The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1910-10-13


lines OF either army. but took place at
intervals. The armies numbered from
10000 To $4,000 men each, General
Meade's forces outnumberin2 Lees by a
few thousand. The most fighting was
done during the first two days, in
woich the confederates had the advant-
age both days, especially the first day.
The first days fighting was done by
Ewel's and Hills Confederate corps,
and Reynolds and Howard's corps of
the Union army. The heaviest fighting
the first day, and the principrl part of
it, was done west of the town, out the
Cham mbersburg turnpike. There Cen
eral Reynolds, commanding the First
corps, was killed. Some fighting was
also done north and northeast of the
town.
The heaviest fighting the second day
was southwest OF the town, along the
| Emmettsburg road, in the peach orch
ard, in the Wheatfield, around DEVILS
| Den and the two Round Tops. This
| fighting was the result of Longstreet's
corps attempting to get possession of
the two Round Tops. 1t was in the
second days fighting, near the Peach
| Orchard and Wheatfield that General
Sickles lost his right leg by cannon
ball. Sickles' stout resistance prevent
ed Longstreet from gaining the two
Round Tops, and really saved the battle
OF Gettys bury, for II Longstreet had
gained those points the battle Of
Gettysburg would have been lost for
ever 10 Meade. While the desperate
fighting was going on between Sickles
and Longstreet there was also more or
less fighting east of the town and
around Culp's Hill, which Ewell was
trying to occupy. The second day
closed with Meade's troops all south of
the town, and occupying Culp's Hill,
Cemetery Ridge and Big and Little
Round Tops, and the ground between
Cemetery Ridge and the Round tops,
and in front OF Big Round Top.
Failing to get possession of the Round
Tops Lee was compelled to assault
Meade's position and drive him from
it, or withdraw. he decided to assault
the line about midway between the
summit of Cemetery Ridge and Little
Round Top. The assault was made
about 4 o'clock on the afternoon of the
third day, and was the only fighting OF
that day. The assault is known to us
as Pickett's Charge. The Confederates
call 1t Longstreet's assault.
Lees purpose in this assault was to
break Meade's line, thus cutting his
army in two. All forenoon of the third
day the armies remained quiet, and
continued so until 4 o'clock in the
afternoon. Between three and four
o'clock the Confederates opened fire on
the Union line with more than hun
dred cannon, directing their fire against
the center of Meade's line, held by
Hancock's corps. For a while the
Union artillery replied to the Confed-
crate fire, but soon ceased. Long be.
fore the charge began the Union guns
were quiet. About four o'clock the
Confederate column was seen to emerge
from the woods directly opposite to
Hancock's position. q 1t came In three
lines OF battle. The assaulting column
numbered eighteen thousand men. 1t
is most frequently spoken of as the
charge Of Pickett's division, but Pick
ett's men formed good deal less than
half the assaulting force. 1t numbered
nearly as many North Carolina soldiers
as Virginians. The distance from Lees |
guns to Hancock's line was exactly a
mile and an eighth. That was. the
the column had to march to |
reach our line. The first half of the /
was marched in ordinary time.
Then the men quickened their pace as
they neared'our position, The terrible
havoc wrought in the assaulting col
umn was during the last half OF the
distance they travelled, where they
suffered terribly from our artillery and
as they neared our line also from our
musketry. But on the column came
until, decimated, torn, and bleeding
about two thousand of them flung them
selves against Hancock's low stone
A thousand or more,
after hand to hand contest with our
men, got inside Hancock's line, only to
be killed or captured. General Armi-
stead, commanding Confederate bri-
yade, was killed about four rods inside
Of our lines.
This ended the fighting at Gettys.
burg, and that night Lee began his
march back to Virginia. The first two
lays was almost entirely in his favor,
but the third day he risked everything
On Longstreets assault, and failed, thus
losing the battle. What the loss was
In this charge / do not know Accord