Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-07-04
The SECOND DAY.

THE SECOND DAY.
Tie battle Of the second day was due more
to accident than was that Of the first, just
dc c-.be'l Reynolds had been instructed to
rlarcl 1T lie head Ok tie Union army, and
engage The Coufetefates known to be con-
celIt-ating in the vicinity of GETTYSBURG: but
Meade was not marching with the intention
of going so far Forth as Gettysburg There
is line OF desensible rides running east and
west on Pipe creek, thirteen miles south of
this town. These rides protect all those
roads to Baltimore and Washington that
meet at Gettysburg, and the seven Union
corps had Teen held in readiness to form a
line and fight on Pine creek, in case the Com
federates should atte1spt 20 march south with
view Of attacking either Baltimore or
the capital But the sudden death of
Reynolds. at the hands of Confederate
sharpshooter led Meade to send Gen. Han
cock to Gettysburg to assume command, and
the news Of Reynolds death and his battle at
Willoughby run reaching Sickles the latter
was induced, though fifteen miles distant, to
move his Third corps northward TO Gettys-
burg by ni-htfall of the first. In the same
way Gen. Slocum, whose Twelfth corps was
at Hanover, five miles east by south of
Gettysbur,y, was drawn to the battlefield so
when the First and Eleventh corps fell back
to the heights Of Cemetery Ridge, they were
soon in communication with Slocums
Twelfth, Hancocks Second and Sickles'
Third corps, al of whom were either
already on the ground, or arriving
by different roads Thus five Union
corps were at hand prepared for any battle
that might be offered by the enemy. Han
cock had reached Gettysburg at p. M on
tbs first day, just as the conflicts of the First
and Eleventh corps had ended, and when
these troops were falling back on to Gene
terry Hill, the northern extremity of the
ridge. The presence Of Hancock infused
courage and confidence, and, although infe-
rior in rank to Howard, who was in COM
rland, Hancock, by Meade's special Order
took control. Posting the troops of the two
corps by brigades ond regiments on tie crest
of the ridge in full view of the enemy, he, by
this show OF strength, prevented the Coufed-
crates from making their customary sun
down attack, and as the troops of the Third
and Twelfth corps arrived they were added
TO the line. The more the ground was re-
connotred 10y Hancock and his colleagues
the bet or it appeared as a good position for
defense if not for attack, and word was at
once sent TO Meade, at his headquarters at
Taneytown, to hurry forward the troops in
order 10 make the expected fight at VS.
burg. In the meantime some difficulty had
arisen at the ridge, as Howard had de-
INJURED to being superseded by Hancock, and
Oh Sickles' arrival Howard PROF osed to settle
the matter by yielding to Sickles, the latter
being the superior 9th of Hancock and him
self But Sickles declined to interfere with
Meades orders, only retaining discretion as
to the placing of his own corps, which he did
by putting them in hue along the slopes on
the west of Cemetery Ridge, between that
and the Emmltsbur9 road. Slocum out
ranked them all. and on his arrival from
Hanover Hancock turned the command over
to him, and, riding back to Meade at fancy
town, advocated the position at Gettysburg
so strongly that Meade came on IN person,
reaching the ridge after midnight, and then
giyn. lis sanction to what had been done
The Firth corps, under Sykes, was ordered
to hurry forward, and hasty summons was
sent to Gen. Set.swicl;, who with his Sixth
corps, was stil at Manchester. thirty-five
miles distant OF the greater events Of the
battle. tniS rapid concentration Of troops on
the Gettysburg ridge was really accidental,
and wholly apart from the original plan. 1t
was brought about as result of the battle of
the Isl, jus' as the bacing of one hound calls
NJ tie pack.
&c AhA-tr N'AAtAb ttG OlAAoi amy lotilu
itse.f at the dawn of July 2, was place well
adap-ad for the display of war i'll all its
crardsur. The tor;l OF Tie ridge resembles
TIC le.. or J inv rtod f, Vol Had, Cups Hill
aGd Cemetery Hill forming the c,l;'.c Come
t. :, i-". tHo loN'' sem, and iour3 Top
and tic L.t,ic -oC.d 4or, the lower extrcr-
ity. CT tICc Cemetery LII, with its bare,
broad s.:mali;. r.ses 10 feet 0love the plain,
while too 'o. l.uo fro.n tbs hi to the
Round Tor. t''rce la.le, l.s,ar. show sue
ccssion Of rrornd ar,l-. following general
direction, north and SOUTH but no connected
crest.
The Twelfth CORPS and part of the First,
under Slocum, occupied Cups and Wolf
Hills with ground ictween. Toward with
the Eleventh corps end part OF the First held
Cemetery I'm, while Hancock Second corps,
With Doubedays division, joined ON How
ards lett, Hancock having charge of the
whole line, including Sickles' Third corps
SickleS had received orders to extend the
main line to Little Round Top, but dissatis-
fed with the position assigned him, and see
ing that there were depreSsions in this ridge,
where the ground was lower than it was
nlong the Emmitsburg road, he preferred to
station his corps on the road With this OBJ
iect in view, he sent forward some batteries,
trools am shlrmishers, at the same time
asking Meade to give his sanction to the
formation of this new line, and requesting
that the chief of artillery might be
empowered to plant some cannon
there for its defense. Before Meade
had time to visit the ground, or to de-
termine whether to order sSickleS back or to
send more troops to enable him to sustain an
attack, should one be made there, the decision
made for him. The boom of a cannon
is heard and each hurries to his place Five
hundred yards due west from Little Round
Top is the Devils Den, a bold rocky hill.
steep on its eastern face, lying on an angle
made 10y Plum run, which here makes a
bend toward the southwest, joining with a
smaller stream from Seminary Ridge The
valley Is strewn with enormous powders.
while the Stores of the Round TOPS are COW
cred with the same. A cross road connect
lrg the Tancytown and diminishing roads
runs along the northern base of Devils Den,
he first 400 yards OF which, beginning at
Plum run, is bounded ON the north bv a
wood, and ON the south by the now famous
Wheat Field. AT the junction Of this cross
road and the Emmitsburg road, is the
Peach Orchard, hillock formed by the
intersection of two ridges, the highest point
on tue Emmitsburg road although COM
mandCd about n quarter of mile further
west by the Wartield Ridge, where Long
street laced some batteries which caused
fearful havoc in the Union lines.
The two great armies were now only mile
apart Ewelis corps on the Confederate
left. held the town and the hills east of it:
Hills the center, with Longstreet on the
right, and in accordance with Lees orders.
Ewell and Lonestreet were to make a |
simultaneous attack, Ewell on the Union
right, at Cups and Cemetery Hills; Long |
street on the left, at the Peach Orchard
AT the same time constant demonstrations
were to be made against the Union center in
order to keep the troops there Hancock's |
corps, from being drawn Off to the support
of either Howard and Slocom on the right.
or of Sickles and Sykes on the left A fierce
cannonade from Seminary Hill led the Union
officers to suppose that the first onslaught
would come from that quarter, but this
proved not to be the case, for at o'clock
this cannonade suddenly ceased and the
booming of Hoods batteries on the left
showed that Lees first objective point would
be Devils Den, where Wards brigade of
BTney'S division lay on Sickles' left Ward
ba1 ral-asl i'm, ~ I