Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-07-05
A NATIONS FATE
FoRTY-THREE YEARS AGO TO-DAY
THE FAMOUS BATTLE OF, GET
TYsBURG WAS WON
Was One Of the Most Notable and
BIoodiest Contests in the History Of
the WorId--A Dramatic Council
Which Decided country's Future.

From Tuesdays Daily.
Forty-three years ago today the bat
tie' Of Gettysburg, that most bloody of
all the bloody contests which have red
dened the pages of history and that
battle which more than any other de-
cided the fate of the United States
was won by the union troops. When
the battered remnant of Pickett's di-
vision was finally driven back after
one of the most desperate charges re-
corded in the annals Of warfare, the
light was over, and the stars and
stripes waived triumphant DER the
crimson carpeted battle field.
Had Gettysburg resulted differently,
there is no thoughtful man but shud-
ders at the picture of what might have
then occurred. England and France
stood ready to recognize the southern
confederacy and Lee would have been
able 10 advance toward Washington
with sixty thousand. as good troops as
the world ever saw Flushed with vic
tory as they would have been, they
would have made short work of the
remnants of the army of the Potomac,
demoralized by defeat But why con-
slider this dark picture? Gettysburg
resulted as an all wise Providence in
tended that it should and the United
States was preserved in it's entirety.
The story of Gettysburg is familiar
to every patriotic American. There is
no school boy or girl past the primary
grades, who cannot tell the history Of
those three bloody days. There are
| h be 1P fpht
that the histories do not give and only
the men who were on the field of bat
tie can tell these with the vividness
of reality.
Confederates Successful.
On the first two days of fighting,
July and 2, 1868, the advantage had
been with the army Of Northern Vir-
ginia, which army opposed that of the
Potomac. The two forces were about
evenly divided, each containing, 1t is
estimated, $4,000 to $4,000 men. But
the Sixth corps of the Army of the
Potomac did not arrive until the night
of July and up to this time Lee had
the advantage of numbers.
On the afternoon of July 2, Long
streets division charged from their
position in the timber in Seminary
ridge out across the plain and up
against the third corps Of the Union
army, which lay across the Emmetts-
burg pike, on the top of Cemetery ridge.
Though the confederates succeeded IN
driving back the Union troops, so enor-
nous was their loss that they were I'M
i able to follow up their advantage and
their victory became only nominal
one. This was the last event OF the
/ three days fighting in which the ad-
vantage lay with the southerners.
On the night1of July there occur
red that event which decided the fate
OF Gettysburg, and with it the fate OF
the nation A council of war was held
that evening in General Meade's tent
i General Meade had succeeded General
Hooker in command of the army but a
day or two before Gettysburg, and he
4 felt the enormous responsibility
which rested upon his shoulders, to a
painful degree.
A Dramatic Council.
OF that dramatic council, the fol
lowing description was given to rep
resentative of the Courier this morn
ing by B. w. Van Der Veer, as he
heard it told by his old commander
Col. George A. Sharpe, chief of scouts
on Meade's staff and colonel of the
One Hundred and Twentieth New
York, in which regiment Mr.. Van Del
, Veer served.
The story was told at the reunion o
{ the Third Army Corps of the Army o
7 the Potomac, held on the field Of bat
3 tie July 1, 2, and 8, 1886.
AS re-told by Mr. Van Der Veer, tn,
following is Col. Shapes story:
A Bit of Inside History.
"This, men, is little of the insid,
, history Of the battle of Gettysburg
: On the night of July 2, there wer'
3 gathered in Meade's tent nearly al
his generals, the officers of his stat
. and the other general officers. Mos
of the officers were in favor of fight
ground the troops then occupies
, Meade, however, seemed in favor o
n falling back.
Gall night long they talked, and al
5 gued, and planned. Meade paced tn
! floor Of the tent and great drops G
: perspiration stood on his brow
= Finally he turned to the generals an
!. officers present and said, Gentlemen
it is all very well for you to counse
: our remaining here and fighting tn
battle out, but If we do and are de
y feated, what then? Who will the PEI
. pie of the north blame? VIII the
blame you men? They will blame me
: On my shoulders this responsibility
rests and l am responsible to them
about 8 o'clock in the morning
had retired to one corner Of the ter
s and had tried to snatch little sleel
d but the talking was too loud. Shortl
before daybreak Meade called to m
: and told me to put on private's owe
v coat and interview some of the pri
oners in an attempt to find out no
: much OF Lees army was up in pos
e ton. l went out and discovered thu
q all of the corps Of the Confederat
3 army were up with the exception {
20 Gen. Pickett's command OF 5000 mel
+ Decides Fate Of Nation.
!. GAS the sun was rising / returned
y the tent and made my report. Gel
: Meade turned to his assembled of