Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-06

village, sending forward the other two di.
visions to seize Oak Ridge a wooded eleva-
ton north OF the town. But before the
troops could reach It the advance Of Ewelrs
corps had occupied 1t. Confederate artil-
iery was Immediately planted and opened
a nre that enfiladed the entire line Of the
ISL corps. The two divisions of HIS corps
ments of the LIST Corps under Doubleday.
who had succeeded Reynolds Ewell's two
DIVISIONS of eight brigades confronted
sen I'VE brigades of the 18th Corps.
The confederate troops numbered about o.
800 infantry and artillery The Union
troops numbered 1890 infantry. cavalry
and artillery. The Union line of battle
nu,hea semi-circle. The LIST Corps
was on the left of the Johannesburg road.
~hich runs northwest from Gettysburg.
facing west and northwest: the nth Corns
was on the right of the road and faced
north.
The Second Fight.
AT O'Clock the confederates advanced
to the attack and the second fight NJ the
DAY opened. The whole line became en-
gagged. and the semi-circle of fire. over two
lhnes long. marked the position of the con.
'enuilis FORCES Over 5000 troops were en-
gagged In deadly struggle for the posses
sion OF the field. The strong nressura of
superior numbers exerted all along the line
forced the Union troops to WELD gronnd
mere was a lack of concerted action in the
movements OF the two corps and in soma
instances between divisions and brigades
sehurz sent back to Gen. Howard for re-
lnIorcements, but when they were finally
sent forward they met the IIth Corns 70
urlng rapidly, having received orders to
withdraw to Cemetery Hill. south of the
town. Doubleday also gave the order
Ior the lst Corps to fall back through the
town TO Cemetery Hill. The streets were
ALREADY occupied by regiments of the 18th
SoTps' and 1t was with difficulty that the
oatterles OF the 1st Corps made their way
oh,
guns. The retreat through the town did NOT
degenerate into rout or panic. and the
artiiiery was nearly all withdrawn to Gene
terry Hill.
The Retreat.
Gen Doubleday in his official report saws
that the whole retreat was most creditabe
to the troops engaged. There was no hurry
and but little confusion, the regiments fall
ing back coolly and turning from time to
time to check the enemys advance by vol
leys of musketry. Nearly all the men wers
ignorant of the direction to be taken to
reach Cemetery Hill. The 1st Corps had
never even seen it, having reached the bat
tieneid that morning without going through
the town. Detachments and sometimes
regiments were trapped in cross-streets and
alleys where many of their number were
captured. About 1900 men, including lax
ofncers, were made prisoners while retreat
Ing through the town. The 45th New York
turned into an alley, which however
proved to be cul de sac, and IA officers
ana l64 men were captured. Gen. Schim-
melfenning. commanding a division, closely
pursued, ran through gardens climbed over
fences and lodged into a woodshed where
ne covered himself with sticks of firewood
Here he lay concealed for three days, com
ing out when he was tod by the people Of
the house that the confederates had left
the town Many doors and windows were
thrown open by the loyal inhabitants, who
gave aid and refreshment to the retreatins
troops.
Occupation by Confederates.
Rev. DR.. Jacobs, professor in Pennsylva.
mia College, who was an eyewitness of the
scenes he described, published in 1868, soon
after the battle, some notes on the con.
fiicts Of the three days. Regarding the oc-
cupation of the town by the confederates
he says: That portion Of Rodes' division
which lay down before our dwellings, for
the night was greatly elated with the re-
suits of the first days battle, and the same
may be said of the whole rebel army They
were anxious to engage in conversation. to
communicate their views and feelings and to
elicit ours. They were boastful of them
selves, of their cause and of the skill Of
their officers, and were anxious to tell us
of the unskillful manner in which some OF
cur officers had conducted the fight which
had just closed. When informed that Gen,
Archer and 1900 Of his men had been cap
tured they said: Tomorrow we will take
all these back again: and having already
taken 5000 prisoners of you today, we will
take the balance of your men tomorrow
Having been well fed, provisoned and
rested and successful on this day. their
sured that they would be able with perfect
ease to cut up our army in detail, fatigued
as it was by long marches and yet scat.
tered, for only two corps had yet arrived.