The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1908-07-23

came up, Gen. Doubleday briefly in
formed them of the necessity of hold
ing that position, and particularly the
Chambersburg or Cashtown road, as it
was the center of the concentration
which the enemy was trying to make.
They responded to Doubleday's exhorta-
ton with proud shouts, I'VE have come
to stayi" and Doubleday says they kept
their word, for the ground was open
and the position extremely exposed, and
large number of them fell on the spot
never to leave it again. Altogether
Doubleday was able to assemble not
more than 5000 musisets on this new
line, but the battle which they put up
is unsurpassed in intensity in the his
tory of the fighting of the world. In
the meantime Gen. o. .. Howard. pre-
ceding his corps, had arrived at Gettys-
burg. ridden up to Seminary Hill and
climbed into the cupola of the Seminary
to view the fight. While there he learn
ed of Gen. Reynoldss death, which left
him in command of the Left Wing of
the army, the First, Third and Elev-
enth Corps. He turned over the COM
mand of his own corps to MAJ. Gen.
Carl SeharZ. who in turn gave up the
command of his division to Brig Gen.
Francis Barlow. Howard sent orders
to the Eleventh Corps to come up with
all haste, and also request to Gen.
Slocum, commanding the Twelfth
Corps, who was at Two TSverns, about
five miles from Gettysburg. to march
at once to his assistance. SlOcum de-
clined to do this without orders from
Gen: Meade. taking the ground that it
might be disturbance of the Com
manding Generals plans. Howard had
seen part of Cutters men retiring in
some disorder before the flank attack
of Davis, and had mistakenly supposed
it to extend to the rest of the corps.
and communicated this in a dispatch to
Meade. Thereupon Gen. Meade hur-
ried Hancock up to the field, to dis
cover what had really happened and
take command of affairs there. He also
directed Gen. Newton to take command
of the First Corps, in which he did a
great unintentional injustice to- Gen.
Abner Doubleday.
The head of the Eleventh Corps
reached Gettysburg at 12:45 p. m. and
the rear at 1:45 p. m. Schimmelpfen-
nig's Division was in the advance,=fol-
lowed by that of Barlow. and they were
put into line to prolong that of the
First Corps to the right along Seminary
Ridge. The remaining division. under
the command of Steinwekr. with the
reserve artillery, was ordered to take
position on Cemetery Ridge as gem
eral reserve. While the Eleventh Corps
4 was marching into p0SltlOn. DeVlnS
scouts came in with the startling in
| formation that Early's. JohnsOn's and
Rodes's Divisions of EweiPs Corps were
advancing by different roads toward
Gettysburg. Doubleday sent this news
to Gen. Howard, with the Suggestion
that he dispose of the Eleventh Corps
to hold back Ewell's men, while he
i Doubleday. would attempt to hold A
\ p. Hills Corps in check on the Cash.
town road. His success in holding thi.
position would. however. depend upor
Howard's ability to protect his righ
flank with the Eleventh Corps. It ap
peared that all the Confederate digi
sions were marching according to or.
ders with the greatest exactness, ant
on each of the roads entering Gettys
1 burg from the northeast. north ant
northwest, the heads of their column.
4 appearing simultaneously. The onl,
lack of concurrence was with regard t
4 Heth's Division, which had been some
4 what previous. from its desire to secure
i the shoes in Gettysburg before the ar
rival of the other troops.
i John burns.
!! AS the lines were forming for tn,
momentous crash. there appeared
4 among the regiments figure which ha.
since been a favorite one In poetry ant
II description. 1t was that of John Burns