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

was meagre--0nly that there wa
fighting. That was all yet it cause,
a 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 tha
leads TO Gettysburg is scanned witt
anxious eyes, and soon, away in tn
distance, rises q cloud of dust, whicl
comes nearer and nearer, and anothe
messenger from the front is with us
He tells us that Reynolds is killed Of
mortally wounded that the First ant
Eleventh corps are fighting and tn,
battle is against US. 1t is now o'clock
too late for the Second corps 10 reacl
the field that day 10 take part in steam
ming tho tide of rebel victory but moi
so with their commander Meade
orders Hancock TO proceed TO tho front
and take command of all the troops
there assembled. This was ten min
utes past ! 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. CA
strange coincidence. Nearly century
before the grandfather ofGen Hancock
then a soldier OF Washington, started
from this same little village of Taney.
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 the men up. The regiments
moved forward solidly and rapidly and
not a straggler was TO be seen. never
saw men cover thirteen miles so quick.
| ly; but as they hurried along a halt
was ordered, the ranks opened, and an
abulance passed containing the dead
body of the heroic General John f.
Reynolds. The the corps pushed on
to within few miles of the battle
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 ex,
anime the maps Of the country, his
aide, Major Mitchell, galioping ahead
to announce his coming to General
Howard, whom he found on Cemetery
hill, and to whom he told bis errand
giving him to understand that General
Hancock was coming up to take com.
mand. At half past 3 o'clock General
Hancock rode up TO General Howard,
informed him that be had come TO take
command and asked him if he wished
to see his written orders. Howard
answered "Nol mol Hancock, 90
ahead - At this moment our defeat
seemed 10 be complete. Our troops
were flowing through the streets OF
the town in great disorder, closely
pursued by the Confederates, the re-
treat fast becoming rout, and in a
very few minutes the enemy would be
in possession Of Ccmetry hill, the key
to the position and the battle of Get.
tysburg 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 q cheer go
into position on the crest of Cemetery
hill, where tho division Of Stoinwehr
had already been stationed. Wads-
worth's division and battery are sent
TO 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 to
fight the battle on the line Of Pipe
creek 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 hill on the right, Round
Top on the lett, 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.
resentations he fortunately concluded
to abandon his idea Of fighting on the
line OF Pipe creek and deliver the
battle at Gettysburg, and turning tc
General Seth Williams, his Adjutant
General, he said: "Order up all the
troops; We will fight there" The
morning Of July 2, and the second day
of the battle, dawned clear and bright
and found Hancock posting the Second
corps on Cemetry Ridge. As yet nc
one in that corps, with the exception
of the General and his stafi, had heard
shot fred. As we approached Get
tysburg the day before, the sounds ol
R2 MRr2nd dSht 81 tho y Oh rGGtt GSSo2GtISy 2S ~
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 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 q shot or a hostile sound broke
the stiffness of the morning, IL became
evident that the enemy were not yet
ready to renew tho fight. Our corps
had got into position, and in wood
Just back of our line the birds oaroled
and sang loud and long. Our horses
quietly browscd in the rich grass, and
the mon lay in groups peacefully en-.
joying a rest after the rapid march Of
the day before. The troops that ar.
rived upon the field or changed their
position did so leisurcly and unmolos
ted. Sickles came up and went into
position on our left and Geary took bis
division over to CUPS bill About 10
o'clock picket firing was heard out to.
ward little Round Top, continuing at
intervals until long after noon, at times
becoming quite sharp. But 3 o'clock
came and still no Indications Of the
general engagement
A SPLENDID SPECTACLE.
The boys had partly recovered from
their fatigue and were actually begin
ming TO enjoy life some OF them In
/ l.,I,..J l.. nn,at Uanno nf aunkaro