Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1897-11-23
GErTYsBUG VISITED AFTER AN
INTERVAL OF THIRTY-FOUR

tysburg battlefield, from which I had
been borne wounded some thirty years
before, 1 gladly accepted the invitation
and on the morning of the fifteenth OF
October started from the hospiteble
city of Hagerstown, accompanied by
Mr.. and Mrs. Charles Wysong and Miss
Anna Bruin, on the Cumberland Valley
r. r. 1t was an ideal autumn day and
nothing could exceed the beauty
of the scenery along our route.
The Cumberland valley, with its sue
cessiop of beautiful and highly culli-
waited farms, lay in full view below US,
while the forest foliage taking on every
tint of autumn coloriDg, adorned the
mountains over which we passed. A
succession OF carefully tended orchards
extended as far as iueua Vista with
the hotel on the summit of the mouu-
tain, reminding the b sholder of The
famed castle of Chillon. This county
is fast attaining supremacy as the peach
growing region of the East. After a
delightful drive we arrived at our des-
tination about nine o'clock and proceed
ed to the Gettysburg Hotel, which We
found to be we'll kept aud moderate in
its charges. We here engaged a good
team at charge of dollar head for
the entire day and were so fortunate SIS
to have it driven by John Hoffman,
one of, if not the best, guides in the
town. I would advise anyone visiting
the battleGeds to eudeavor to secure
his services, as they will GDd him we'll
informed, courteous and obliging. We
started out to the point on the Cham
bersburg pike. where the first shot was
fred on July l, and then followed the
track of the fighting up the pike into
the town, where the scars of shot
and shell can be plainly seen on many
of the original buildings. 1t was
through these streets that the Union
forces rushed panic stricken on the
evening of the first days fight losing
upwards of 5000 prisoners, and had
Longstreet been up the battle fGettys
burg would have been over. We mex
went to Cemetery Hill, which Is about
three hundred yards from the town
where the enemy were allowed to re-.
main in small force and throw up earth
works during the night. 1t was here
that the Louisiana Tigers made their
memorable assault the next morning,
and being enfladed by the canon on on
Culp's Hill, left 400 out of the 1900
that made the charge. We next went
out to Culp's Hill, where the INITIATED
and Scared timber bore ample evidence
of the hurricane of shot and shell that
had torn through it. Here it was that
Johnson, Early and Rhodes charged
this impregnable position and were re-
pulsed with heavy loss. Before nigh !;
fall Johnson moving to his left hanke
the hill and finding no enemy IN h's
front moved up TO the Baltimore PIKE
and balted, imagining he was being LED
into trap. Had he but known that
he was within few hundred yards OF
Meade's headquarters and about the
same distance from his parked ammu-
milton train, how different the result
might have been. But
Alas sh, no, twas not to be;
We can't prevail, 'gainst Gods decree,
We passed on to the famous peacn
orchard. where the tide of battle ebbed
and flowed fiercely on the SECOND day.
Not tree remaius to mark the spot.
Thence to Big Round Top, so
feroely contended for during the
second days fight was surprised at
the strength ofthe position occupied os
the union forces, on the second ana
third days. Culp's Hill, Big and
Little Round Top are covered
with boulders from few tons welg 1t
to that of several hundred tons, afford,
inc the best of defensive positions, and
if seems that force holding them
could not bs successfully charged oy
ten times their number. ! venture 10
affirm that / could have held either OF
them with the 9th infantry againsG !,
division. No wonder Longstreet fallea
TO carry the two Round Tops ana
Ewell Culp's Hill. The termination OF
the fighting on the second day found
the union army in.renched in strong
nosition with their line in almost the
shape of a segment of circle, Wniie
Ger. Lees line represented an outer
segment of nearly doupie its
lust here it is that some OF his would
be critics say ne should have with, tn,
drawn his army around the enemy's
left flank. and that Pickett's charge
was a blunder. Not q man IN tnou
sand that fought under him believe s1e,v'
this to be true. Gen. Lee meyer olun,
dered. although he may have trustee 3
too implicitly in being seconded
,Ho nrom3tly by some of his subordinate e
Officers. pf Had Pickett been up Il insteaa .;
Of his division dawdling away its Tune
at at Chambersburg the Battle OF Gsttys-
burg would have terminated Win tns
first Suss days n fighting. was in command IN md
Of a detail that spent the day IN De
= s'roying railroad property in CnamoeIs,
bnra that was not the shgn.es. @
sdvsntaee adv to US. Some eight or Ten
of INV men would take trail ana wiz r
market ma would perforate one OF Tn the {:
isree m brick railroad buildings as easily