Omaha daily bee., 1896-02-22
Gen. HOWARD ON GETTYSBURG
Great Battle Described by One Of the
Commanders.
STORY OF THREE BLOODY DAYS RtTolD
Lecture Illustrated with Maps and
Delivered with n Niyidness that
I Almost Gave the Eject
iS. of Panorama.

Creighton hall was filled last night to hear
General Howard lecture on the Battle Of
Gettysburg" Many in the audience had
seen active service in the army and TO them
the lecture was even more interesting than
II was to the remainder OF the auditors.
Seated on the platform with General How
ard we're General J. J. Copplnger, CAPITA n
Palmer j. NJ. Wooworth, J. w. Foster John
Dale. Major T. A. Clarkson, c. E. Squires,
Edward Rosewater, Jules Lumbard and
Charles +. Weller
Major Clarkson presided and first intro
duced Jules Lumbard, who said he would
sing a song which related not 10 the late
war. hut to the next war, the one we would
have with Johnny Bull In defense of the
Monroe doctrine The song was well rem
dered and was loudly applauded Major
Clarkson said that history recorded no such
war as the late civil war, and in that war
the greatest battle was that fought at Get
tysburg. General Howard was then intro
duced and received in cordial manner.
On his military coat he wore the badges
OF the Army of Tennessee, of the Loyal
Legion, Of the Grand Army of the Republic
and one other badge, made Of the national
red, white and blue ribbons. He said that
the latter badge was given him yesterday
afternoon by the pupils Of the kindergarten
department of one of the public schools
He priced 1t highly and took as much pleas
ure In wearing 1t as he did in wearing any
OF the others.
He detailed at considerable length the
organization OF the two armies that met at
Gettysburg, and explained the different divi-
sons CT the army in such a thorough man
ner that there was not small boy present
who could not have understood just what an
army corps or a regiment was He said
that in this battle the confederate army
was more regularly formed than was the
union army. The lecturer had drawn map
OF Gettysburg and adjacent territory on the
blackboard, and at the start gave a graphic
explanation of the location of the forces
Throughout the lecture the exact position
OF the various branches of the two armies
and the locations of the different engage
ments were shown.
SENDING CORPS TO POSITION.
ION the last day of June, 1863, had
brought my corps to Emmettsburg eleven
miles south of Gettysburg. All around Cen
eral Meade had spread out his troops like
boys spread out blocks. He knew that he
could concentrate his forces as soon as Lee
could. Late that night l was in my room
In the Jesuit college at that place The
fathers there had been very kind to mo
had had one nights sleep there and was
bopeful for another. / was just about to
retire when there came a messenger from
General Reynolds. I was informed that he
desired to see me at once. 1t was a ride of
SIX and one-half miles, and 1 made It in
pretty fast time. i found REYNOLDS in n
very serious mood. Usually he was inclned
TO be humorous. but not so this time :. IIo
read that patriotic address of General Meade
IN "hich tbat general expressed the bone
mat mat al, the soldiers would put forth their
nnion. If they didn't they were TO he sbn.
down. General Reynolds and l conferreJ
jesuit college, " 'he
Il lay down, but 1t was only for minnie
messenger announced that orders ho;
Just been received from general Meade
saw they were for General Reynolds tns+e,i
of TOT me, but fearing that they might faIi
into the hands of the enemy without bein.l ni
,t Ieau oy reynolds l read them myself a',
iated num sent ,n mem ,nem on to Reynolds. They re-
Ia uated TO change of position in every corr,
=. ihe e hrst was to go to Gettysburg the third
10 Emmettsburg, the eleventh to Gettvsbmr,, "nu
etc. Before o'clock the next morninn
gave ,he order to march. 1t was rompb
road in TO gettysburg and it was slow march
Ihs. "A good part OF the distance we hroko ,
away from the road. All the time we u,e.e one
on gallop. 1t was 10 o'clock who, No
me ihto Gettysburg You will find that tbo
histories say that it was / O'Clock. Tbev
nuve oust omitted zero from that time
otherwise they are right On the rooh
was met by an officer from General R % rUau
staff. He told me to brine mu 81 ~, nes hoias
up to Gettysburg. "s my corps quite
iAhlNG VANTAGE GROUND.
r,ano -" looking around / espied Cemetery
af,s l roue over there with nv star and
.,oo,, a.er inspecting it concluded that If was n
aSten tnaIe oie 70 hold. A short time later lust
aIter making a study of the Tertiary fron'
Gu an observatory In the town, | learned tbat
EeneTal :, reynolds had been badly wmnnded
~ WAS only few minutes afterward that a
.aini niper OF reynolds staff came TO me and
ths sen,nr nrherai era REYNOLDS is dead. and you're
~ ooo se'lor , oihcer on the field We had only
iv,ooo men en- the field, and Meade was over
shty m'les away. 1t Is impossible for mo
70 convey to another how great n sense ot
was ,usp1hs,O'i,y ,han suddenly came over me. It
ayainst en IL oelock The odds were greatly
assinst us. and we needed Meade's smnnort
oadly but l said: God helping me Ven
''ay mere TIL help comes (Applause)
r,,o' UaIi Schurz was given command O! the
= ven corps ! thought how provldential |
L was that l had reconnoitered the ni,ca
ana made up my mind on what was the
strongest position. l established headnuar
ers on Cemetery ridge There we placed
me artillery and made 1t the nucleus of the
,y ,hH,;n.,s,' we decided to dispute the ground
'ostihateiy when we were compelled 10 re-
reat, as we expected to be very shortly"
WHERE LEE WAS DECEIVED.
Here General Howard briefly narrated
Nhat had occurred during the day with the
'.ner corps OF the army. General Lee thought
NAT ne had larger army in front of him
han he really had. The object of the union
roops was to gain time and delay as much
IS possible until the arrival of reinforce
nents' s' General Howard wrote at that time
we VIII hold out on the ridge as long as
,e can II forced 10 retreat we Will dispute
ne ground step by STEP and inch by inch. "
Ine ouds; General Howard estimated, were
ga'hst the union forces more than two to ,
ne. success seemed impossible. The calls
OF ana from Generals Doubleday and Schurz
we're loud and frequent. The fighting was
urious and reached its height about 3,3O
CLOCK that afternoon. Orders were issued
!, achurz and Doubleday to fall back to
cemetery ridge slowly. The largest mart
the troops reached their new position ,
aieiy. About this time General Hancock
'ineu General Howard. He was sent to
epresent Meade
i've talked as though Lee could have