Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-05-22
Written for THE EVENING STAR
THE GREAT RATTLE OF THE WAR.
The Pennsylvania Reserves ut Getays-
burg.
Copyright, 1885,
PART /.

Hf5TOAfCAL DATE.
me fennsyivania Reserves were unique Or
eanizatfon- They comprised thirteen regiments
or infantry, one artillery, and one Of cavalry,
Numbering at the outset of fifteen thousand and
some hundreds of men. Thus they were In
themselves complete army, nve times the
force with which Gen. Taylor fought the battles
OF the Rio Grande. and ons-thrd larger than
the army With which Gen. Scott won his vfcte-
rfes in the valley of Mexico. They represented
The overflow of Pennsylvania patriotism under
the stimulus of the first great wave Of righteous
Indignation that swept over the north upon the
Insult 10 the flag at sumter.
The state had promptly filed its quota OF the
$4,000 men first called for by President Lin
coin, but the assigned number fell far short OF
the full measure of her loyalty to the cause OF
the Union. More than thirty regiments in ex-
cess OF what were called tor were organized, and
Gov. Curtin was importuned to get their SER
vices accepted. The governor did his utmost
To induce the general government to take them,
but without avail. The sanguine notion of Mr..
Seward that the trouble would be over In 10
days had gotten possession of the governmen-
tal mind in Washington, and the tederaI al
thorities steadily refused all proffers OF more
men, asserting that they already had more
than they knew what 10 do with. The people
at large, however, viewed the situation diner
emily. They knew that the trouble had been
bre wing Tor long years, and they did not be-
heve that IL was soon or easily To be set right.
They took more stock in Mr.. Stewards former
idea OF an irrepressible conflict than he seemed
now to do himself. To their thinking the hour
had struck. Fully possessed OF this onvietion,
those who had organized themselves into mill
tary bodies kept them intact and went on
drilling in sublime Indifference TO government
tai discouragements and ninety day prophecies.
In this condition of affairs ii occurred to- Gov
ernor Curtin that as Pennsylvania was practi-
caliy border state, IL would be well To utilize
this surplus patriotism, and create out OF these
Supernumerary regiments force which should
be available primarily for state defense, and
cODtlDgently for the service OF the general gov
eminent. Acting on this idea, ne convened'
the legislature in special session, and on his
recommendation IL passed the act authorizing
the organization OF the Reserves a state force.
NOOrganZed regiments were accepted, but from
each OF the regiments already in existence GER
tain companies were selected, and these, to-
gether with various independent companies,
constituted the material out of which the Re
serve regiments were afterwards made up. The
men came from every part of the state, and
probably not a township, certainly not county,
from the lake To the Delaware was unrepre-
sented. They were placed in camps of instruc-
lion, and in due time were organized into regi-
menls, the whole force being put t under .he
uate OF West Point, who had served with dis
tinction III the Florida and Mexican wars, but
had resigned from the army in 1851, and was
at the outbreak of the civil war living In
tirement at his country-seat OF Belair, near
West Chester
give IN detail the history of the Reserves, but
merely TO tell the story of their march To Get
tysburg and the part they took N that historic
conflict.
BEFORE GETTYSBURG.
AT the opening of the Gettysburg campaign
the Reserves were lying within the Department
OF Washington, where they had been brought TO
recuperate and refit, after long. arduous. and
distinguished service at the front. The circum-
stances attending their organization, and the
fact that the infantry of the division, which of
course constituted its bulk, bad always been
kept together. naturally developed and fOstered
State feeling beyond the common; and it will
be readily understood that il was with no Ord-
nary degree of emotion they received the intel
ligence of the probable invasion of their native
State by tine Confederate forces. They reflected
that this was just the kind OF contingency they
had been originally organized to meet. and it
seemed To them 10 be the very irony of fate that
now when 1T was about TO occur they should
have been detached from the Army of the
Potomac, and were apparently doomed to stand
idly by, and to be permitted to take no part in
campaign that appealed SD forcibly TO all their
instincts, whether soldiers or as Pennsyl-
vanians. They petitioned their commanding
again the Army of the Potomac, or to be sent
directly TO their State, that they might partici-
pate i'll her defense.
Meanwhile the vanguard of the ARMY of the
Potomac began Ming by the camps of the Re
serves; and some OF the incidents which oc-
Cured, as, debouching from the cedar thickets,
the dusty marchers from the Rappahannock
would come suddenly upon these camps. were
not a little amusing. The Potomac fellows
would take ours for home-guards, or at least
new troops not yet initiated the full art and
mystery of war, and the mutual chatting that
would ensue before they would discover that
the supposed home-guards were veterans like
themselves was highly edifying. When the dis
hearty and thorough.
The Reserves We're at this time commanded
by Brigati General y. Wylie Crawford, whose
career in the warw both brilliant and uninue
y native o: Pennsylvania he had been educated
as physician, and entered the regular army as
years OF service in Texas, New Mexico,
and the Northwest, the outbreak OF
the civil found him stationed
with Major Anderson at Fort Moultre
He took AN active and ga liant part in the re-
mov;,I of the garrison from Moultrie to- Sumter
"A fnrh
services on that occasion was appointed major
IN the regular army and a Urgadier general of
volunteers Previous TO joining the Reserves he
had been severely wounded while commanding
"a division at Antietam, and he remained in
participating brilliantly in all of its battles
down To the closing scene at AppomattOx
being, believe. the only officer who enjoyed
the distinction of having heard both the rirst
and last gun In the war.
AT last the ardent wish of the Reserves to be
permitted 10 participate In the campaign which
had for them so peculiar an interest was in part
At least, gratified. Two brigades the First.
under command of gallant buck" Me-, ,andless
and the Third led by the brave Fisher were.
ordered to join the Army OF the Potomac The
Second Brigade was retained for the defense ot
washing son, much to the discomfort OF its SOL
dleriy commander, HOratio q. Sickel and ms
veteran followers: At Frederick, Md. on sun
day. the 9th OF June, the two brigades Joined
again tue Army OF the Potomac and received
hearty welcome from their old comrades OF the
EIfth Corps. To which they found themselves
once more assigned.
on THE MARCH
Then began the toilsome march towards that
as yet undetermined battlefield which AS the
event proved, Was To be in and about the hith-
erto quiet little tOwn OF Gettysburg, then nest
nilg amid It's environment of green fields and
rocky hills, all unconscious OF the distinction
that awaited IL in the Immediate future
SOLDIERS are a. u rule, not much given to IN
duIsence IN sentiment, but To these PennsyIya-
MIA boys there was in the situation a good deal
To move the heart and imagination. Some of
them hid their homes in the very region which
II was now becoming probable would be the
scene OF the approaching conflict. This fact
very naturally made them feel differently from
whit any previous experience in the war had
done. Then, too, these last DAYS OF June were
anniversary DAYS with them all The 9TH of
June The year before taey had opened the seven
Days night before Richmond with the battle of
Mechauicsville, AMI had there defeated tue
flower OF the rebel army the first field i'm tho
war which General Lee commanded In per,on
On the 18th they had fought again at Gaines
Mil, on the 3Oth had participated in the desutr-
ATE hight at Glendale, and on the LIST OF july hat
helped 10 achieve the glorious success of Mai
vefn HILL FIuey were thinking of ali these
things as they went trudging along, ana very
mixed were the memories which trooped
and tine comic all in turn linking themselves
TvVeTies called up. On the night of the 5Oth OF
June ;hcy bivouacked a short days march from
the line which divided Maryland from their
own PennsS lSania and their last waking
Thought as they rolled themselves in their
Blankets was That on the morrow they should
cross the line and tread once more their native
soil