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

ness the opening of the ball. Soon the
long lines of the Third corps arc seen
advancing, and how splendidly they
march. 1t looks like a dress parade,
a review. On, on, they go, out toward
the peach orchard, but not q shot is
fired. A little while longer and some
one calls out, There !" and points to
where puff OF smoke is seen arising
against the dark green of the woods.
Another and another cloud until the
whole face of the forest is enveloped
and the dread sound of the artillery
comes loud and quick shells arc seen
burstingIn all directions along the lines.
The bright colors OF the regiments are
conspicuous marks, and the shells
burst aronnd them in great numbors.
The musketry begins, the infantry be-
come engaged, and the battle extends
along the whole front Of Sickles' corps.
Now the sounds came from LittleRound
Top, and the somkc rises among the
trees and oil the high and wooded
ground to the left of the peach orchard
seems TO be the scene Of strife. An
hour passes and our troops give way,
and are falling back but slowly, very
slowly, every inch OF ground is fought
for. The Third corps is not in the
habit OF giving it up, and they hold
their own well, but the odds are against
them and they are forced to retire.
Now help is called for, and Hancock
tells Caldwell to have his division
ready. "Fall in |" and the men run to
their places. "Take arms |" and the
four brigades Of Zook, Gross, Brook
and Kelley are ready for the fray.
There is yet few minutes TO spare
before starting and the time is oocupi-
ed in one Of the most impressive religi-
ous ceremonies | have ever witnessed.
The Irish Brigade, which had been
commanded formerly by Gen. Thomas
Francis Meagher, and whose green flag
had been uniurled in every battle in
which the army of the Potomac had
been engaged, from the first Bull Run
to Appomattox, and was now com
manded by Colonel Patrick Kelly, of
Eighty eighth New York formed part
Of this division. The brigade stood in
column Of regiments, closed in mass
As the large majority Of its members
were Catholics the chaplain of the bri.
gade, Rev. William Corly, proposed to
give a general absolution TO all the
men before going into the fight. While
this is customary in the armies of
Catholic countries of Europe, it was
perhaps the first time il was ever wit
messed on this continent, unless, indeed,
the grim old warrior, Ponce de Leon,
as he tramped through the everglades
of Florida in the search of the Fount-
ain Of Youth, or De Soto on his march
to the Mississippi, INDUCED in this act
Of devotion. Father Corley stood upon
large rock in front OF the brigade I;
addressing the men, he explained what
he was about TO do, saying that each
one could receive the benefit Of the
absolution by making a sincere act of
contrition and firmly resolving to en-.
brace the first opportunity of confess
ing their sins, urging them to do their
duty well, and reminding them of the
high and sacred nature oftheir trust as
soldiers and the noble object for which
they fought, ending by saying that the
Catholic Church refuses Christian
burial to the soldier who turns his back
upon the foe or deserts his flag. The
brigade was standing at "Order arms"
As he closed his address every man
fell on his knees, with head bowed
down Then stretching his right hand
toward the brigade Father Corley pro.
nounced the words of the absolution I;
"Dominus noster Jesus Christus vos
absolvat, ct ego, auctoritate ipsius, vos
absolvo ab cmni vineulo excommuni-
cationis, ct interdicti in quantum pos
sum ct vos indigetis, deinde ego absolvo
vos peccatis vestris in nomine PATHS,
ct Filio OF Spiritus Sancto, Amen"
The scene was more than impressive,
it was awe.inspiring Near by stood
Hancock, surrounded by a brilliant
throng ofoflicers, who had gathered to
witness this very unusual occurrence,
and while there was profound silence
in the ranks of the Second corps, yet
over to the left, out by the peach or.
chard and Little Round Top, where
Weed and Vincent and Haslett were
dying, the roar of the battle rose and
swelled and re.echoed through the
woods, making music more sublime
than ever sounded through cathedral
aisle. The act seemed TO be in har-
mony with all the surroundings. | do
not think there was o man in the brl-
gade who did not offer up heartfelt
prayer For some it was their last (;
they knelt there in their grave clothes
in less than half on hour many of
them were numbered with the dead of
July 2. Who can doubt that their
prayers were good What was want
ing in the eloquenco OF the priest to
move them to repetance was supplied
in the incidents of thefght. That heart
would be incorrigible, indeed, that tho
scream of a Whitworth bolt, added TO
Father Corly's touching appeal, would
not move to contrition.
TUE WORK OF SLAUGHTER.
The maps Published by the Govern
ment make the line Of Caldwell's di.
-. - -----i- 49, 80 .. .i-i-.i.
| think this is a mistake. | believe it
was nearly five before we started The
division moved off by the left flank
and marched rapidly. We had hardly
got under way when the enemy's bat
teries opened and shells began falling
oil around us, The ground on which
thissdivision faced the enemy the after.
noon of the I'd had already been fought
over again and again, and the fields
and woods were strewn with killed
and wounded. Anderson and MoLaws
had driven our troops from the peach
orchard, and the line on which Sickles
had placed the Third corps had been
in a great part abandoned. As we
arrived on the rising ground to the
left of the peach orchard, the brigade
of De Trobriand had been pushed back
out Of the woods and across the wheat
field, after most gallant fight, As
our division advanced many Of the
shattered regiments of tho Third corps
passed to the rear through the inter
walls in our line. They retired IN good
order, with colors flying. To the left
of the wheat field Cross deployed bis
brigade, Kelly passed to the right and
Brook TO the left The brigades were
still in column of regiments when they
appeared in front Of the enemy, and
the columns deployed on the double.
quick and forming line advanced to
find the Coniederates. We had not
far 10 look. As we approached the
crest Of the rugged hill, from behind
tho huUa hauldara that xrara avarv.