The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1904-05-05

ooioro's frompt Attack-Heynolds's Magnlh-
cent support-Excellent Dispositions Heavy
Captures Of Rebel Prisoners-The Eleventh
orps Comes to the Assistance of tie First
Death Of Reynolds-The 0verpowered Union
Troops Driven Back-Hancock's Inspiring
Presence Rallies the Army-End of the First
Days Battle.
On the morning of Wednesday, the 1st
of July, the two Confederate columns con.
tinued their march towards Gettysburg:
and Buford. holding position on the Cham
bersburg road, by which Hill and Long
street were advancing. suddenly found
himself engaged, little past in the
morning, with Hills van, about O mile
west Of the town. AS he knew that Rey-
holds was moving up to join him, he made
dispositions to retard the enemy, holding
back Hills column by skilful deplOyments
and the use of his horse-artillery Rey-
nOlds. who with his own First Corps and
the Eleventh Corps. under Gen. Howa rtD
was then en- route from his place of biy-
Ouac at Marsh Creek hearing BufOrd's
guns, pressed forward with all haste. At
10 o'clock he came upon the field with the
leading division of the First Corps under
tien. WadswOrth. While yet forming line.
NadswOrth's troops were assailed: and
they had TO be thrown quickly into battle
TIE FIGHT AT wILLOUGHBY Farm
DEATH OF REYNOLDS.
Looking westward from Gettysburg the
horizon of vision is bounded at a distance
of ten miles by the mountain range known
rs the South Mountain, which running
north and south forms the eastern wall of
the Cumberland Valley. When the force
which folded and raised mp the strata that
form the South Mountain was in action.
il produced fssures in the strata of red
shale which covers the surface of this re-
gion of country. permitting the fused ma
terlal from beneath TO rise and flll them OH
cooling with trap-dykes or greensboro and
syenitic greensboro. The rock. being for
the most past very hard, remained as the
axes and crests of hills and ridges when
the softer shale IN the intervening spaces
was excavated by great water-currents
into valleys and plains.(24) These ridges
run in direction nearly parallel with the
South Mountain range, and give rolling
and diversified surface to the landscape.
The town of Gettysburg neStles nj the
base of one of these ranges. At the dis
tanee of half n mile to the west of the
town is another ridge. called. from the
theological seminary that stands thereon.
Seminary Ridge, and a mile further west
run two other parallel swells of ground
separated by Willoughby Run. 1t was in
the plain between these two latter ridges.
the weste-nmost of which was occupied by
the ConfederateS and the nearer by the
Union troops, that the action of July l
opened: for BufOrsfs deployments had sue
ceeded in OBTAINING the hostile column on
the farther side of the run till Wadsworth's 5
Division came OH the ground. As this
force arrived Reynolds hurried its two
brigades into action. placing Cutters Bri-
gade with tie battery of Hali-the only
battery i'm the division-on the right AMI
left of the ChamberSburg road and across
an old railroad grading (part of ii in deep
cut and part in cmbankmentl near by and
parallel with the road: while lie directed
Gen. Doubleday. who had reached the
ground with the van of the infantry, Ia
move the other brigade. usually called the
Iron Brigade under Gen Meredith. to
the left of the road to occupy Il piece OF
woods skirting Willnughby Run. across
which and into the woods the Confederate
right was at the same time pushing. Only
the advanced division of Hills Corps. nm
der Heth. had yet come M. that thu
opening combat which might fitly be called
the battle of Willouchby's Run. was Ell
gagged between one division on each side
Heth. with his four bricades attacked 81
simultaneously the two brigades of WadS
wOrths Division under Gems. Meredith
and Cutler. The latter was assailed h,
Daviss Mississippi Brigade. and Will
such success that the three right regiment,
found themselves flanked. whereupon they
were Withdrawn over the Seminary Ridge
leaving the battery unsupported. Mean
while. the skirInisherS of tutler : other tive
regiments Ghe 18th Pronklyn. under Col
Fowler and the 35th Y. under Col. Bid
die, were diSputing with the Confederate
brigade of Archer the passage of Wilough
by Run. and skrmshng in skirt o
woods along the brook with such as haf
crossed. AT this moment. the Iron Rri
gade' oppOrtunelv swept down from the
left struck the flank Of the Confederate
brigade and captured several hundred tha
had already crossed. including the com
mander Brighten. Archer.(23b The dis
nOsitiops at this point were made by Gen
Reynolds in person: and IL was at tht
moment when. after urging on his iner
with animating words. he saw this sue
ce>Sful charge under way. and turned Il
leave the woods. that he was struck will
. rile-Shot that caused almost instant
deatl'--a grievnus loss Ia the Army oi
Tho, Potomac one of whose most dis
tingushed and st-beloved officers u,
was: one whom. by the steady growth oi
the highest military qualities. the genera
voice Of the whole army had marked on
for the largest fame.
I'm thus engaging with the enemy. Rev
noIds has, been charged with ra>hness j,
prematurelv -precipitatng u battle. Bn
wrongly: for rashness was not fault al
that officer. all who know his charac
ter ,rp well aware: and though he Lad NJ
orders to bring Il general action tbelng
indeed. under instructions to fall back OIL
the proposed line of Pine Creek. he Wa
necessarily drawn into this engagement il
aid Of Rufonl's hard-presSed cavalry. Hi
real motives. whatever they We're. remain
buried with him: but il is more than prob
able that. i'm Fastening forward the hea,
of his column to the plain beyond tn
town. his quick military eye had taken il
at q glance the figure of that rocky bul
wark around Gettysburg as a vantae
point where the army could most favorabl
receive battle. and in going ont to OppOs
front of resistance 10 the near-approach
ing enemy. and allow the army time 4
concentrate at Gettysburg he knew he wa
doing what Gen. Meade. who reposed tn
highest confidence in his Judgment, woul.
quite approve.
TWO MISSISSIPPI REGIMENTS CAPTURED.
While these events were passing on tn
.sft of Wadsworth's force. the retiremen