Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1886-03-26
The Battle of GETTYSBURG.

The Battle of Gettysburg.
The sixth lecture in the Lowell In
stitute course at Boston on the great
battles OF the civil war was delivered
by Gen. Francis A. Walker, who took
the place of Gen. Alexander S. Webb,
on account of the illness of the latter.
The subject of the lecture was Gettys-
burg. In opening he said:
"The month of June, 1868, found
the power and prestige of the Union
arms at it's lowest ebb. For weeks
the very blackness of dispair seemed
to envelop the Union cause. But the
natural buoyancy of the national
temper caused some anticipation Of
better fortune to mingle with s. stern
resolve that had never failed. Now, in
addition to the two disastrous de-
leafs that had caused US the loss OF
10000 men, a fresh cause OF anxiety
appeared. The army was now weak
ened by the expiration OF the terms of
the nine months men. The return OF
the nine months men to civil life with
drew some entire brigades from the
Army OF the Potomac. The effort
was to reduce the army to very near
ly al equality in numbers with its
deadly Toe, the Army of Northern Vir-
glnia. The events of the preceding 2
month had not been of such a. nature
as to encourage recruiting at the
north. On the other hand, Lees
army was at the very height of pride
and conscious strength. Should l
say that there was on the Union
side q corresponding encouragement
I should lie and should Islander
both the living and the dead; for
the heights of Gettysburg were
yet to bear witness that the valor and
the endurance Of that long-suffering
army were not to be destroyed by ad-
versity. Yet it cannot be denied that
in the different temper OF the two
armies lay the secret of the great
military advantage on the part of the
confederates. Fortunately there was
no doubt who should be called to
lead the old corps Of Sumner. To the
ajestic chieftain who, ON the field of
Antietam, had caught the sword tnat
dropped from Richardson's dying
hand; who at Fredericksburg, in De-
cember, had led the brigade of Look,
Meagher: and Caldwell in perfect form,
in unwavering lines, across that plain
Of death, swept from end to end by
entilading fires, against two tiers OF
musketry, up to the new stone wall
at the foot of Marye's Hill; who, on
the Sd OF May formed his division on
Charlottesville plateau in two lines,
back to back, one fronting Gordons-
vile, the other fredericksburg, with
his artillery firing down the line be-
tween holding back the countless hosts
ofvictorious confederates then swarm
ing in from every side, until the road
to the Bullock opening WAS cleared
and the moment had comefor his own
orderly and slow retreat-to him, the
lionlike Hancock, the corps turned
with one spontaneous impulse as it's
new commander, tremendous ap-
plause, and, oh! that the thousands
who had fallen in the useless slaughter
at Fredericksburg and Charlottesville
had been with it's colors on that day
when Hancock, proud, confident, and
glad, superb in manly beauty, and,
breathing the courage which. makes
all men Drawer, drew his sword at the
head Of that corps which, in losing
5000 men in battle, had never lost a
color or gum" Renewed and pro-
longed applause.
After describing the many and i'm
portant roads from the North cen
tring at Gettysburg, roads on account
r>f h1ph T r. II dot rs co,,,
and hold the place, and after narrat-
ing the incidents Of the opening of the
battle, the speaker continued
at was about / o'clock that to
Meade's headquarters was borne the
CHASTITY tidings that Reynolds had
been killed, to which Gen. Howard
had made the addition that the First
Corps was routed and in flight, as tate
ment based on the appearance of two
regiments which had been outfanked,
and had come back in disorder. I'M
mediately on receiving this intelligence
Gen. Meade went to Hancock's head
quarters at Taneytown, and directed
him at once to go to Gettysburg to as
sumo command Of the broken forces;
to save, if possible, further disasters
of the day, and to report whether the
position was one which should be held.
Gen. Meade's attention was called to
the fact that Gen. Howard was senior
to Gen. Hancock, to which he replied
that he could not help it, that at this
crisis he must have man he knew
an could trust. Hot was the haste
in which q soldier like Hancock would
proceed to execute such an order in
such a, crisis. Only those who have
been in case like this know how long
q road can be. Yet as mile after mile
was spurned from the gathering hoofs
Of the staff every feature ofthe ground
on either side was eagerly scanned for
possible lines OF defense.
"Upon the field of wreck and disor-
der now appeared Hancock. And, as
the sun shining through a rift in the
clouds may change scene of
gloom to one OF beauty, so did
the coming of this prince of soldiers
bring fresh life and courage to the dis
heartened bands which were halting
uncertainty upon the new line of de-
tense. At his call the brave spirits
famed to their height; the weaker
souls yielded gladly to the impulse OF
that powerful, aggressive, resolute
nature. At once the doubtful halt
on Cemetery Hill was transformed in
to the confident assumption OF new
line Of battle; the fearful stream down
the Baltimore road was peremptorily
stopped; shattered regiments as the y
reached the hills were halted and re-
formed. On every hand men began to
seek their regiments with alacrity: com
manders rectified their lines and pre-
pared for whatever might happen;
ammunition was brought up, part
OF Wadsworth's division, VITA the
Fifth Maine Battery, was dispatched
to occupy Culp's Hill, skirmishers
were thrown out on the front and
RIGHT; at all points commanding posi-