The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1871-01-11
gtrange Story about Gettysburg.

ence.
gtrange story about Gettysburg.
In the early summer of 1858, the Union |
and rebel armies under Hooker and Lee, |
lay impregnRoly intrenched and facing each |
other at Fredericksburg. The last previous |
contest OF any importance had been the at |
fair e. Chancellorsv lille, from which the Eeb- |
els had come off with unbroken strength and |
renewed hope, and the Union army with de- |
feat. The aspect of affairs ut the North |
was more gloomy than az auy other time /
during she entire war. Rebel eInissaries /
and rebel symp athisers raised their heads in /
every northern State, and assisted the rebel /
cause by demanding cessation Of hoshli !
tiles, by fiercety denouncing the governme Mt
and by resisting drafts. Grant stood ham
nering away st Eicksburg, which it was
loudly prophecied he never could take rec
oguition OF the rebel government BY France
and Great Britain wac believed TO be imnai-
neat: our army was just then weakened by
the expiration OF the term OF service of many
thousands Of nine months men the rebels
knew as well as We that no recruits would be
available for several months at least aud al
things conspired 70 convince Lee that the
time nad come for him to strike. Leaving
ten thousand men in front of Hooker he
moved northward on the third of June with
hundred thousand men, conducting his OBJ
Hratlons so skilfuIly that ten days elapsed
before the movement was discovered, ct least
in its full extent ard terrible meaning; By
which time he was preparing to cross the
Potomac, and fall with his arenging
host Upon-whsE? whom ? where |
That was precisely what the people
o. h.
Washington, and the chieftains of the
Cuion army greatly desired TO know !! |
Hooker started after him By way OF DUN
fries. Bull Ron, Leesburg and the Gaps of
the Blue Ridge. Lee crossed into Maryland
and threw, out portions of his army IN tUer.y
dUe"tion, occupying Hsgsrstown, Cham bers-
burg, Cum berlsnd, McConnelsh burg Carlisle
crk, Greenesstle, and Kingston threaten
ing Harrisburg, Philadelphia, Baltimore
Washington, and even Pittsburg, and so
Gisposing his forces that it was the most
difficult thing in the world to answer the I
questions that millions vera asking: "What |
Is his objective point " hat Is his pur /
pose ~ 4 certain gentleman, not connect |
ed with the army, who YVES we'll acquainted |
with tbs topography Of the whole region
over which Lee was pushing out his differ
en-: columns, OWNED the purpose Of the
rebel General and wrote an anonymous
letter to General Meade, who had just then
superseded Hooker in commaDd,1 saying |
Is Lee wiH fight you at Gettys5ury!' :" This |
was more than q fortnight before the battle /!
AT time when there were no troops near
Gettysburg, nor any demon stration in that |
direction. The eyes of the country were |
turned anywhere and everywhere in search |
of the piace where the blow should fall, but
I'd ba az Of thai
letter was Of some such import as this. Lies !
knows that you will pursue him, and that be
must fight. He intends to fight. He has /
crossed the Potomac for the express purpose /
OF fighting. His plan is to lead different /
portions OF your army in diverse directions |
and then, when they are separated beyond
the possibility Of concentration, to fall with
his entire force upon each detachment,
and crush them all III detail.
If one foot of pair OF
dividers be placed upon the town of GettyE-
burg, the other foot will describe circle |.
that will pass within mile OF every town
which the enemy occupies in force, from
Iork clean around cumberland. There
roads over the mountains from every
one OF those towns to Gettysburg; and sim
UNANIMOUSLY forced marches can place Lees
every soldier in Gettysburg in thirty six /
hours. / our army should be concentrated !
with all dispatch ct Gettysburg" |
The writer of the letter showed 1t to |
friends, who urged him to send it to Mesje.
lie at first hesitated to do SO, thinking that
Lls view Of the case must have suggested it
self to Meade and bis immediate advisers,
aud thinking, moreover, that the letter
would probably light the pipe Of some staff
othcer, and never meet the eye Of the com
handing general. Aud yet, there certainly |
was possibility that this design Of Lee
might elude the observation of General
who had been placed in command e. such
a critical moment, and who had to look ten
thousand ways at once. 4 brother of "a
government official happening to know OF
the writing of the letter, pledged himself
that it was sent, Meade should receive it.
1t was sent, and that is all we positively
know of the history Of the letter. Bat We
know this, that in two weeks from the time
its predictions concerning Lees movements
had been literally verified; the widely sepa-
rated divisions of the Union army had been
concentrated, according to its counsels. and |
had poured into Gettysburg, from half the |
points of the compass, just in the nick of
time; and the mightiest struggle and supre
NEST crisis of the war had turned in favor |
of the national arms. The writer of the |
letter is now a citizen of Connecticut.