Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1880-03-17

T. 30 today he orders him to assume CON
0 mand on the left. Once more he is il
+ the fight. A half hour of dayligh
n yet remains, but II is long enough {,
= enable him to rally some OF our scat
!. tered troops face them once NOR L
Z the front, gather reinforcements drive
! back the enemy, and restore our broker
{ lines. At Waterloo, Wellington pc
. titioDed TO God for might or Blucher.
/ AT Gettysburg, on this evening, W,
, had no Blucher to pray for. Our whole
! force was up but, while emitting the
, last part Of the Englishman's prayer
we had every reason to adopt the first
portion. As the fight was closing
upon the left Of our army, Ewell was
striking a terrific and successful blow
on the right. We reformed our divis.
ion on the Taneytown road, and after
the rough handling we had received
had some difficulty in getting things
in Ohapo. Az wn wara th-s aao- f,iaa
away to the right and rear we heard
the yells Of the Louisiana Tigers as
they rushed over our works at Culp's
hill. This was the most anxious hour
Of oil in the great battle. We had
been driven on the left and on the
right the rebs had effected a lodgment
in our works, one our strongest posi-.
tons, and were, in fact, in our rear,
without any adequate force TO oppose
them. Another hour of daylight, and
unless some miracle had interviewed
we would have most likely have left
Gettysburg without waiting to bid the
inhabitants good evening, But fortu-
nately for us there was no Joshua
around Lees headquarters, so the sun
went down on almanac time, utterly
regardless Of the little troubles that
we were trying to settle. Darkness
fell upon the scene and prevented the
Johnnies from taking further advan.
tage OF their success, giving usa chance
to repair our disasters.
Few of us slept during this night.
Our division went back and was put
in position on Cemetery Ridge by Gen.
eral Hancock, who all the night long
labored to strengthen this line. The
men gathered rocks and fence rails
and used them to erect light breast
work. Had the necessary tools been
distributed to the troops we could
have entrenched this line and made it
formidable, but we could not find
pick or shovel, and the works that
we did attempt were very light, scarcly
sufficient to stop musket ball. Dur
ing the whole night mounted officers
galloped TO and fro, and troops were
hurried TO important points. At the
first faint gray of the morning of July
Sd, the fight resumed on Culp's hill,
where darkness had interrupted it the
night before, and from then until long
after daylight the firing was heavy and
incessant We knew that Slocum was
trying TO drive the Johnnies out Of our
works, which they had slept in and
occupied without invitation the night
before. Culp's hill was about mile
from where we lay, and we could hear
the cheers OF Geary's men, which
came 10 us on the morning air, min
gled with some rebel bullets, which
had missed the mark for which they
were intended and, almost spent, went
singing over our heads As the day
advanced sounds of the artillery min.
gled with the musketry, and We knew
that q hard fight was in progress.
The men Of our line almost held their
breath with anxiety, About o'clock
the firing suddenly ceased. A tre-
mendous cheer went up, and minute
later every man in the army know
that we were again in possession of
Culp's hill. Then came few hours OF
peace, perfect calm. From Gene
terry hill to Round Top not a move
ment had been observed or a shot ed
all the morning. .
ON SEMINARY RIDGE.
About noon we could see consider
able activity along Seminary Ridge.
Battery after battery appeared along
the edge of the woods. Guns were
unlimbered, placed in position and the
horses taken to the rear. On our side,
officers sat around in groups and,
through field glasses, anxiously watch
cd these movements in our front and
wondered what it all meant. Shortly
after / o'clock, however, we knew all
about it. The headquarter wagons
had Just come up and General Gibbons
had invited Hancock and staff 10 par
take OF some lunch. The bread that
was handed around--if it every was
eaten-was consumed without butter,
for rs the orderly was passing the lat
ter article TO the gentlemen, shell
from Seminary Ridge cut him in two.
Instantly the air was filled with burst.
ing shells; the batteries that We had
been watching for the last two hours
going into position in our front did
not open singly or spasmodically. The
whole hundred and twenty guns,
which now began to play upon US,
seemed TO be discharged simultane-
ously, as though by electricity. And
then for nearly two hours the storm
of death went on. have read many
accounts of this artillery duel, but the
most graphic description by the most
able writer's falls far short Of the reality.
No tongue or pen can find language
strong enough TO convey any idea OF
It's awfnlhess. Streams Of screaming
projectiles poured through the hot air,
Ia llJno and hnreiin0 avarpwh hara Men
and horses we're torn limb from limb
caissons exploded one after another in
rapid succession, blowing the gunners
to pieces. No spot within our lines
was free from this frightful iron rain.
The infantry Rugged close to the earth
and sought every slight shelter that
our light earthworks afforded, ltwas
literally O storm Of shot and shell that
the Oldest soldier there--thoso who
had taken part in almost every battle
OF the war-had not yet witnessed.
That awful, rushing sound of the flying
missiles, which causes the frmest hearts
10 quail, is everywhere.
At this tumultuous moment We wit
ness deed Of heroism such as we are
apt to attribute only to the nights Of
olden time. Hancock, mounted and
accompanied by hisstafi, Maj. Mitchell,
Captain Harry Bingham, Capt. Isaac
Parker and Capt. L. p. Bronson, with
the corps flag flying in the hands Of
a brave 1rishman, Private James Wells,
of the Sixth Now York Cavalry, started
at the right of bis line, where II joins
the Tsneytown road, and sowly road
along the terrible crest to the extreme
| left Of his position, while shot and shell
roarcd and crashed around him. aud
every moment tore great gaps in the