The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1888-07-26

GEN. HANCOCK AND STAY.
individuals was put to supreme test, and
American valor come forth from tie shock
OF battle crowned anew for its splendid
achievements. Whatever may be said of the
generalship that placed soldiers in the desper-
ate situation, where life must be freely sacri-
feed In order to win slight advantage, the
devotion Of the soldiers themselves to the
wishes OF their leaders was such that the
world hears with wonder and admiration the
story of their deeds. When Reynolds pushed
bis single corps out on the Chambersburg
road, az a breakwater to restrain the waves
of Confederate invasion, he trusted the men
who followed his banners to be as bold and
brave as himself; and when Sickles advanced
his column TO the debatable position on the
Emmitsburg road-a position Of which both
armies stood in need and one the Confed-
crates were Fastening to seize-isolated and
exposed as he was, and enveloped by superior
numbers, he asked great things OF his men
when he called upon them to stand to their col
ors through such crisis. And so it was over all.
that field and in every contest, men fought
as they had never fought before and for the
simple reason that such desperate work had
never before been required Of them Gen.
John @. Robinson, a division leader in the
First corps (Reynolds1, says that the lighting
Of his men during the short time they were
engaged at close quarters-a couple Of hours
was the severost that be ever witnessed.
He spoke, too, from an experience OF three
years In the Army Of the Potomac, from the
First Bull Run TO the Wilderness.
RALLYING ON THE FLAG.
Tho Iron brigade, under Meredith, with
Cutters brigade of the same division, opened
the infantry battle on the Union side. Mere
dith led his men in to the support Of Cutler,
and while passing their commander, Gen.
Doubleday who was second in command TO
Reynolds, he told them to hold their ground
"a grove ON the bank of Willoughby Run
ut all hazards. The response to this call was:
eff we can't do il, where will you find the
men who canF' As they entered the grove
from one edge the COnfederates of Heth's
division came filing in from the opposite side,
having forced their way over the stream on
the flank of Cutters line. One volley from
the Iron brigade staggered the men in gray,
for they had been told that they would meet
only raw militia on the road to Gettysburg
But when the smoke cleared away from
Meredith's line they saw familiar sight and
exclaimed:
"TTaint the militia, neitheri It's the
Army of the Potomac. There's the black
hated fellows again"
Col Morrow, of the Twenty-fourth Michi-
gan, in his official report, tells a story as
strange as any romance. After reforming
his lines twice and making desperate resist
ance, he was compelled to fall back to a third
regiment was killed. There were not above
one-fourth of his men in the line now, and
one of the color guard was ordered to
''plant the colors." 1t was done, and the
brave fellow fell beside the upright staff
Morrow now seized the standard and waved
1t to rally his remnant, and Private Kelly, OF
Company B, rushed to him, and said: ''Tht
colonel of the Twenty-fourth shall never
carry the flag while am alive He graspeC
the staff and fell instantly under sharp
shooters bullet. Private Spaulding next
took the flag, and Morrow signaled his meH
to rally around il, but was soon wounded
himself and borne from the scene At las
there were only lifeless hands to hold the
staff, and so the colors of the Twenty fourth
were found at the barricade, where the las
stand of the line was made preparatory h
the retreat from Oak Ridge to Cemetery
Hill. A dying soldier had chung to them anC
dragged himself back until he could 90 M
further, and there he delivered them to hi
own comrade, Capt. Edwards. On this fielC
the deeds of heroism were numberless, ant
no one regiment or brigade can be singles
out for an example. The record OF the IroI
brigade, as inscribed on the monument OF tn
Nineteenth Indiana erected on this field
shows a loss of ,2l3 men out OF 1888 that en-
tered the fight.
Cutters brigade lost 975 men. One Of tn
regiments here was the Fourteenth Brooklyn
Eighty New York volunteers. Whel
the Confederates began to advance down Oal
Ridge ON the flank of the line formed alon
the run in McPherson's woods, this regimen
charged a sweep of over quarter Of q mile
and afterward swung in at one end OF tn
railroad cut, heading Off Davis Mississippi
brigade and capturing nearly the whole CON
O. mand. The story of all these regiments
not told by the losses, heavy though the
were. The glory lies in the work they die
bravely contesting the ground inch by incl
and keeping at it after every second man
the ranks had fallen. Finally they retreateC
when ordered to do so, with their faces to u
enemy, and they fought for the roadway BAG
TO the heights.
FIGHTING IN RETREAT.
When the retreat was determined upo
Capt. Halls Second Maine battery was i
structed to hold a knoll on Seminary Rid
fifteen minutes He had to face infantI
and artillery fire to do so, and 50 impetuo
were the enemy that they came on with bal
bayonets. But yet Hall did not yield. Wi
grape and canister he raked their lines u
til the dead bodies of the fallen became raI
parts behind which the living found shelte
Finally, there was not time TO load; the Co
federates came on with dubbed muskets Al
the Maine men beat them back with ston
and gun hammers. even with their is,
Four out OF the six guns were saved al
dragged Off from the very clutches OF {
enemy back TO Cemetery Hill AT this N
ment scenes equally stirring were bel
enacted on the right of the line along {
Carlisle road north of the town. Their
new danger was to be met when Eve
corps, coming in from toward Yc
and Harrisburg, struck the flank OF the II
on the western ridges Barlow's and Schi
melpfennig's divisions Of Towards EleveE
corps had moved out across = wide plain,
full view OF the hills held by the enemy, q
glance told the weak points in the posit
before the men could form for battle.
Confederate brigades OF Hoke, Hays q
Gordon, crossing Rock creek, were tax