The National tribune., 1910-02-17
The First Days Fight.

AS tne DidcK WINGS Oh E1Bnt SpTedu
themselves over that day of battle, mur-
der and sudden death, the sentinels
were set in front of the bivOuacs, the
men gathered in little groups for few
minutes discussion Of the events of the
day as they munched their hardtack
and drank their coffee, and the officers
were to be seen in councils as to what
had occurred and what was likely to
be. These councils extended from where
the field and company officers We're
gathered around the regimental colors
up to brigade headquarters, then to the
division and corps headquarters and on
to where Gen. Meade's commodious
marquee and Grants simple wall-tent
were pitched on the knoll Of the Lacy
Farm In the regiments and brigades
It was only known that the fight had
been fierce beyond any precedent, that
the losses had been frightful even for
regiments which had gone thru Gettys-
burg, and that nothing had been gained
beyond a final repulse Of the enemy.
Each regiment felt that it had given a
good account of itself, and heavy as its
| own loss had been it had inflicted an
equally severe blow upon the enemy.
But there was no ground for hope
that the fight was taken out of their
savage and persistent opponents any
more than it had been taken out of
themselves. They were full of deter
mination to renew the attack as soon as
| it was light enough to see, and they
felt that the enemy was in the same
frame of mind. After supper was fin
ished the cartridge boxes were refilled,
and the men We're promptly sent to
their blankets without the customary
tattoo ringing thru the smoke-f1lled
woods. No fires nor bugle notes were
allowed, as these would betray too cer-
tainly the position of the regiments and
the formation of the lines. Toward the
headquarters of the Second and Fifth
Corps and Getty's Division officers made
their way thru the darkness and the
thickets. stumbling over the sleeping
men. to report their melancholy tale of
losses and receive orders.
At Grants and Meade's headquarters
all was activity. The fighting blood of
the Generals was up, and every energy
devoted to skilful dispositions for a re-
newal of the battle at dawn in a cy-
clonic attack which would force the
issue of speedy victory. Burnside was
| brought up and put in line, and orders
went out to all the corps commanders
to attack as soon as it was light enough
to move.
The fighting of the day had not been
a battle. but series of fierce, deter
mined grapples, in which neither side
had gained any distinct success and
both had been severely disappointed.
Gems. Grant and Meade had hoped to
catch Ewell before Hill came to his as
sistance, but Hill had arrived on the
field in time to help save Ewell. On
the other hand, Gen. Lee had confident
ly expected to gain some such decided
success as had attended Stonewall Jack
sons crush of the Eleventh Corps at
Chancellorsville, and had been quite as
severely disappointed as Grant, for his
assaulting columns had everywhere
been shattered.
While the Southern historians have
much to say regarding the awful
slaughter they inflicted upon the Fed
erals, yet 1t develops that the losses for
the day were equally heavy on both
sides. Not few of Lees commanders
or divisions and brigades report losses
approXimating the half of their COM
lnanos In that dense chaparral, with
men firing upon one another at a dis
lance or 80 to 100 PAGES, the chance
was exceedingly even whether a Yankee
Killed Confederate or a Confederate
killed q Yankee.
(To be continued.)