aIone
these nights from Culp's HiI ~
Hound Top-a human break -water
against which the great tidal wave ~
rebellion was that day TO dash in vain
and be thrown back I'm bloody sprav
ana broken pillows. The rebel chief
tam, flushed by his success at Bred
ericksburg and Chaucellorsville for.
gettlng that his triumphs had arisen
from the fact that he had FOUGHT
upon his own soil, behind natural
businesses, having the advantage of
choice Of position and KNOWLEDGE 81
the country, had insoleutly crossed
the Potomac, and invaded the loval
State Of Pennsylvania. But from
this invasion he was TO be hurled
back IN bloody defeat, and In disor
dered flight TO rccross the Potomac
never again to set foot upon the soil
Of a loyal State. On yonder high
ground across the plain was drawn
out IN battle array, the rebel host. no
was an open field; the terms were
nearly equal, and steady Northern
yalor, animated by the love of coun-
try, was to meet the boasfed ghivaIrv
OF the South fighting for slavery.
sweep Il from the field, strip It of its
meretrlciOus plumcs, aud give the
Contedracy a fatal wound.
1t IS the solid qualities Of men and
nations that win in the long ran. The
! chlvalry Of false pride, the arrogance
and vanity Of a favored class. whose
elevation is only seen By the depres-
SION OF others, may By spasmodic
efforts, for a time dazzle the ewes of
the world, but cannot long maintain q
successful contest with truth. Justice.
and the strength Of free Institutions.
This was illustrated in the war of the
rebellion, and in the battle Of Gettys-
burg This battle was not won hy
superior strategy or military genius.
although managed with great courage
and skill by General Meade and his
subordinate commanders, who left
nothing undone that the occasion
seemed to require, and who made tho
best use Of the forces and opporuui-
Ties at their command.
1t was a three days battle, with
y
days, IN which the steadiness Of
Northern valor, animated by the con-
VlctlOns Of Just cause, and the love
aud pride of great free country.
finally wore out bore down. ana
swept from the field tho rebel masses.
composed Of men Of equal physical
courage, but whose moral power was
impaired by the absence of that
strong conviction Of the right. which
Is a vast element Of success.
In yonder cemetery, among the
white tOmbstOnes, where heaves the
turf IN many O mouldcriug heap
over the buried generations Of the
hamlet, was planted the artillery,
whose fearful peal8 would have
aroused the slumbering dead were it
not ordained that they should awake
only at the sound of the last trump.
just behind the crest Of tho bill In
the old cemetery, stood the tent
OF our glorious commander, the
imperturable Meade, calmly die
tating his orders, while the storm
of shot and shell flow over aud around
him. From youder steeple south
west Of the village, the rebel chieftain
surveyed the field, directed his host
and from time to time saw his add
vancing columns reel and Wither, and
finally retreat in hopeless flight and
confusion. The flower Of the rebel
army had been chosen for the assault,
and were massed to bring overwhelm-
ing numbers to bear on tho point of
attack. The rebel chieftain brought
together more than one hundred and
fifty pieces Of artillery, with which,
for three hours, he poured n terrific
firo fHoN frf of HNa fr.s
he intended TO assault.
Ii was a grand and solemn sight,
when line after line, with steady
step and ID perfect order, emerged
from the smoke and swept across
the field towards the Union army.
IL was q moment of vast peril aud
import, Of which both parties were
conscious III the rebel
assault was successful and we lost
the battle, Washington and phila-
deiphia were within their grasp.
The North invaded, defeat
ed and dcmOralizad, would do
We knew not what. Foreign nations
would be encOura ed TO intervene, aud
the South elated, would put forth
more desperate efforts than before
Ii the assault failed aud We gained
the battle, the remnant of the rebel
host must seek safety IN flight, and
blow would be Inflicted upon the
from which 10 could
scarcely recover. These thoughts
we're present in the minds Of an.
aud gave heroic courage to assault
and to resist. But now the fire
Of our artillery was opened upon
the advancing columns, and the shot
and shell tore through their ranks,
making great gaps, which were
quickly filed mp by those who came
behind. But onward they came, with
desperate courage, until soon the
fierce fire Of musketry on both sides
mingled with the hOrrid rear of nTtiI-
lery. Then, with terrific yells, they
rushed upon our lines; but the im
petus of their assault was suddenly
checked. They we're met by cOur-
age as desperate as their own, and
a fierce haLd-to-hand conflict took
place. The result WIS not long doubt
full Their thinned aud broken col
nmns were flung back across the plain
10 headlong fight, leaving thousands
Of prisoners in our hands, the ground
covered with dead and dyiug, and wet
aud muddy with blood. We had
gained the day, though at fearful cost
The victory was great and mighty in
ts consequences. The prestige of the
rebel army was broken, never 90 be
and the wound inflicted
upon the Coufcderacy was never
5taunehed, until it had bled TO death.
But / shall not attempt to give a