The National tribune., 1908-10-29
THURSDAY

beyond q doubt more men directly en-.
gagged at Gettysburg than In any other
oStue ever fought. Gen. Lee had S0,-
goo men, every one Of whom was put
| into action and fought for all he was
worth. Gen. Meade had $4,000 men,
OF whom at least $4,000 lay in reserve
and did not fire shot; that 10. 10000
Union men fought to a finish 10000
Confederates. The desperation of the
struggle 10 shown by the appalling ratio
of losses to the combatants. This ratio
was never approached In any battle
Fought In Europe. Col Fox makes the
Iorce at waterloo and their losses very
nearly the same as at Gettysburg; that
is, $4,000 French against $4,000 allies.
with the loss to WeIlington's army of
I5,I85. as compared with Meade's loss
Of 23,003 -'
Aitho Waterloo has been the subject
OF close study by writer's for more than
ioV years, we may doubt the accuracy
OF the statistics, since statistics 100
years ago were hardly worth the mama.
and there was an incurabIe tendencv
10 exaggeratfon. 1t has been claimed
FOR the battle Of Borodino that It was
the bloodtest since the invention of gum
powder, but ths so-called statistics of
the battle are so divergent and conflict
ing tnat they are rot worth more than
casual consideration. The men on both
sides at Gettysburg fought with deter
mnation and utter disregard of life
which We can safely say was never
equaled before ncr since in any of the
ploody struggles which ha, filled the
annals or tho wsrld since he sword
first began to devour
While not decisive in a military sense
as was Waterloo. Gettysburg was in
the highest degree momentous Up to
that time the Confederates, In spite of
some successes won over them, had
much the best Of the war They had
.nrown McClelians magnificent army
back from the Peninsula, had divided
and defeated it at the Second Bull Run,
carrying their banner In triumph al
most In sight of the National Capital.
They had inflicted two signal defeats
upon the recuperated and reorganized
army at Fredericksburg and Chancel-
iorsviile, and 1t seemed as If one more
signal success would give them the
recognition of England and France and
the independence of the Southern Con-
rederacy. The success with which our
army had been outmanuvered and de-
feated In Virginia gave extravagant
hopes as to what Lees genius would
accomplish. He was given the finest
army that the Confederacy had yet put
into the field, important points being
stripped OF their veteran garrisons to
swell his strength to $4,000 we'll
schooled. well-disciplined soldiers
When he crossed the Potomac II was
in mauvering would still attend him.
and by distracting the War Department
with fears of Philadelphia, Baltimore
and Washington he could strike the
Army of the Potomac in detail, over
whelm its separated parts, and win a
complete and undoubted victory. Lee
cherished this hope when he set Pick
ett's Inflated charge in motion. and for
few moments he thought he saw its
bright elimination as Armistaad's bat
tie flags floated on the hither side Of
the stone wall. The next moment all
these bright hopes were wfthered like
flowers before a frost. as Pickett's torn
and mangled division fled backward un-
der the scourging fire to the shelter OF
the first ravine. With II fed all hopes
Of foreign recognition. and the sanguine
anticipation Of Confederate independ-
ence became sicklie6 DER with the pale
specter Of despair. There was nothing
carried dismay to the hearts of the
'Confederates, but they were too true
Americans to abandon all hope. and
relied surely on other events to secure
their ends.
Encouragement to Loyalty.
The effect of the battle upon the loyal
people of the country was electrical.
The dependency which had hung like
pail over them was suddenly dispelled
by rays of bright hope and courage.
The most powerful army the enemy
had ever raised had been met at last
upon fair field and fought to finish
by competent Generals. We had, after
bitter experience, learned the great
trade of war, and after all the disheart-
ening failures our Generals were prac-
ticing 1t with full success. Coi1cident
with the glorious news from Gettysburg
came news OF equal joyfulness from the
Mississippi. The long siege of Vicks-
burg had ended in the capitulation of
Lincoln, 1.-THE Father of Waters now
flowed unvexed to the sea-" The Con-
federacy was cut in two, and its utter
collapse was now but a question of
time. A few more blows like those
delivered at Vicksburg and Gettysburg.
and the Flag would float in triumph over
restored Union. indicative Of the
country's feelings the poet, Whittier.
who more than any other man voiced
the hearts OF the people, sang:
1--WE wait beneath the furnace-blast
The pangs ot Gnsformatfon;
Not painlessIy Il God recast
And mold a the Nation.
Hot burns the fire
Where wrongs expire;
Nor spares the hand
That from the land
Uproots the ancient evil
"Then let the selfish lip be dumb.
And hushed the breath of siGhing;
Before the joy of peace must come
The pangs of purifying.
God give US grace,