The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1888-07-13
THE SECOND DAY.

The battle of the second day was due more
to accident than was that of the first just
described. Reynolds had been instructed to
march at the head of the Union army and
engage the Confederates known to be con-
centrating in the vicinity of Gettysburg; but
Meade was not marching with the intention
of going SO far north as Gettysburg. There
is line of defensible ridges running east and
west on Pipe creek, thirteen miles south of
this town. These ridges protect all those
roads to Baltimore and Washington that
meet at Gettysburg, and the seven. Union
corps had been held in readiness tos eaan "a
line and fight on Pipe creek, in case tie Con-
federates should attempt to 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 nightfall of the first. In the same
way Gen. Slocum, whose Twelfth corps was
at Hanover five miles east by south of
Gettysburg, 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 Slocum's
Twelfth, Hancock's Second and Sickles'
Third corps, all 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 4 p. m on
the 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
mand, Hancock, by Meade's special order,
took control Posting the troops Of the two
corps by brigades and regiments on the crest
of the ridge in full view of the enemy, he, by
this show of strength, prevented the Confed-
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-
connoitred by Hancock and his colleagues
the better it appeared as 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 to make the expected fight at Gettys-
burg. In the meantime some difficulty had
arisen at the ridge, as Howard had de-
INJURED to being superseded by Hancock, and
on Sickles' arrival Howard proposed to settle
the matter by yielding to Sickles, the latter
being the superior 10th of Hancock and him
self. But Sickles declined to interfere with
Meade's orders, only retaining discretion as
to the placing of his own corps, which he did
by putting them in line along the slopes on
the west of Cemetery Ridge, between that
and the Emmitsburg 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
giving his sanction to what had been done.
The Fifth corps, under Sykes, was ordered
to hurry forward, and hasty summons was
sent to Gen. Sedgwick, who, with his Sixth
corps, was still at Manchester. thirty-fve
miles distant. OF the greater events of the
battle. this rapid concentration of troops on
the Gettysburg ridge was really accidental,
and wholly apart from the original plan. It
was brought about as result of the battle of
the LIST, Just as the baying Of one hound calls
up the pack.
The ridge, where the Union army found
itself at the dawn of July 2, was place well
adapted for the display of war in all its
grandeur. The form of the ridge resembles
the letter ] inverted f, Wolf Hill, Culp's Hill
and Cemetery Hill forming the curve Gene
terry Ridge, the long stem, and Round Top
and the Little Round Top, the lower extrem-
ity. Of these Cemetery Hill, with its bare,
broad summit, rises $50 feet above the plain,
while the long line from this hill to the
Round Tops, three miles distant, show sue