Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1880-07-28

uuhncu up piihBinB tho ihbViiBohS
that fighting had begun at Gettysburg
thirteen miles distant The new
r was meagIe-only that there wa
fighting. That.was all yetit causet
general surprise, unaware as we wer'
OF the near proximity OF the enemy
and was enough to send thrill through
out the veteran ranks The road tina
leads to Gettysburg is scanned will
anxious eyes, and soon, away in thu
distance, rises cloud OF dust, which
comes nearer and nearer, and another
messenger from the front is with us
He tells us that Reynolds is killed OF
mortally wounded that the First anC
, Eleventh corps are fighting and tht
battle is against us. 1t is now o'clock
too late for the Second corps to reach
the field that day to take part in stem
ming the tide of rebel victory but moi
so with their Commander. Meade
orders Hancock to proceed to the front
and take command of all the troops
there assembled. This was ten min,
utes past l o'clock, and within twenty
minutes Hancock, with his staff, was
on the road to Gettysburg. He goes
like Desaix at Marengo, to snatch vic
tory from the jaws Of defeat. a
strange coincidence. Nearly a century
before the grandfatherofGen. Hancock,
then q soldier of Washington, started
from this same little village of fancy
town to escort some of the prisoners OF
Burgoyne to Valley Forge) The
Second corps promptly followed Gen.
Hancock and required no urging to
keep them up. The regiments moved
forward solidly and rapidly and not a
straggler was to be seen. | never saw
men cover thirteen miles so quickly ;
but as they hurried along a halt
was ordered, the ranks opened, and an
ambulance passed containing the dead
body of the heroic General John f.
Reynolds. The corps pushed on to
within few miles Of the tle.ground,
where it camped that night and
arrived on the field early the next
morning.
HANCOCK TO THE FRONT.
As General Hancock proceeded to
the front he rode part of the way in
an ambulance, so that he might exam.
inc the maps Of the country, his aide,
Major Mitchell, galloping ahead to an.
nounoc his scoming to General Howard,
whom he found on Cemetery Hill, and
to whom he told his errand, giving
him to understand that General Han.
cock was coming up TO take command.
Athalt past o'clock General Hancock
rode up to General Howard, informed
him that he had come to take com.
mand and asked him if be wished to
see his written orders. Howard an.
swered: "Nol no Hancock, go
ahead p At this moment our defeat
seemed to be complete. Our troops
were flowing through the streets OF
the town In disorder, closely pursued
by the Confederates, the retreat fast
becoming rout, and in q very few
minutes the enemy would be in pos
session Of Cemetery Hill, the key to
the position and the battle of Gettys.
burg would have gone into history as
a rebel victory. But what a change
came over the scene in the next half
hour. The presence Of Hancock, like
that OF Sheridan was magnetic. Order
came out of chaos. The flying troops
halt, and again face the enemy. The
battalions Of Howard's corps that were
retreating down the Baltimore pike,
are called back, and with a cheer 60
into position on the crest of Cemetery
Hill, where the division of Steibwehr
had already been stationed. Wads-
worth's division and battery are sent
10 hold Culp's Hill, and Geary, with
the White Star division, goes on the
double. quick TO occupy the high ground
toward Round Top. Confidence is re.
stored, the enemy checked, and being
deceived by these dispositions, cease
their attack,
General Hancock was fully aware
that General Meade had determined 10
fight the battle on the line of Pipe
tcreek but noting the Typographical
advantages of the ground around Get
tysburg, he determined TO advise Gen.
Meade to fight there. He knew that
this line, the crest of Cemetery Ridge,
with Culp's bill on the right, Round
Top on the left, and Cemetery hill in
the centre, could not be bettered. So,
when order had taken the place OF
confusion and our lines once more in
tact, he sent his senior aide, Major
Mitchell, back to tell General Meade
that in his judgment Gettysburg was
the place to fight our battle. Major
Mitchell found General Meade in the
evening, near Taneytown, and com.
municated these views. Gen. Meade
listened attentively and on these rep,
reservations he fortunately concluded
TO abandon his idea OF fighting on the
line OF Pipe creek and deliver the
battle at Gettysburg and turning to
General Seth Williams, his Adjutant
General, he said "Order up all the
troops we will fight there" The
morning OF July 2d,and the second day
of the battle, dawned clear and bright,
and found Hancock posting the Second
corps on Cemetry Ridge As yet no
one in that corps, with the exception
of the General and his staff, had heard
a shot fired. As We approached Get
tysburg the day before, the sounds Of
the fight, owing to the direction of the
wind or the formation Of the country,
where wholly inaudiblc. Those who
came upon the field after nightfall had
no idea Of the whereabouts OF the
enemy but as the daylight increased
and objects became visible we saw
their lines nearly o mile distant on
Seminary Ridge, and away to our left
rose Little Round Top, and still farther
on Round Top. As the day wore on,
and not shot or a hostile sound broke
tho stiffness OF the morning, il became
evident that the enemy were not yet
ready 10 renew the fight. Our corps
had got into position, and in wood
Just back of our line the birds caroled
and sang loud and long. Our horses
quietly browsed in the rich grass, and
the men lay in groups peacefully en-.
ljoying q rest after the rapid march OF
the day before. The troops that ar
rived upon the field or changed their
position did so leisurly and unmolested