Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-05-15
ON THE FIELD OF GETTYSBURG.
Gen. Stannard Tells How the Day was
Saved.

Gen. stannard Tells How the Day was
Saved.
The following remarkably readable ex-
tract from the Boston Advertiser cores
pendent at the Gettysburg reunion will be
of especial interest to all Vermonters
To the people about here the battlefield is
great stock in trade. The dingy old
Dutch town lives on it. Every man who
can muster a pair of animals and a We
hicle is on duty to drive you over the field.
The hotels blossom with maps and dia-
grams. Photographs of Jennie Wade, the
local heroine who was killed by chance
rebel shot, meet you on every corner.
Guide books and boys without number
are at hand to give the visitor an idea of
the battle. The battle alone saved this
dusty little burg from being as comatose
as its neghbors. Yet the place shows
no signs that the battle was fought
in it, through it and over 1t. One
house boasts shell lodged in the wall,
but from the looks it was evidently care
fully put in place by a mason. "What
was done in town while the battle was
fought ?" | asked dozen old residents
The invariable answer was that they took
and stayed there until the rebels left.
Even the firm Lutheran Theologic cal Semi
nary, about which Hill and Howard
struggled so desperately the first day,
shows little sign, and the stupid people
about are unable to tell which house it
was, just in the outskirts of the village
where Lee took up his headquarters
Luckily, the features of the battle and the
points of the country are SO salient that
Clt1 linz han
terry mile back from town where the last
fighting was done, can fail to understand,
in a general way, the features of the bat
tie.
| watched the President carefully yes
terday. He does not look so well as the
day he was inaugurated. Lack of eXer-
else is the cause, and he is worried by the
incessant clamor for offices. On the way
up he said very little, and the cheering
crowd here did not cause him to move a
muscle. They got him into carriage and
took him to the National cemetery. On
the little stand used for the Memorial day
exercises they crowded and jostled him
while Gov. Pattison delivered the usual
speech. Then he invited Cleveland to say
something. "Oh no !" answered the Pres
ident, they have all seen me, and that's
all they want That was all they could
named Maginnis, began to shout platitudes
to the 500 people, II would like to get
out of here" the President said,
and so General Hunt, commander of ali
the artillery on those eventful days, with
the President, Colonel Bachelor, the his
torian, and General Doubleday, started
off in their carriage, followed by Secre-
taries Endcott, Whitney and Villas, with
the Vice President. The three veteran
officers were full of enthusiasm They
all talked to the President at once. From
the seminary, through the town. round
/ 4 ha1 fn,,r | 81
the valley in front where Sickles and Han
cock fought so well, then away along to
the left toward the Devils Den, and final
~ to the rocky crest of Little Round Top
key, of the second days fighting they
took him. The notched tree beneath
which Reynolds fell, the little swale
in the valley, with its stone to mark
Hancock's terrible wound, the spot in
side the Union lines where the rebel gen
eral Armistead was killed, the GIBBS and
surgeS OF the battle, the desperate hand to
hand contests ihthe Den and about the
crest OF Round Top, and the lines of the
three great rebel asSaultS-all these they
pointed out with enthusiasm They took
the President to the summit of Round Top
while Villas and Eudicott remained com
fortably at the foot. He went everywhere,
looked when they pointed listened to what
they sald,-and himself uttered not word
either OF inquiry or satisfaction. They did
not know what to make of it, AS for Hen
bricks, these men wasted very little time
on nm, ana he seemed to regard the whole
thing as rather bore. But how could he
be expected to take much interest ,compar-
ed with the men to whom it was a living
reallty,and who had only to shut their ewes
on the sweet May afternoon to feel the hot
air and bloody excitement of those three
July days, when this beautiful valley and
the wooded hills stretching along their side
peIched lire and We're watered with blood
But While this formal party made its
tour, less ambitious ones, made up of
little groups of old soldiers, wandered
about In the swale down below the
cemetery wall where Hancock held the
centre (and in the last day beat back
Plckets $4,000 men as they reached our
lines after their seething mile rush across
the valley in the last day, Major General
Stannard, little old man, with
story. MY Vermonters were IN the
line here he says, waiting for the
attack. ! had come forward little to
take this little rise, for knew if the rebels
got 1t they could reform their lines be-
hind 1t. The day was so hot that one of
my regiments | let fall back into the
shade OF some trees that stood here then,
and they lay down waiting. Sure enough,
the rebels had their eye on the rise and
kemper's Virginia Brigade was headed
Tor II. AS they came near | ordered that
regiment to take its place, and that was
the first kemper knew that we held it.
lie halted minute, then marched to the
side so as to go past us. Then | made the
movement that | never knew to be done
before | swung my brigade into the gan
IN their lines made by his flank movement,
and began firing. 1t was right in the side
OF their advancing column, and they could
not meet IT or escape it. 1t broke their
line complttely as you know, and some
think it saved the day.
General asks one of his listeners
nov wide do you think was the front of
PlcKetI's column when it reached us?'
Stannard answers: 81 have no idea
no one can tell 1t extended all along my
front, and that is all know"
What of Stannard?" does some one
ask? He is messenger to the House OF
Representatives, and sits during the SEES.
sion at gallery door, holding it open for
ladies to 90 in and out, at 1920 year
this general who saved Gettysburg
Gen. Sheridan's Team Run Away.
Los ANGELES, Cal. May 1l.-WhilC