The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1888-05-25
The Battle of Gettysburg.


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 Gettvs.
burg. Iii opening he said:
'"The month OF June, 1868, fouu|
The power and prestige of the Union
AREAS at it's lowest cbb. For weeks
the very blackness of dispair seemed
to envclop tho Union cause. But the
natural buoyancy of thc national
temper caused some anticipation OF
better fortune to minglc with stern
resolve that had vcrfailed. Now, in
addition to the two disastrous de
feats that had caused us the loss Of
80, 600 men, q fresh cause of anxiety
The army was now weak
ened by the expiration OF the terms of
the nine months men. The return Of
the nine months men tocivil life with
drew some entire brigadcs from the
Army OF the Potomac. The effort
was to reduce the army to very near
ly az equality i'll numbers with it's
deadly Zoe, the Army of Northern. Vir-
giMia.. The events Of the preceding 10
'n',,freh 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 ]
say that there was on the Union
side a corresponding disromragcmpnt
] should lie and should slandcr
both the living and the dead for
the heights of Gettysburg were
vet to bear witncsstha the valor and
the endurance oi that long-Suifprinu
army were not to he destroyed by adj
versity. Vet il cannot he denied that
in the different temper OF the two
armies lay the secret OF the great
military advantage on the part Of the
confrderatcs. Fortunately there was
no doubt who should be called to
lead the old corps of Sumner. To the
majestic chicftain who, on the field of
Antietam, had caught the sword tna,
dropped from Richardson's dying
hand; who at fredericksburg. IN De-
cember, had led the brigade of Look,
Mcaghrr. n"d Caldwell imperfect form,
of death. swept from end to end by
cntilnding fires, against two tiers of
mtlsketry, mp to the new stone wall
at the foot OF Marye's Hill; WHO. ,.on
the I'd Of May formed his division on
charlottesville plateau in two lines.
back to back, one fronting Gorlons-
vile, the other Frcflcrirksbllrg. with
his artillery iirin. down the line be-
tween holding back tn, countless hosts
OF victorious confedcrntrst hen swarm.
ing in from every side, until the road
to the Bullock opening was cleared
and the moment ha'lconnrior his own
orderly aud slow rrtrat--to him. the
llonlikc Hancock, the corps turned
with one spontaneous impulse as its
new commanders, tremendous APP
plause, and, oh. that the thousands
who had fallen in he useless slaughter
at FredericksburyHnd ChanccllorsvilIe
had been with its rolors on that day
when Hancock, proud, confident, and
glad, superb in manly beauty, and.
breathing the courage which makes
all men braycr, drew his sword ut the
head OF that corps which. in losing
$4,000 men in battle, had never lost u
color ora gun" Renewed and pro-
longed applause.
After describing the many and i'm
portnnt roads from the North cen
tring at Gettysburg, roads on account
OF which Lee had determined to seize
aud hold the place, and after nnrr;,t.
ing the incidents of the opcninp Of tho
battle. the ;,i.;.,- ..e,. :, +.r,,A
gllastIy lilinss fhal 'fE; E;eylhyaE,nae hyaEne ,tI.' the
been killed, to which ten. Howard
had made the addition that the First
Corps was routc, and in fight, as tate
ment based on the appearance OF two
regiments which had been oulllankrd,
and had come back in disorder. I'm
mcdiately on receiving this intelligence
Gen. Meade went to iIHnrnrk's head
quarters at 'i'amytown, and directed
him Mt once to 90 to Gettybury to as
sumo command OF the broken forces;
to save, if possible, further disasters
OF the day, and to report whether the
position was 0ncwhlch should he hcld.
Gen. Mcnic'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, tina, at his
crisis he must have man hr knew
an could trust. Hot was the hast"
in which n soldier like Hancork would
proceed to execute such nm order in
such Il crisis. Only those who have
been in case like His know how long
q road can be-. Yet az mile after mil"
was spurned from he clatteri,l. hoofS
OF the staff every feature ofthrgrnnnd
on either side was eagerly scanned for
possible lines OF defense.
Upon he field OF wreck aud disor
der now appeared Hancock. And, as
the sun shining through a rift in the
clouds may change II scene OF
gloom to one OF beauty, SD did
the coming of this prince OF soldiers
bring fresh life and courage to the dis
heartcncl bands which We're hating
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 oi
that powerful, aggressive, rrsolntc
nature. At once the doubtful halt
on Cemetery Hill WAS transformed in
to ,hr confident assumption OF II new
line ri battle; the fearful stream down
the Baltimore road was pcrcmptorily
stopped; shattered regiments as they
reached the hills were halted and rr-
formed. On every hand men began tn
seek their regiments with halacri,v;rom
mantlcrs rcctiird their lines and pre-
pared for whatever might happen;
ammunition was brought up, a par,
OF Wndsworth's division, with the
C1;f,l Nf,;,., Jl,t&,r, ,r,u Jiu,,,, 81, ,c,1