Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1880-07-08

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 Gen. Couch
In command of the Second Corps, and
later in the same month was assigned
by President Lincoln to be its perma-
nent commander.
AT GETTYSBURG
Hancock again loomed up before the
country as hero. He was command
ing the rear guard of the army in its
advance on Gettysburg, and had reach
ed Tarrytown, the place where his
grandfather, one hundred years before,
had started to escort one thousand Hes
sian prisoners of Burgoyne's army to
Valley Forge, when Gen. Meade sent
him an order to b asten to the front and
assume command of all the troops there.
The report had reached Meade of the
fall of Gen. Reynolds and the check and
repulse of the advance, and his mind ut
once turned to Gen. Hancock as the
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 hest
tate to assign him. On his way from
Tarrytown to the battlefield General
Hancock met the ambulance contain
ing the dead body of General Reynolds.
When he arrived on the field he found
the army in confusion and retreat had
already begun. Planting some infant
ry and batteries on Cemetery Hill he
threw his Whole energy into the battle
and checked the enemy.
OF Gen. Hancock's individual action
49,
ume to tell. His was really the action
Hill and Cemetery Heights were his
creations. He sent word to Gen. Meade
that was the place to fight, and seizing
the favorable positions, with the eye of
a consummate general, hung on t. them
with the advance until Meade brought
up the whole army and delivered his
battle. Hancock was grand and mag
nificent in the battle of Gettysburg, and
seemed the very incarnation of war. He
was ut Cemetery Heights on the second
day during tho frightful cannonade
when the Confederates concentrated the
fire of $50 guns on our lines. The air
was full Of missiles; streams of shot and
shell screamed and hissed everywhere;
it seemed as though nothing could live
under that terrible fire-men and hOrs-
IS were torn limb from limb; caissons
exploded one after another in rapid sue
cession, blowing the gunners to pieces.
The infantry Rugged the ground closely
and sought every slight shelter that the
light earthworks afforded. 1t was lit
orally Z 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 cannonade. Hun
dreds and thousands were stricken
down; tho scres ms of wounded men and
shrieks Of animals were appalling; still
siles went on and apparently never
firmest hearts had begun to quail, the
army witnessed one of tho grandest
sights ever beheld by any army on
earth. Suddenly band began to play
1.-THE Star Spangled Banner" ;" and Gen.
Hancock, with his staff-Major Mitch
ell, 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 tho front of his men to the left |
Every soldier felt his heart thrill as he |
the magnificent courage of
his General as he rode on, while the |
shot roared and crashed around him,
every moment tearing gaps in the
ranks by his side. Just as Hancock |
reached the left of his line tho Confed- |
crate batteries ceased to play, and their |
infantry, $4,000 strong, was seen emerg-
ing from the woods and advancing up |
the hill. Hancock knew the artillery |
fire had been int nded to demoraIize his |
men and cover the advance of their in
vuh ffN yrau ixs p
tack. Turning his horse he rode slow
ly up his line from left to right, holding
his hat in his hand. bowling and smil-
ing to the troops as they lay fiat on the
ground. Hardly had he reached the
right of the line when the men, who,
inspired by the courage of their Gener-
al, could now hardly restrain them
selves, received orders to attack the ad-
COnfederates. Eighty guns
which Hancock had concentrated op-
ened their brazen mouths and streams
,f blue bullets few from the muzzles of
The rifles to the breasts of the COnfed-
crates. It was an awful day, and
"Old Guard of the South"
melted away like wax under that terri
ole fire. OF the Is, 900 who came to the
attack, 5000 fell or were captured on the
Thirty stand of colors and an
IuUOSuSc uuuUCE VI 6tlall were
aiken. Hancock was every where, rid
ng the storm Of battle as if he bore a
alarmed life. At last, just in the mo-
nent of victory, he was seen to reel in his
addle and would have fallen to the
.round had he not been helped from /.
lis horse. A ball had pierced his thigh, (
md for . time 1t was thought the wound I
vas mortal. "Tell Gen. Meade,n said
addressing his aid, Col. Mich ]
II. "that the troops under my command
ave repulsed the enemy and gained a
,reat victory. The enemy are now fly i
ng in all directions in my 'front.'" When &
he aid delivered this message to Gen.
deade and added his General was dan t
erously wounded, Meade said: "Say to c
'eneral Hancock that am sorry he ia &
rounded, and that thank him for N.Y. /
elf and for the country for the services c
% has rendered to-day" Gen. Meade O
in commenting on the bat T
e of Gettysburg, said to General r. G.
)rum: mo commanding General ever n
I'd better lieutenant than Hancock.
80. "a - fs,f IL wo1;n III /