The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1880-03-26

flowing measure of praise to my comrades
who are yet alive and to those who are no
more There is not an inhabitant on all
that line of march who can tell of a single
act of vandalism by any of the men, such as
we are wont to hear of other armies. In
the rich and cultivated country through
which we passed life and property were r.
sPected as much as though we were in
the halcyon days of peace. Old ard young
came to the roadside to zee !the army pass,
and knew they were safe from insult or mo-
lestation. The fields of ripenng grain
waved untrampled when the corps had gone
by, the men even going out of their way 10
avoid the gardens lest they should step upon
the flowers, The perfection Of discipline in
the army at this period was extraordinary.
The armies that fought the war of 1861 diff
fered very widely from the armies of other
nations. We had no boards of Cossacks,
no regiments Of Bash- Bazouks to burn and
destroy, to insult the aged or crush the de-
tenseless. When Hancock, at Williamsburg,
said to his brigade, Gentlemen, chargen'
he did call his troops out of name. Our al
my was literally an army of gentlemen.
Across THE POTOMAC
And 50 we passed on to Thorough fare
Gap, to Edwards Ferry, to Frederick, Nd,
to Uniontown and Taueytown, where, on
the morning of July |, the Second corps was
massed, and where General Meade's head.
quarters had been established. While the
corps were filing into the fields to the right
and left of the road and settling down for q
rest and to wait for orders, General Hancock
rode over to General Meade aud entered in.o
| conversation with him. As they wee talk.
ing a mounted officer dasned up, bringing
the intelligence that fighting had begun at
| Gettysburg-thirteen miles distant. The
news was meagre-only that there was fight
| ing. That was all; yet it caused general
| surprise, unaware as we were of the near
| proximity of the enemy, and was enough to
send a thrill throughout the veteran ranks.
The road that leads to Gettysburg was
scanned with anxious eyes, and soon, away
in the distance, rises cloud of dust, which
comes nearer and nearer, and another mes.
senger from the front is with US. He tells
us that Reynolds is killed or mortally woun-
ded; that the First and the Eleventh corps
are fighting and the battle is against us. 1t
is now l o'clock, too late for the Second
corps to reach the field that day to take part
in stemming the tide of rebel victory; but
not so with their commander. Meade or
ders Hancock to proceed to the front and
take command OF all the troops there assem-.
bled. This was ten minutes past o'clock,
and within twenty minutes Hancock, with
his staff was or the road to Getty ysburg. He
goes like Desaix at Marengo, to snatch vic
tory from the jaws Of defeat A strange CO.
incidence. Nearly a century before the
grandfather ofGeneral Hancock, then sol.
dier OF Washington, started from this same
little village of Taneytown to escort some OF
the prisoners of Burgoyne to Valley Forge.
The Second corps promptly followed Gen
ersl Hancock and required no urging tc
keep the men up. The regiments moved for.
ward solidy and rapidly and not straggler
was to be seen. | never saw men cover
thirteen miles so quickly; but as they hur'
ried along a bait was ordered, the rank.
opened, aud an ambulance passed contain
ing the dead body of the heroic Genera
John F. Reynolds. Then the corps pusheC
on to within few miles of the battle grounc
where it campel that night and arrived OF
the field early the next morning.
HANCOCK TO THE FRONT
As General Hancock proceeded to th,
front he rode part of the way in an ambu
lance, so that lie might examine the map
of the country, his aide, Major Mitchell
galloping ahead to announce his coming Il
General Howard, whom he found on Gene
terry hill and 10 whom he told his errand
} giving him to understand that General Han
half past three o'clock General Hancocl
rode up to General Howard, informed hin
, that he had come to take command and ask
, ed him if he wished to see his written or
ders Howard answered: "No no. Han
} cock, 90 ahead li At this moment our de
feat seemed to be complete. Our troop
1 were flowing through the streets of the tow
} in great disorder, closely pursued by tn
2 Contederates, the retreat fast becoming
= rOut, and in a very few minutes the enem
would be in possession of Cemetery Hill
= the key to the position; and the battle Q
Gettysburg would have gone into history {
e rebel victory. But what change cam
over the scene in the next half hour. Th
| presence of IIlncock, like that of Sherida
r was magnetic. Order came out of chao
The flying troops halt, and again face Il
q enemy. The batalions of Howard's corr
If that were retreating down the Baltimo
d sition on the crest Of Cemetery hill, whe
a the division of Steinwehr had already bee
o stationed Wadsworths division and bi
n terry are sent to hold Culp's hill, and Gear
sr with the White Star division, goes on t
Y. double quick to occupy the high ground
n ward Round Top. Confidence is restore
$ the enemy checked aud being deceived
t these dispositions cease their attack.
= heneral hancock was lully aware u
"a General Meade had determined to fight I
is battle on the line of Pipe creek; but mott
10 the typographical advantages of the grou
ne around Gettysburg, he determined to advi
G. General Meade to fight there. He kn
It. that this line, the cresi of Cemetery Rid
ad with Culp's hill on the right, Round Top
ed the left, and Cemetery hill in the cent
g could not be bettered. So, when order /
taken the place of confusion aud our lii
,s- once more intact, he sent his senior al
tn. Major Mitchell, back to tell General Me
ers that in his judgment Gettysburg was
his place to fight our battle. Major Mtcl
by found General Meade in the evening, u
ed Taneytown, and communicated these vie
ng General Meade listened attentivelv q nd