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

enth Corps entered and passed thru the
town. moving forward rapidly toward
the position ordered.
THE news of Ewclrs advance from
the direction of York was confirmed by
| reports from Gen. Schurz. Gen. Buford
and Maj. (Charles HI Howard, my
Aid-de-Camp who had been sent in
that direction to reconnoiter. l there
fore ordered Gen. SchurZ to halt his
command, to prevent his right flank
being turned, but TO push forward a
thick line of skirmishers, to seize the
point first indicated. as a relief and
support to the First Corps.
| Meanwhile word was sent to Gen.
Sickles. commanding the Third Corps.
and Gen. Slocum, commanding the
Twelfth. informing them of the situa-
| ton of affairs. with request that Gen.
Sickles forward my dispatch to Gen.
Meade. Gen. Sickles was at that time.
| about p. M, near Emmitsburg, and
Gen. Siocum reported to be near Two
Taverns. distant between four and five
miles from Gettysburg
AT D. m report of the state of
! things as then existing was sent to Gen.
Meade directly. About this time L left
my Chief of Staff to execute orders. and
went to the First Corps. / found Gen.
Doubleday about a quarter of mile
| beyond the Seminary. His Third Divi-
facing toward the northwest. making
q large angle with the ridge. The artil-
lery of this division was engaging the
| enemy at this time. His First Division
| (Wadsworth's) was located a little to
the right of the railroad. and his Second
Division (Robinson's) on Wadsworth's
right. The First Corps. in this position,
made right angle with the Eleventh
| Corps. the vertex being near the Num-
| ms oh Tho nf Cen
4 Buford was located mainly upon the
| tanks. After inspecting the position
| of the First Corps and examining the
topography of that part of the field.
returned to my former position at the
cemetery"
| The Eleventh COrps's Line.
The line which Barlow's and Schim-
melpfennig's Divisions had to take UP
hastily under the fire of Ewelrs bat
teries was not the best that could have
been selected, but the best that could
be taken up at that moment.
i Ewelrs line faced due south, and
i Schimmelpfennig's small division wa:
intended to connect with the right Of
the First Corps. but it tried to cover toe
much front, and not only was stretched
out dangerously thin. but left a gap Of
a half a mile between its left and Dou.
bleday's right. Barlow reached hi:
right clear over to a wooded knoll wes
u of Rock Creek. From this point the
country to his right could be observed
and any flank movement detected. Thi!
also stretched his division out very thin
and, Furthermore, the criticism seem!
4 just that the line, in addition to being
too long and too thin, was entirely toe
far out in the level meadows. 1t would
have served its purpose better possibly
if the line had been formed near t.
the town, with the divisions or brigade:
in echelon to protect the right of the
First Corps. After all, these criticism:
and "after- the-batt1e" judgments are OF
little worth, since the fact was, to use
Gen. Forests homely maxim, Gen
\ Lee was getting the most men there
first and getting the bulge"
Il In Hills and Ewelrs Corps, which
were concentrating with surprising ex
actness, there were two-thirds of Lee!
army, or something over $4,000 men
Probably Hill and Ewell were able t.
get between 10000 and $4,000 on tn.
;. ground in time for the fight. In the
u First and Eleventh Corps there were
not to exceed 5000 electives. All tha
4 could be hoped for then was to main.
tain the fight with the utmost stubborn.
ness until the rest of the army could
come up to their assistance. As before
stated. Howard sent urgent orders t.
Sickles at Emmitsburg, five miles off
and an equally urgent request to Slo
cum, at Two Taverns, also about five
miles distant. Sickles was in a guam
dary as naturally he felt himself bound
by Meade's orders of the day before
altho an emergency had arisen which
had not been contemplated when tht
! orders were issued. Meade was ther
at Taneytown. 10 miles away, and there
twas no time to consult him, so Sickle.
II nd s,t1 TOD hi,
corps on a swift march to the relief o.
its sorely pressed comrades. Slocum
|, hearing all the din of the conflict, re
fused Howard's request upon the plef
of fearing to disarrange the Command
ing Generals plans. 1t has been hintet
by those who did not like Slocum tina
he did not want to be comprised in the
Ievents occurring there, and in prob
able share in the disaster. He had hat
nothing to do with bringing on tn,
fight, knew nothing of the field. and ye
if he went upon it would outrank al
those present, and would have to beal
the responsibility.
a Contest of FrightfuI BIOOdiness.
i The enemy's heavy attacking column
was formed with the greatest provision
for quickly crushing the First Corps
Rodes's Division of five brigades-a
magnificent thunderbolt of war-wa!
formed across Seminary Ridge. facing
j south, so as to break thru the UnioI
:, line in that direction while it was be
ing heavily engaged on the other flank
VERSIONS North Carolina Brigade wa.
on the right, and O'Neil and Daniels il
the center with Dole on the left ant
Ramseur in reserve. Noticing the di.
rection of this movement, Bakers Bri
gade was moved rapidly to the Mum
masburg road. where it struck heavily
O'Neil's Alabama Brigade. Iversor
moved his brigade to take Baxter il
flank, ard the latter fell back behind
the stone wall along the crest of the
hill. from the shelter of which it poured
whitening volleys into the North Caro-.
linians, and then followed this up by q
swift, quick charge, while a portion OF
lCutler's Brigade struck VERSIONS flanl
very heavily. VERSIONS Brigade there
fore went from the field in about a:
shattered a condition as Archer's ant
Davis's Brigades had done earlier IL
the fight. Iverson lost 500 killed ant
:. wounded, 1000 prisoners and three
stand of colors. The SSth Pa. tool
those of the 23d n. c. and 26th Ala.
while the 9th N. Y. captured the eoier:
of the Goth N. C.
The First Corps was fighting with {
spirit and success which amazed tht
enemy and was not without astonish
ment to themselves. Halls Brigade
. now moved up to the support of Baxter
and O'Neals Alabama Brigade came IL
for some rough handling in the obsti
nate fighting which it did to retriev,
:, the day. Ramseur's North Caroline
Brigade went to the help of Iverson
but Jared badly in decided repulse