The National tribune., 1908-07-16

| concentrated On MS front and IiaNN.
an overwhelming force. The brisad'
maintained its position until everl
field officer save TWO were shot down
| and its ranks terribly .hinned."
OF course. Hcth is in error as t
one OF his batteries having killed Gen
| Reynolds, and he makes other mis-
takes, which is natural enough from TIN
| imperfect knowledge that he had of th'
| fight at the time his report was made
| His account of the hot reception thu
diSmountcd cavalry gave him is a higl
tribute to staunch soldiership of Blu
ford's Rough Riders.
Gen. Reynolds Ready 10 Move Forward
The Information which had beer
| sent back by Buford had determined
/ Gen. Reynolds to move at once upOr
| Gettysburg. and bring on the battle
there. He had been put in command
of the left wing of the army, consist
ing of the First. Third and Eleventh
Corps. He therefore turned over the
command of the First Corps TO Gen
Abncr Doubleday. and at 6 o'clock OF
the evening of June 80 informed him
of his Intentions; said that he should
go forward at once with Wadsworth's
! First Division. instructed Doubleday
; to follow with the other two divisions
early in tho morning. while the
Eleventh Corps was to follow the First
| Corps to Gettysburg, and the Third
Corps march from Taneytown to take
| the position at Emmitsburg vacated
by the Eleventh Corps.
The pressure of Heth's heavy COL
umn upon the dismounted cavalry was
so great that Gamble was soon COM
PEELED to fall back about zoo yards TO
the next ridge. where he made. still
| more determined stand with his dis
mounted men fighting under the cover
of the trees and stone fences. This
was SO effectual that Heth's advance
was retarded FOR at least two hours.
Gen. Wadsworth had started from
Marsh Creek at 8 o'clock. accompany
ing Gen. Reynolds to within about a
mile from Gettysburg. Here messen-
gers from Buford Informed the latter
as to the situation in front, urging him
to come on to the relief of his cavalry
by the shortest route. Gen. Reynolds
Immediately turned the head of his
column to the left, across the fields,
striking the Cashtown Road about
three-fourths of q mile west of Get
tysburg about 10 o'clock. The Second
Brigade, under Brighten. Cutler. led
the column, followed by Capt. Halls
I'd Me. Battery. Next came the Second
Brigade, under Brig. Gen. Meredith.
Buford had sent Signal officer into
the cupola of the Seminary to watch
the approach of the enemy and also
to signal that of the First Corps. The
officer saw entirely too many of the
enemy coming. but for a time was I'M
able to report anything as to the First
Corps. When at last he communicated
the glad news of the approach of the
First Corps. Buford sent in his last
fastened into the belfry to watch the
arrival of help. Ascending the dark
stairs he heard his name called in a
familiar voice. 1t was that of Reynolds.
who had galloped on ahead of his
command and climbed into the cupola
to get view of the fight The very
devil is to pay" Buford shouted back
to him, but we can hold on until the
First Corps gets up" Both he and
Reynolds at once descended, mounted
their horses and started thru shower
of bullets TO reach CANDLES line and
encourage them to hold on until the
infantry could arrive. AS he,lfft the
Seminary Buford sent an Aid with
orders to Howard not to halt on tfIeI
road, but to Immediately march to-
Gettysburg. Other Aids were sent to
hurry up the two other divisions of
the First Corps under the old war
urging to march to the sound of the
cannon.
Corp1 AIphOnse Hodges.
In a paper prepared for the Gettys-
burg Monument Commission of New
York, by Capt. Newell Cheney, and pub
lished in the Century's Battles and
Leaders" a different account is given
of the opening of the battle. as follows:
col. William Sackett. commanding
the 9th n. Y. Cav, was brigade Officer
of the Day. and in charge of the bril-
gade picket line made up of details
from each regiment of Devin's Brigade
18th n. Y. 9th n. Y, 4th n. Y. and
/ 18th Pa.) the night of June 80, and
extending from the south side of the |
Chambersburg road on the east side of
Run. northerly and east
wardly across the Johannesburg Carl
Isle and Harrisburg roads. He had his |
on the Chambersburg
road. near the Lutheran Seminary. The
advanced picket put on the Cham bers- |
burg road near Willoughby Run consist
ed of a Corporal and three men. re-
lieged every two hours. with orders not
to fire Oh anyone approaching from the
front. but to notify the pickets in each |
direction and the reserve. No one APP
preached from the front until daylight |
next morning, July ], when CorpI AL |
phonse Hodges. of Co. +. 9th n. Y. Cav. |
was on this post with three men. At |
daylight he saw men approaching along !
the road nearly n mile away, across
Run. Acting on his orders.
he Immediately sent his men to notify
the line and the reserve. while he ad-
across the Run till near enough |
to see that those approaching were the
enemy, when he turned back, and as
he did SO the enemy fred at him. He
retired TO the Run, and from behind
the abutments of the bridge fired sew
eral shots back at the enemy. These
are supposed to be the first shots fired
from our side on the morning OF Julyl
|. at Gettysburg, and occurred about
$50 a. m. as near as Hodges can re-
When he fell back from the
bridge to the higher ground he found
Col Sackett had formed skirmish line
Of the whole of his picket force. which.
rs I have said. consisted of detachments
from the different regiments of the
(Deyins) brigade. Here the advanced
Of the enemy was first seriously dis-l
puted by this skirmish line, which they
held till after Halls Battery cd Mel
came up. and took position on the right
Of the Chambersburg road in reaf of
his skirmish line and fired The First
Brigade of Buford's Division (Col. Gam
ble's) coming up on the left of the road;
he line of the Second Brigade, still nm
der command of Col. Sackett, moved
further to the right and occupied theli
line from the chambersburg road tol
the Johannesburg road. That peptioas
Of the 9Th Cav. which had remained int
camp received orders to water -theirt
horses by squadrons in Rock Creek
about 7 a. m. AS soon as they had