The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-07-03
by COL. G. n. sAussY.


Mars Hill." is an excerpt from noly
writ recorded in chapter xviii. verse
22. Acts of the Apostles.
While scriptural text is here
quoted. law sermon is not to he the
subject of this article; the incident IL
merely used as comparison. The
great Apostle of the Gcntiles stood on
Mars Hill to combat the superstition
of the Athenians: this scribe recently
stood on culp's Hill and gazed in won
der at the magnitude OF the enterprise
attempted by the elastic Army Of
Northern Virginia Just forty seven
years ago at Gettysburg
Until within the last half century
science had allotted thirty-three years
Rs the average duration of human life
"a generation. Within the last nifty
years this same science has educated
ciyillzed man TO better knowledge OF
the laws OF health and sanitation. i'm
proyements In ventilation, hygiene and
other helpful methods. and has there
by advanced the average duration OF
human life fully ten years. Therefore
full generation and more has passed
over the Great Divide since the thun-
6Hrs of 400 guns walked the echoes and
shook the air. forests and earth at
Gettysburg. Forty-acvcn years is a
long bark back. and closely margins
The half-ccntury mark
Few of the participants in that
Titanic struggle got moro of view
OF that great battle and battlefield
during the action than their imme-
date environments. They could see
only that part of the held in their
Immediate front or TANKS. therefore.
unless they have since visited this
Waterloo OF the Western Hemisphere
they have hut a limited conception OF
the magnitude OF that fierce combat
that came so near giving the world a
new nation.
The writer's place. as an atom In
the makeup of the wonderful Army
of Northern Virginia. was on the Con-
federate extreme left. In the words
OF Captain John Es,en Cooke:
This chap rode with the cavalry
And heard the Earring cannons roar
In front of Cemetery Hill:
Good Heavensl How they did roar"
In attempting to damage General
Rockers army by getting between il
and Washington, General Stuart, with
the electives or three brigades of his
troopers. cut loose from contact with
General Lee and his infantry on June
2s. 1853. At Frederick, Md. General
George G. Meade. superseded General
"Fighting Joe Hooker in command
.
Meade persisted in moving the Poto-
mac army so as to keep it intervening
between the main body of General
Lees army and Stuarts troopers; so
that this small division OF cavalry
did not succeed in connecting with
the Army OF Northern Virginia until
the evening OF July 2-the evening
of the second days battle.
Was on the Left.
The writer was anxious to satisfy
himself that the mental photograph
Of the topography and field conditions
of the Confederate left had been COR
reetly recorded in the excitement OIL
battle. Arriving at the little town
of Gettysburg one Thursday afternoon
he struck out Baltimore Street and
found that highway led through the
centre of the now famous little town
in Southern Central Pennsylvania. On
the slope of Cemetery Hill is the
Battlefield Hotel; here your scribe
registered. In strolling out Balti-
more Street. Just a. the foot of Gene
terry Hill, where lane interEects that
street, there Is board fence which
was there during the battle. Many
bullet holes pierced the planking. fired
there by the Confederate infantry
while pressing the blue soldiers
through the town In the first days
battle. A sign advises visitors that
the fence has been preserved intact
OF the mementoes of that momentous
July day
Easy to Reach Field.
At supper the little maid serving
the writer's table, told him she could
secure a reliable guide for him. She
was Informed this was Just what was
wanted so the guide was 'phoned for
and arrangements made for his SER
vices the next day. At 7;40 A. NJ the
guide with team was ready. He asked,
'Where do you desire first to soo"
Not aware how long 1T would take or
the ease with which the field could be
traversed, this trooper answered. ito
the extreme Confederate left, where
Stuarts depleted brigades held posi-
ton" The guide then stated that
point on the battlefield was three
and three-auarter miles from the
town.
Passing through lanes. graded and
grayeled avenues and byways, that
While en- route. passing over a grassy
lane. the iron marker Indicated the
position that had been held by a
Georgia battalion OF artillery (I |
think 1t was Cutts), and Just In front
of the two guns marking the position
OF Milledges Battery, two laborers
with pick and spade We're at work, and
as your scribe drew near the pick I'M
earthed fragment Of twenty-fonr-
pound spherical case she'll. the frag-
ment about the size of mans palm,
and Is now a relic in the writer's pos
session, Continuing our journey, we
came to the body OF woods In which
Hampton formed his brigade In the
early afternoon Of July 3, 1863. Here |
AFFECTS seemedNto have undergone but |
little percepthle change. Even the
timber appearedNto have put on but
little growth In these nearly five de-
cades., There We're the same wheat |
fields On front and the Rummel barn
to the right front of Hampton's po-
sition; there, lust as memory had
recorded tangible objects forty-seyen
years ago, they We're intact With |