Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1889-10-21

fate of the Confederacy depended
on the great battle that must be
fought when the two great armies
came in collision. Success in the
battle might open the way to Wash
ington, Harrisburgh, Baltimore and
the cOunyry north. The soldier
hoped the time had come when a
great victory would end the war and
send him home. Davis, Lee and all
the greater men in the rebellion hoped
that the invasion of the North would
be successful and soon bring about a
recognition of the right of secession.
Lee had as corps commanders three
of the most brave and skillful men in
the confederate armies, Longstreet,
A. P. Hill and Ewell. Himself and
his lieutenants lacked nothing of
military knowledge, courage or skill
on the field of conflict. They were
ready to strike terrible blows wher-
ever they chose to strike; had cour-
age to take risks and make move
ments that Gen. Meade dare not take );
they were willing to hazard the chance
of success by maneuvers and charges
that at best only had bare chance of
success. They fought this battle
with a courage begotten almost of
desperation. On the other hand the
Union army was almost exactly the
same in number-estimate made it a
little less in infantry, the same in
cavalry and a little superior in artil-
lerv 1t was at the time of battle un-
der the command of Gen. Meade, just
appointed to command. Considera-
BILE numbers of the troops were new
to battle scenes there were some
misgivings and rivalries among corps
commanders, and the esprit which
comes from supreme confidence in
the commander was not felt. But
below this was the universal feeling
and knowledge that under equal
chances the Union army was able to
withstand the best and fercest as
saults of the enemy. No man who
wore the blue had a single thought
that secession would be triumphant
or that he would finch hair from
highest duty or valor on that field on
account of Fredericksburgh, Chancel-
lorsville, or other defeats. The bril-
liant corps commanders, Howard,
Reynolds, Hancock, Slocum, Sykes,
Sickles, Sedgwick, Newton, Warren
and all those in command of divisions
and brigades lacked nothing of skill
or bravery. The two armies were
probably the best that ever met in
mortal conflict, and the battle to be
fought ranked among the most i'm
portant in modern times. June 80.
or the day before the battle, saw the
country for forty miles around about
Gettsburgh filled with two hundred
thousand men marching in different
vancing to find the enemy. Gen. Lee,
having heard that Meade was not fal
away, was calling together his scat
tered corps preparatory to giving OIL
receiving blows as the circumstances
demanded. The confederate caval-
~ was making long raids, and the
Union cavalry was chasing in all di-
rections to find Gen. Stuart's troops
to give battle. Some of the rebs had
gone as far north as York and east
to the Baltimore railroad. A rebel
corps had advanced to Carlisle-near-
ly up to Harrisburgh-but was re-
called by Gen. Lee. Gen. Meade,
hearing that Lee was near Gettys-
burgh, ordered his corps to make all
haste thitherward, and there was
marching in hot haste by the whole
army toward that place both June 80
and July L.
Buford's Cavalry struck the ene-
mes infantry lines a little out of
Gettysburgh on the west and north
on the morning of July 1st, and be-
gan what seemed at first but skir-
mish. A part of the first corps, un-
der Gen. Reynolds, rushed on to give
assistance to the cavalry, who were
fighting very large force, hardly
holding them at bay. Gen. Reynolds
pushed out toward the front and came
to the edge of an open woods about
"a mile west of Gettysburgh, where
he was killed by a bullet from rebe
sharpshooter, posted in the deeper
woods beyond. Gen. Doubleday
next in command, put the divisions
of the 1st corps in position as fast as
they came up, and it was not long
before a terrific battle was raging
We visited this portion of the fielC
and saw where the troops were plac
ed as the divisions and new corps ar
arrived. Gen. Slocum came soon af
ter, and a little later Gen. Howard
with the 18th corps. The rebs great
ly outnumbered our forces and befor
night had crowded back the from
line, Tapped by and outfanked ou
hard fought troops on either flank
and had driven them from the field
During the morning hours our troop
not only held their own, but inficte
great slaughter and captured man
rebs. One rebel corps lost thre
, thousand men and others were badl
punished; but in the retreat an
skurry through the town we lost Sc,
eral thousand prisoners. Out of til