The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1872-05-31
field of honor, surrounded by his faith. /.

field of honor, surrounded by his faith
ful comrades.
The successive arrival and onset of the
remaining corps of the enemy was more
than our troops could repel, and they
slowly fell back to Cemetery Hall which,
on the morrow, became our permanent
line OF battle. By three o'clock on the en-
suing day the condition of affairs was
vastly changed. During the night and
early the next morning the other corps
of our army including the intrepid
Fifth, composed of the Regulars and
Pennsylvania Reserves, had successive
ly reached the field and taken position,
while the Sixth was coming up by for
ced marches. AT that hour the enemy
was ready for the attack. BY some mis-
take Sickles' Corps had been located
nearly mile in advance of the position
assigned to it, and before the line could
be changed the enemy's batteries open
ed and his massive columns advanced
against its front and flank. The Fifth
Corps promptly obeyed the order to
cover Sickle5' retreat and check the
enemy, now yelling in pursuit. The
Regulars charged, but these sturdy
soldiers in their impetuosity allowed
themselves to be out-hanked, and were
in imminent danger. The crisis of the
day had arrived. The foe must be re.
PEELED or our entire line abandoned. 1t
was then that the Reserves were singled
out to retrieve the day. You knew the
fierce struggle had now come, and that
upon you was the duty of deciding it,
Not needing the tempest of balls, you
received the first shock, and then, with
your peculiar battle shout, you sprang
forward and bore down your opponents.
Fresh columns of the enemy hastened
to support their yielding comrades.
They fought with desperation. The
steady ranks melted before the rapid
and murderous fire of the Reserves.
You were fighting on your own soil.
Love of homo and its imperiled safety
steeleu every muscle and aimed every
musket. Nofoe could Withstand charge
impelled by such motives. You swept
the dense masses of the foe over their
own dead and wounded from the field,
and, like loosened cliff, rolled headlong
down the steep. Evening had now clos
ed in and the conflict for the second
day was over on that portion of the line.
But brigade of the Reserves was bear
ing its triumphant standard on dist
ant part of that memorable field. A
Round Top-the key-point of our left
wing, which if held would render our
whole line untenable. AS the shadows
of night began to fall the third brigade
suddenly and quietly up the
hill, surprised the enemy and drove him
in confusion down its south. eastern
slope. Thus ended day of lustre for
the Pennsylvania Reserves; though it
closed without decided advantage to
either army.
At dawn of next morning the conflict
again commenced, and for full six hours
the enemy hurled his solid masses
against our well defended lines. Our
men stood like part of the primitive
rock on which it rested, and baffled the
fury of the assault at every point. The
volley5 on both sides were as rapid as
and it was one incesSant peal
Of musketry and thunder of artillery
deadly ridge, till the line Of our corps,
as it stretched across the field, now
sallying forward bending backward,
and springing to its place again, looked
like huge serpent of fire waving to
and fro on the eminence. Nothing in
the war had equalled those hours of
Suddenly pause as of death
spread over the whole field, and this
agony of silence lasted three hours. The
enemy was masSing his guns to sweep
the hills with a concentrated fire, silence
our batteries, drive our infantry from
the heights, and then, by pushing for
ward his whole force, to capture and
occupy our line. The sagacious mind of
General Meade comprehended the
design. The terrific artillery
fire was responded to by our batteries
for time, but they gradually ceased,
when the enemy, supposing them ST.
lenced, began that last mighty effort
by which he hoped to avert disaster.
His massed columns deployed into the
open field and assaulted our whole line.
Our artillery, which had husbanded
its ammunition and its strength for this
supreme moment, opened with all its
fury, and from right to
left and left to right the double charges
of canister, spherical case, grape, and
solid shot, swept and tore in fearful
havoc through their columns. But
straight on they came with an intre-
pidity worthy a better cause, and the
conflict became the close struggle of
despair. The battle was raging in every
part of our line. The whole field was a
seething mass of combatantS. The left
was held by the Pennsylvania Reserves.
AT three O'Clock you were ordered to
charge the enemy. This onset was those
of the two preceding days repeated. In
the face of murder0us fire of artillery
playing on your course, you dashed up
on line after line of the enemy, scatter
ing them from your path, driving him
back to the second ridge. Your impe.
tuou5 valor had carried you beyond
safe supporting distance, and under
other circumstances the position would
have been full of peril. But success had
smiled upon our efforts along the whole
line,and supports could be spared to ad.
vancetoyour relief But you did not need
them. Before the support reached you
darkness closed the scene aud the van
quished and disheartened enemy with.
drew from the field. Gettysburg was
ours, and our powerful adversary re-
ceiyed shock from which he never re-
covered. Pennsylvania was freed from
the tread of an invading foe, and the
success of the Union arms dates from
that moment.
Such was the battle of Gettysburg.
armies during those three days of strife
painter, and historian. But let not the
enthusiast visit the scene after the con
flict if he would retain his love of glory.
Nearly forty thousand men lay within
the short space of five miles, disabled
by wounds or smitten with death. Th'
air was freighted with groans and en-
treaties for help. Foemen had faller
across each other as they fought, anC
lay like brothers clasped in the last EN-
brace. Every form of death and variet.
of woe were visible. Whole lines haC
sunk where they stood, and lay amiC
wrecks of artillery carriages, neglected
sabres, and ownerless muskets. In the
language of the greatest of warriors up
on similar scene, "The spectacle wa
sufficient to inspire princes with tht
love of peace and horror of war.
Upon the edge of that field where h
had been carried when he fell on tn,
first day, lay the noble Reynolds, wrap
ped in the stiffness of death. Thus h
had lain for two days near his belovet
Reserves, but unconscious of thei
wishes or their struggles. For two day
the tread of the tens of thousands tina
moved to battle was heard, the roar @
cannon shook the earth, and tn
cloud of war covered the plain il