Sistersville daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1902-1905, 1903-06-08
TCopyright, 1903, by @ L. Kilmer.]

IVA when he Is whipped. L00 " 90
- a good general On the morn
ing of July ., 1868, he climb
ed into the belfry of the seminary on
the outskirts Of Gettysburg to study
the enemy's position and plan the next
move. Around him and away to the
north was the battle field where the
day before his troops under Hill and
Ewell had driven the Federal divisions
of Reynolds and Howard from ridge
TO ridge and from knoll to knoll-a
fierce struggle, with glory in it for both
sides, but victory for his own banners.
The blue had been whipped, not the
gray. But an army may be whipped
and yet not conquered. From the bel
fry Lee saw Cemetery hill looming in
front Of him, packed with Federal
troops and bristling with Federal can
non. To his mind the enemy had
been driven to that height as refuge
from pursuing foes. That was true.
The Federals had mounted the nearest
rock at hand in order to escape the
rising flood, because they had no boats.
Let the boats come and they would
hasten aboard for fear the waters
might rise and engulf the rock and
them with it. Lee determined to keep
the boats away and cause the waters
to mount higher.
This description is Of course fgura-
tive. The threatening waves were Lees
armed battalions and the boats open
roads for re-enforcements and supplies
or safe retreat. Cemetery hill forms
part of a long ridge shaped like a let
ter J. The hill is at the curve and is
overtOpped by Cups hill, the point OF
the curve, and that again by Little
Round Top, the head Of the long staff.
Ewelps corps had fought its way to
the base of Cups hill on July l, and
Hills corps to the base Of Cemetery
hill. Longstreet came to the front
during the night with two divisions OF
his corps that had missed the battle
of the first day. 1t looked easy for Lee
to destroy the Federals upon Cemetery
hill by rushing his battalions to the
crests of CUPS hill and Little Round
Top and from there hurl death upon
all the ridge between.
The Federals had planted a weak
line upon CUPS hill, but had overlook
| ed Little Round Top as an element OF
danger. Lee gave to LOngStreet the
| task of Selling Round Top and to Ew-
ell that of fighting his way to the crest
of Culp's hill, while Hills corps stood
facing Cemetery hill ready for the final
spring. This story has been thrashed
over in print countless times since
1868, but there are countless readers
on this fortieth anniversary of the
great battle who still wonder why Lee
| fought at all on July and 3, when
! military writer's make it clear that he
was whipped before he fired a shot.
The merest beginner in war quickly
|
ground has the advantage, the same as
| the duelist who has his back to the
| sun. The soldiers below must waste
| breath and energy in climbing to get
at the foe. Longstreet steaithily de-
| ployed his troops parallel with the
ridge lying between Cemetery hill and
Round Top until Lees line of battle
extended from the foot Of Culp's hill
almost to the base of Round Top on its
south and west faces.
While Longstreet marched on his
| long detOur the Federal corps CT Sic
kles projected itself like blunt wedge
| into the plain west and northwest Of
Round Top. 1t got in Longstreets
way. Longstreet wanted to keep his
troops together and mass them for the
grand rush on Round Top. He fell
upon Sickles, and Sickles stood his
ground for hours until the results Of
the sudden battle had changed the
| whole face of things, as Lee saw it
that morning from the belfry.
The opening gun Of Longstreet was a
signal for Ewell to get to work at the
other end of the field. His troops
dashed half way up the slope Of Gene
terry hill on the north face, and while
part of the Federal occupants of Culp's
hill left their places to help Sickles
out Of his plight, also to help defend
Cemetery hill, one Of his divisions
broke through the line and planted its
flags there. The tide was rising. Only
a single road led from the heights by
which the Federals could escape if de-
feated in their attempt to defend
them. Should Ewell succeed in cap
turing few cannon on Culp's hill and
turn them against their former owners
he could rake that road with shells on
one side. and Longstreet, if he carried
his guns up Round Top, could rake it
on the other.
Meanwhile Federal troops began to
move southwark along the connecting
| C-NA