The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-06-25

ALNAtb a. ne
IL September, 1862, Hancock command
ed his brigade in the battle of South
Mountain and afterwards at Antietam. In
thS latter engagement, when General
Rithardson fell, Hancock was sent to tske
command Of that gallant officers division.
InlSoyember, 1862, Hancock received his
commission rs mSjor general, and on
the 18th Of December was engaged In the
desperate and bloody assault on Mayre's
Heights. His behavior on this occasion
wa in keeping with the high reputation
helhad achieved. He was, with his diYis-
ion, in the thickest OF the conflict, leading
bid men as far as II was possible, under
the circumstances, for men 10 20, and only
falling back when attempt At further ad-
yates was fool.hGrdy and useless. In
thin fight, as, In fact, in almost every one
In Shich hG was engaged, he seemed to
weir charm on bis life. He received In
the slaughter PEN" as the rank and file
wee wont TO call the position they oc-
cutied In this fight, 4 slight flesh wound,
coming out otherwise unframed, though
bis uniform was perforated with the
entmy's bullets. III this battle Hancock
LOST oAe.hRli OF his command, killed and
wounded, and all bis aids were wounded
At Charlottesville, In May, 1868, he
commanded his division and covered the
roaIs towards Fredericksburg, where,
amid surrounding disaster, although con.
slAltly attacked, bis troops maintained
their position 10 the last, aud formed the
rear guard Of the army in moving oil the
field. The General had his horse shot
under him In the battle. Early In June
be believed General Couch In command OF
tbsSecond Corps, aud later In the same
mouth was assigned by Mr.. Lincoln 10 be
its permanent commander.
II was ut Gettysburg Hancock again
looned up before the country as hero.
Wien he arrived on the field he found the |
Mnly ia confusion and retreat bad al. |
reAby begun. Planting some infantry and
batteries on Cemetery Hill he threw his
whpe energy into the battle and checked
hesneny. Schwerin and SAKE were said
70 b, worth each reinforcement OF 10 900
men TO an army; TOBtensin was rated a.
equll 10 Is, 900, and the Duke oil yelling.
tonliGid the arrival Of Napoleon on a bal.
tie Isld was q better reinforcement 10 the
FTdlCh army than the accession Of 10000
ifesl tTOopH, What, then, shall we say OF
thelNAlue Of General HAnCock's arrival nj
thoUiticAl moment on tho battlefield Of
Gettysburg, battle that by common con.
sen is now admitted 10 nave decided the
inta u the Union and fixed the final result
Of ID. war;
QGenemi Hancock's individual action
at qhuysburg II would require volume
TO IL. His was reSlly the action Of tht
amp, aud ROnnd Top, Cups Hill and
CeEadery Heights we're his CrestlOns. He
sent word IN General Meade that was tht
plAss to fight, and seiEing tho favorable
POs pons, with the eye oil consummAte
genfal hung on TO them with the Rd.
vAne' until Meade brought up the whole
aInis aud delivered his battle.
mn tNcARSATioN oT WAR.
III aooek was grand and magnificent In
the latls Of Gettysburg and seemed the
vs,y incarnation Of war. On the second
ia, he was at Cemetery Heights during the
fruitful cannonade when the rebels con.
cea,rated the Gre Of one hundred and
lil,y guns on our lines, The air was full
Of missiles; streams Of shot and shell
screamed and Missed everywhere; It seem.
cd a though nothing could live under
that terrible ffe-men and horses were
torn from limb to limb; caIssons exploded
one after another In rapid succession,
blowing the gunnes 10 pieces. The IN.
iautry Rugged the ground closely and
sought every slight shelter that the light
earthworks afforded. It was literally 4
storm Of shot and shell, like the fall Of |
raIn.drops or the beat Of hAilstones.
Those who had taken part In every bat
To Of the war never had seen anything |
like that cannonRde, and the Oldest |
soldiers began 10 be uneasy for the result |
Hundreds and thousands were stricken |
down; the shrieks Of animals and screams
Of wounded men appalling; still the awful |
ruihlng sound Of flying missiles went on |
and apparently never would cease. II was |
thtn, when the ilTmest hearts had begun |
10 quail, the army witnessed one Of the |
grAndest sights ever beheld by any army
on earth. Suddenly band began 70 play
The Star Spangled BANNER and General |
iaaeoek, with bis stAf-MAjor Mitchell,
Captain bingham, Captain Parker and