The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1880-07-01


gallant officers division. In November, 1862
Hancock received his commission q uaiol
general, and on tho 18th Of December M
engaged in thu desperate and bloody assault
IN 2ayre's Heights. His behavior on THU
occasion was in keeping with tho high repu.
tation he had achieved. He was, with hia
division, in the thiokest of tho conflict, lead
ing his men ~ far 90 it was possible, under
the circumstances, fox men to 60, and only
falling back when attempt at further advance
was foolhardy and useless. In this fight, as,
in fact, In almost every one in which he was
engaged, he seemed to wear charm on his
life. He received in the slaughter Per" Is
the rank and file were wont to call tho 20.
sition they occupied in this fight, . slight
flesh wound, coming out otherwise unframed,
though with uniform perforated with the
enemy's bullets. In this battle Hancock lost
one-hAlf Of his command. killed and wound
cd, and all his aids were wounded.
At Charlottesville, in May, 1863, he COM
msndsd his division and covered the roads
leading towards Fredericksburg, where,
amid surrounding disaster, although con-
stantly attacked, his troops maintained their
position TO the last, and formed the rear
guard OF the army in moving off the field.
The General had his horse shot under him
in the battle. Early in June he relieved
General Couch in command of the Second
corps, and later in the same moEth was
assigned by Mr.. Lincoln to be its perzas-
nent commander.
In one of his battles General Hancock
placed one Of his brigades in . certain po-
sition and said to it's commander: "Gen-
eral, whatever happens, I want yon to
hold this ground" The brigade command
er was never very strong on the battlefield,
and on this occasion seemed to be particu-
larry weak and anxious, and ~ the General
turned to ride away to another part of the
field he followed him q short distance and
called out: General, where are my reserves?''
General Hancock turned and, riding to
where the officer was standing, said, severely:
General, it is none Of your business where
your achievements are; that is my business.
I have placed you here to hold this ground;
that is all you are required to do, and want
it done, sir" Tho brigade commander re-
turned to his line with sad step and sor.
rowful expression Of countenance.
AT GETTYSBURG.
It was at Gettysburg Hancock again
doomed up before the country as a:hero. He
was commanding the rear guard of the army
in its advance on Gettysburg, and had reach
ed Tarrytown, the place where his grand
father. one hundred years before, had start
ed to escort one thousand Hessian prisoners
Of Buzgoyna's army to Valley Forge, when
General Meade sent him all order TO hasten
10 the front and assume command of all the
troops there. The report had reached Meade
Of the fall of General Reynolds, and the
check and rcpulse of the advance, and bis
mind at once turned to General Hancock a.
tho man above all others best qualified to
replace Reynolds and restore order to the
head of the army. Hancock was not the
ranking General, but in the critical state Of
affairs Meade, knowing him to be the best
man, did not hesitate to assign him.
On his way from Tarrytown to the battle
field Gen. Hancock met the ambulance con-
tanning the dead body of Gen. Reynolds.
When he arrived on the field he found the
army in confusion and retreat had already
begun. Planting some infantry aud bat
teries on Cemetery Hill he threw hiswhole ell
orgy into the battle aud checked the enemy.
Schwerin and SAKE were said to be worth
each reinforcement of 1000 men to an
army; Torstensin was rated as equal to
$4,000, and the Duke of Wellington said the
arrival of Napoleon on q battle field was
better reinforcement to the French army
than the accession of 10000 fresh troops.
What, then, shall We say to the value of
General Hancook's arrival at that critica!
moment on the battlefield of Gettysburg, T.
battle that by common consent is nov
admitted to have decided the fate of tn,
Union and fixed the final result of tina war?
Of General Hancock individual action at
Gettysburg it would require volume to tell.
His was really the action Of the army, and
Round Top, Culp's Hill and Cemetery
Heights were hls creations. He sent word to
General Meade that was the place to fight,
aud Selling the favorable positions, with the
eye OF aconsummate general, hung on to them
with the advance until Meade brought up
tue whole army and delivered his battle.
THE INCARNATION OF WAR.
Hancock was grand and magnificent in the
battle of Gettysburg, and seemed the very
incarnation of war. On the second day no
was at Cemetery Heights during the fright
4ul cannonade when the rebels concentrated
the fire of one hundred and fifty guns
ON our lines. The air was full of missiles;
streams of shot and she'll screamed
und hissed everywhere; It seemed
as though nothing could live under
that terrible fire-men and horses were torn
limb from limb; caissons exploded one after
smother in rapid succession, blowing the
gunners to pieces. The infantry huggets:
the ground closely and sought every slight
shelter that the light earthworks afforded. 1t
was literally storm Of shot and shell, like
the fall of rain drops or the beat of hail
stones. Those who had taken part In every
battle of the war never had seen anything
like that caunonade, and tho Oldest soldiers
began to be uneasy for the result. Hun
dreds aud thousands were stricken down;
the shrieks of animals and screams of
wounded men were appalling; still
the awful rushing sound Of flying
missiles went on and apparently never would
cease. It was then, when the frmest hearts
had began to quail, the army witnessed one
of the grandest sights ever beheld by any
army on earth. Suddenly band began t
play "rhe Star Spangled Banner" and Gen.
Hancock, with his staff-Maj. Mitchell, Capt.
Bingham, Capt. Parker, Capt. Bronson
with corps flags flying in the hands of
Private Wells, appeared on the right Of his
line uncovered. and rode down the front of
his men to the left. The soldiers held their
breath, expecting every moment to see him
fall from his horse pierced by adozen bullets,
hut still he rode on, while the shot roared
and crashed around him, every moment
tearing great gaps in the ranks by his eide.
Stormed At by shot and shell,
Boldly he rode, and we'll.
Every soldier felt his heart thrill as he
uifneaaad fha lnannifinnnk nonrano of his