The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1888-09-27
THE SECOND DAY.

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engage the Confederates known to be con-
cantFating In the vicinity Of Gettysburg; but
Meade was not marching with the intention
Of going % far north as Gettyshurx, There
Is . line Of de6enstble ridges running east and
west on Pipe creek, thirteen miles south Of
this town. Thess ridges protect all thoss
roads to Baltimore and Washington that
meet at Gettysburg, and the seven Union
corps had besn held in readiness to form a
line and fight on Pipe creek, In case the Con-
federates should attempt to march south with
. view of attacking either Baltimore or
the capital But the sudden death of
Reynoldss ct the hands OF Confederate
sharpshooter, led Meade to send Gen Han
cock TO Gettysburg 70 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 northwerd to Gettys-
burg by nightfall OF the flrSt In the same
way Gen Blocum, whose Twelfth corps was
at Hanover, I've miles east by south of
Gettysburg, was drawn 70 the battlefield, SO
when the First and Eleventh corps fell back
70 the heights Of Cemetery Ridge, they were
soon in communication with Slocums
Egelfeks Hancocks Second and Sfckless
Third corps, all Of whom were either
already on the ground, or arriving
by different roads Thus Ave Union
corps were at hand, prepared for any battle
cock had reached Gettysburg at 4 D. m on
the arst day, just as the conflicts Of the First
and Eleventh corps had ended, and when
these troops were falling back on to Gene
tery 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 tbs ridge In fun view Of the enemy, he, by
this show OF strength, prevented the Confed-
crates from making their customary s'sun-
down ATTACH, J" 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 1t appeared a. good position for
defense If not Tor 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, Is Howard had de-
INJURED 70 being superseded by Hancock, and
on Sickles arrival Howard proposed to settle
the matter by yielding to Sickles the latter
being the superior both Of Hancock and him
self. But 6ickles 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-five
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 q 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 9, was place wen
adapted for the display Of war in all its
grandeur. The form Of the ridge resembles
the letter J inverted r, 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 fest above the plain,
while the long lima from this hill to the
Round Tops three miles distant, show q sue
cession Of ground swells, following q general
direction, north and south, but no connected
crest
The Twelfth corps and part Of the First,
| under Slocum, occupied Culp's and Wolf
Hills with ground between. Howard with
the Eleventh corps and part Of the First held
| Cemetery Hill, while Hancocks Second corps,
with Doubleday's division, Joined on How
ards left, 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
along the Emmitsburg road, he preferred to
station his corps on the road With this OBJ
| ject in view, he sent forward some batteries,
| troops and shirmishers, 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
there for its defense. Before Meade
had time to visit the ground, or to de
termine whether to order Sickles back, or to
send more troops to enable him to sustain an
attack, should one be made there, the decision
was made for him. The boom of cannon
Is heard and each huEries to his place. Five
hundred yards due west from Little Round
Top Is the Devils Den, q bold rocky hill,
steep on its eastern face, lying on an angle
made by Plum run, which here makes 9
bend toward the southwest, joining with q
smaller stream from Seminary Ridge. The
valley Is strewn with enormous powders
while the slopes OF the Round Tops are Gov
cred with the same. A cross road connect
ing the Taneytown and Emmitsburg roads
runs along the northern base of Devils Den
the first 400 yards Of which, beginning al
Plum run, is bounded ON the north by q
wood, and on the south by the now famou.
Wheat Field At the junction Of this eros
road and the Emmitsburg road, is the
Peach Orchard, hillock formed by tbs
intersection Of two ridges, the highest point
on the Emmitsburg road, although com
manded about quarter Of q mile further
west by the Warfsld Ridge, where Long
street placed some batteries which caused
fearful havoc In the Union lines.
The two great armies were now only mile
apart Ewelrs corps on the Confederate
left, held the town and the hills east Of it
Hi1l's the center, with LOngstreet on the
! right, and in accordance with Lees orders
Ewen and Longstrest were TO make 9
simultaneous attack, EWen on the Onion
right, at CUPS and Cemetery Hills; Long
street on the left, at the Peach Orchard
At the same time constant demonstration
were to be made against the Union center In
order to keep the troops there, HAncoek'E
corps, from being drawn on to the support
Of either Howard and Slocom on the right
l
cannonade from Seminary Hill led the Union
officers to suppose that the first onslaught
would come from that quarter, but thil
proved not TO be the case, for at O'CLOCK
this cannonade suddenly ceased and tbs
booming Of Hoods batteries On the LEFT
, showed that Less hrse objective point would
Be Devils Den, where Wards brigade o.
Birney's division lay on Sickles' left Ward
had taken position in the wood above Plum
run, his right extending IS far as the sum
, init Of the Wheat Field, thus occupying tn
open ground which covered the approach Il
, Little Round Top. Dc Trobriand formed thu
connecting link, with GrahAmis division a
the angle, the latter protected On his righ
: by Humphreys on the Emmitsburg road
) Eight batteries were placed 30 Is to cover tn.
weak points OF the line, and as the move
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