The National tribune., 1908-08-20

the other. which made the encounters
sanguinary In the extreme. Andersons
Nfvision was striking directly at Hum
phreys's front. while Barksdale's strong
brigade. which had carried the Peach
Orchard, was striving to turn Hum
phreys's left flank and complete his
ruin.
When Humphreys Division went
into position along the Emmitsburg
road its right was about 500 yards In
advance Of HancOck's left. Seeing the
storm of battle break on that portion
of the line. Gen. John Gibbon. COM
handing the Second Corps, sent two
regiments, the SD N. Y. and the 18th
Mass. to close up this gap. The regi-
ments hastily constructed barricades of
fence rails along the Emmitsburg road
to the right and north Of the Codori
house, behind which they resisted every
attempt to turn Humphreys right
flank. and inflicted great loss upon their
assailants. Lieut.-Col. James Huston,
sgd N. Y. was killed at this time.
When Humphreys Division reform
ed on the left Of the Second Corps 1t
had shrunken to the dimensions of
small brigade. but all dts ->eolors were
with it. tho there were but a handful
of men around each. The Excelsior
Brigade had gone into action with 1887
men, of whom 77S now lay upon the
ground where they had fought. All
the fight was not taken out of the few
survivors by any means. for. noticing
that the enemy had captured three of
Turnbull's guns. the brigade suddenly
turned and rushed for them. encoun-'
terirg Perry's Florida Brigade In a hot
almost hand-to-hand fight. The Ex-
celsior Brigade got the guns, however,
and Serg't Thomas Hogan captured the
colors of the 9Th Fla. Besides this a
number of prisoners were taken.
The Fight for the Round Tops.
Gen. Meade. now thoroly aroused as
to the danger to his left flank, was
sending troops IN that direction with
all haste. When the battle opened on
Sickles's front the Fifth Corps, under
Gen. Sykes, was resting on the Balti-
more pike. nearly two miles north of
the DEVILS Den. Gen. Sykes was at
Meade's headquarters. and was ordered
to put his corps in motion in that di-
rection, taking up the march IN reverse
order. with the left in front. This
brought Strong Vincent's Third Bri-
gade of the First Division at the head
of the column. This brigade was as
fine a specimen of a battle-seasoned
organization as could be found in the
Army of the Potomac. 1t consisted of
the goth Me-, 44th n. Y, SD Pa. and
18th Mich. The four regiments had
only 1000 muskets, but every gun was
in the hand of a man who had been
learning for two years how to use it
most effectively. Gems. Sykes and
Barnes rode rapidly ahead of the corps
to get an Idea of the situation. and di-
rected their course toward Little Round
Top. Gen. G.. K. Warren, Meade's Chief
Engineer. had before this ridden to the
left, and, feeling the extreme impor-
lance of the Round Tops. had OWNED
that their possession was one of the
main objects of Longstreet's movement
He rode to the top of the hill, which, to
his dismay, he found unOccupied, and
saw the regiments of Hoods right a!ank
rushing toward it. Law. who was in
command of Hoods Division, and Rob-
ertson, commanding a brigade, were
fully alive to the Importance of the
Little Round Top, and strained every
nerve to seize it. There was at that
time only a squad of signal men there,
whom Warren directed to continue
waving their flags az If there were a |
force there. This would induce the
enemy to move with greater slowness
and caution. Thereupon Warren gal
foped back in search of the Fifth Corps.
and found Gen. Sykes accommodating |
near the Wheat Field. Sykes saw the
thing as Warren did, and sent orders
for Strong Vincent to hasten to the
hill and occupy It. At the same time
fine Regular Battery was or
dered to the hill. Never did troops ar
rive at q more critical moment.
Vincent rapidly disposed Of his regi-
mcnts among the boulders on the south |
side of the hill to encounter the onrush /
Of Laws Division. The 10th Me. was on
the extreme left, with the 18th Mich.
on the right, while the S3d-Pa. and 44th
Y. Y. occupied the center. The line
was a quadrant of circle, with the
center on the rugged rocks and cliffs.
the left extending into the woods and
the right thrown forward slightly. In
front there was a comparatively smooth
ravine about so yards distant, over
which the enemy had to pass to attack.
md beyond this ravine rose the domi-
mating hight of Big Round Top. The
line was scarcely formed when the enc I
my emerged from the woods in three
solid columns, with no skirmishers in
front.
Then ensued a sanguinary contest.
lasting for over an hour and filled with
repulses of the enemy's most
determined efforts to carry the emil
hence. Several times the enemy formed