The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-10-29
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~ + sssanos but remark on the Htopiden,
sssl snaciasn Of tho rebel army Bad the eon.
fsst been renewed ihy III at das tight on the
81 OF SAsy, with The First and Eleventh corps |
erhaasted by the battle and retreat, the |
Third aud Twelfth weary irogn, their fesced |
march, and the Second, Filth, and Sixth nos
vet arrived, nothieg but q miracle couia
have s,yed The army ffom great disaster.
Instead Of this the day dawred, the sun
rose, tue csol ho,sfs OF the saoretng passed,
and considerable part OF TIE afternoon
wore away without the ehgftest aggressive
on the part Of theeneuy. ihus
sime was given for BALI Of our forces 20 ST.
rive and tske their places 10 the Tires, wnHe
the rest OF the array enjoyed muso-neeae0
half-asy & repose."
Il have searched tn gain all accesSiuoe
sources Of ipforMation fer some expianata0]
of General Lees failure TO carry out the
Man resolved apcn the night before-a pan l
emirentIy sagadoustn Itself, and which, had 4
it been pnrsaed promptly at dawn, wound 1
doubtless have resulted IN the disastrous
overthrow 81 the Federal army, so graphscal-l
Nv indicated by Ar. Evesett,Y for kitsles
sRound.Tog, which. passlng strange 10 say:
had not bees occapted BY the enemy, we1ao.,
have sallca futSoaf bands, and the key ef VIC
sory gaiHsd without struggle; nor vssit
occupied till later In the day, when eur
xroops wuEe moving upon Il, -.~,srz,, !:
TIE aeIetx1 ssct fsial delay, which, to Dy
mind. was the great mistake or misfortune 81
the xssy perhaps be forever buried
40 our ccmunnder's bosom. ] ,apprebend
tina, the hardness OF General LongstEeefs
moycmsntS aud the prolonged Absence of
Picker slfisfsion was the cause; but lestfn.
sjusifec fpay De done TO General Longstreet u
: forbear -eHpgessing an opinion. AZ any rate,
the Gstie was not Lees, for he was anxious
TO attack at dawn; he sent back cEoefs 10
hasten the march OF the absent troops asee
his repT:t; and some overriding reason must
! have STAYED bis hand. But, alas J the oppor.
tunity vas lost forever. aOpportonity;,"'
saith rneao.d ndage, has bair In front, behino
/. she is bald; catch her BY the forelock ana
little child can bold her, but once gone, vu.
pites hiEself cannot catch her again" AND
such was our experience at Gettysburg.
-g.s THE SECOND DAYS ATTACK.
Finely. by O'Clock the preparations
were made. The Union army bad oeen
termed, with SIocum's Twelfth corps and
Wadswortb's division of the First holding
Culps Gill and the right fiank-opposste to
Johnsoi,s division. Howards Eleventh
corpss with Robinson's and DoubledaJ's
divisions of the First held Cemetery Hall,
opposite 10 Early's and Rodes's divisions.
Then cane:Hancock's Second corps, opposite
to Hilfs, on Cemetery Ridge, and Sickness
Third corps, extending towards Round-Top,
opposite 10 Eongstreer. Sykes's Fifth corps
was In 6eserve, on the Federal right, and
SedgwieiS, who reached the field just as the
battle wss commencing, took place In reserve
Hpon tbeir left.
I shoeid have little pleasure, even did time
permit, In detailing the events of this day
for thoagh 1t. aboupds 10 bright exploits the
attack was rendered disjointed and ineffec.
tuaI By strange Observation-Disclosures use
no hsrsher term.
Longstfeet, with Hoods and McLaws's d.
visions, struck the Federal left, and came
within 40 ace of possessing Little Round.
Top. which was hastily occupied by the enc.
my alter our lines were put in motion. AS
soon as this attack on the Federal right got
wen Under way JobusoD's division, with
magnificent valor, rushed up the rough,
rocky lodges Of Culp's Hill; and H0ke's
and Hays's brigades Of Early's division, who
took their signal of assault from Johnson's
guns, charged the eDemy's batteries on Gem
terry Hill and planted their Standards on its
summit, capturing bis cannon. routing two
lines OF infantry, and cutting the right cen.
Ere Of the Federal line. - IS +. =. i. i.
But here Wo! the while this splendid
sally was robbed OF its fruits. Early was to
attack when he heard Johnson's guns,
Rodes, on Early's right, was to continue 1t
when he heard Eslly's guns. EarlJ's part
was nobIy done, and Rodes started to fulfil his
!. part. But Rodes, 1t seems, had much greater
distance to traverse than Early, and tor
some reason, nowhere explained in Lees or
EwelPs reports General es'srepolt have
been unable to see,) at the time when the
men Of Hoke's and Hayes's brigades sur
mounted the Federal works Rodes was just
moving out to assault those 10 his front.
Before he did so the Federal reserves were
hurled upon Early, and these two thin bri.
&ades, wasted by the charge and separated
from all support, were driven from the crest
by fresh troops, and the prize fell from the
victorious hands which had already grasped
1t. "a
RESULTS OF THE SECOND DAYS FIGHT.
The shades Of night had fallen before the
battle closed, aud though everywhere the
troops bad borne themselves worthily Of
their fame the unhappy miscarriage of
Rodes's movement had prevented the con-
But still some advantages had been gained
Anu SOnS IEOputtc WOGs oH Jul ItSu tuC
Federal line had been driven back by Long.
street, some guns and standards captured,
and some advanced positions carried. On
our left Johnson's division had drivea the
enemy from bis works, and had maintained
an advanced footing on Cuip's Hill and ia
Early's front the gallant Louisianians, led by
Harry Hays, had brought down from the
crest Of Cemetery Hill four regimental stand
ards seized from the caunon's mouth and
after fierce hand.to-hand wrestle with the
infantry which defended them.
THE LoUIsIANANs.
Brave spirits OF Louisiana! Leading one
of the regiments that climbed the summit OF
that terrible crest was Davidson B. Penn, a
native of Virginia, and now. by the voice OF
his people, the rightful ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
az the Pelican State. Take heart, brave
leader and brave people! Tonight POUR old
Z; comrades of the Army OF Northern Virginia
I send you ffatsrnal greetings. No longer Sc.
: parated from each other by a line of Ere, the
3 hearts of the iiberty.iovipg people Of this
great nation, whether they once beat under
! The Confederate gray or the Union blue, now
7 beat In sympathy with your brave endeavor
ito restore, Louisiana to the sisterhood of
!: States with government worthy of The re-.
y publican name and Of the Caucasian race.
~ The gallant souls who met you Ia the
,shock OF battle ktoT as well as we who
cheered you on that the stout arms which
drove the bayonets through the Federal
lines on that "wellfought field" were
Alled with blood that can never flow In the
feeble pulses Of sycophaats and slaves. Side
!; by side the boys In blue and the boys in gray
3 are coming to your rescue, and oyer the
tnmuits Of tie polls we hear the pibroch
ziaging, and 10 1876, when the guns are