The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1871-02-02
GErEvSlisss ssG.
4 Strange history Of the Great Battle.

y
summer Of 1868 the Onion and re bei
armies, under Hooker and Lee. lay
impregnsb'y intrcuehcd and facing
each other at fredericksburg. The
last previous contest uf any importance
bad been the affair u; 'hin"cl prsyil,.
from which The rebels hal come oi
with unbrOacn ,trcn.th AMI renewed
hope, aud the Union army with de.
feat. The aspect Of affairs ut the
North wa, more gloomy that at any
other time during tho cu'ir, war
Rebel emmssirics and rebel ,ympa-
thizerS raised their hanls in every
Northern state, and assisted the rebel
cause by demanding cessation OF
hosiilitics, hy fiercc!y dcnouncins the
Government aud by resisting the
drafts.
Grant stood hammcring away at
. NickNburs. which it was loudly pro-
.phrsicd he never could take rcccg-
milton Of the rebel government BY
France and Great Britain was believed
to be imminent; our army vas Just
then weakened by tho expiration of
the term of scrviyc Of many thousands
Of nine months mcn the rebels knew
aS well rs We that no recruits wOuld
be available Tor several months at least
and all Ihlngs considered Lee coucu.
dc that the time had come for him to
strike. Leaving 10000 men in front
OF iiooher lie moved northward on
the ;Mrd Of June with 100000 men,
conducting his operations 50 skIl.iGily
that zen days e!ap cG before the move.
meLt was di.ccry,,j, at lpsS IN .t-
. iull extent aai tcg. tile moasing' by
which 'imc h. was r"cil,.ur &c cos.
/; tho Potomac, aGl tall with l.s a~cng-
/ ing Iost n.oA-"Gat' who:'? That
was precisely what tie people o. the
North and the Government ct Wash
inton, and the chieftains of Ito Amy
greatly desired 60 kuow Hooker
started for him by way OF Dumf.cs,
Ball Run. LcesLurs, and tko Gaps OF
the Bluo Ridge. Les crossed iE;o
Maryland and threw on. portion OF
his army ia iiiieren. directions, occr-
pyirg Hagers,own, Chamburibrrg
Cumberland, McConnolsbnrg, Car
Isle, York, Gro,nca,tic, aud King
ston threatening Harrisburg. Phila-
delphia, Baltimore, Washington, and
even Pittsburg, aud so diaposing his
forccs that it was the most dil.cult
thing in the world to answer the ques-
ton 'ha, millions were asking -
,''Whore IS his oLjccli?e point? What
is bio purpose
4 certain gentleman not connsctc !
with the army, WHO vas well acquainted
with tho topography OF the whole
rcgioG over waicb Lee was pushing
out his diiiereut. columns divined the
purg pose OF the rebel general, apl wrcto
m anonymous letter to Ger eral Meade
(who had jnst then sUporeelcd Gen
eral Hooker in command saying,
Lee will fight you ct Gettysburg /"
This was more than fortnight before
the battla-ata o time when there were
no troops near Gettysburg. nor any
demonstration in that direction. The
eyes Of the Country were turned auy.
where and everywhere in search OF
the place where the blow should fall
but toward Gettysburg.
The substance of the letter was of
somc such import rs this "Lce knows
that you will pursue him, and that he
must fight. He intends to fight. lie
has crossed the Potomac for the ex-
press purpose Of fighting. His plan
Is to lead different portions Of your
army in diverse direetions, and when
they are separated beyond the possi-
bility Of fconcentratiou, TO fall with his
entire force on each detachment and
crush them all in detail II ono foot
of pair Of diyiders DO placed upon
tho town of Gettysburg, the foot will
describe circle that will pass within
a mile Of every town which the enemy
occupies in force, from York clean
around to Cumberland. There ore
roads OYER the mDulta rs from every
one Of these towns to Gettysburg, and
simultaneous marches can place Lee's
every soldier in Gettysburg in thirty.
six hours. Your army should be cou-
contrated with all dispatch at Gettys
burg"
The writer Of the letter showed itt'
his friends, who urged him to send !
to Meade. He st lrst hssitsted to d
so, thinkinx that bis view Of the css'
must have sueRostsd itss6 70 uesd