The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-07-03
TODAY IN HISTORY
The Battle Of Gettysburg.
SUNDAY, July 8, 1910.


Today, forty-seven years ago. July g. |
1851 terminated the battle OF Gettys-
burg which for three days had waged
with tremendous fury in and about the
little Pennsylvania town. On the fore
noon of July President Lincoln officially
telegraphed as follows: "The president
announces TO the country that news from
the army OF the Potomac, up to 10 p. IN.
OF the 3rd, Is such as TO cover that
army with tho highest honor, and TO
claim the coincidence of all for the many
gallant fallen and that for this he es-
pecially desires that on this day, he,
whose will. not ours. should ever be done
be everywhere remembered and reVer-
enced with profoundest gratitude"
The battle OF Gettysburg Is recognized
as the turning point OF the civil war II
was one Of the most terrific ever fought
Tho northern army had considerable ad-
vantage over the southern army In that II
was fighting on home grounds, and ina
federal forces considerably outnumbered
tho Confederates. The extent OF this
bloody conflict Is best told by the figures.
During the three days battle the federal
army lost 3072 killed, 14,497 wounded and
5434 captured or missing; the Confederate
army. according to official reports, had
1892 killed, l2.709 wounded and $3.50 cap
tured or missing.
When Leo and his powerful army en-
tered Pennsylvania, towards the end OF
June, the north was thrown into great
constcrnau uon. General Meade had but
recently been placed in command OF the
army Of the Potomac, The opposing
forces met for the first time on Penhsyl-
vania soil on July l. On this first day
the advance corps Of the Union army;
was killed. The first day OF the fight
| may be said to have been won by the
Confederatcs The federal army having
OF the second days battle found the two
armies concentrating on the two ridges
| which were TO be that days line OF bat
tie. Early on the morning OF the sec
ond day began the great artillery contest
| There was little infantry fighting on this
day, The cannonade was fierce and IN.
| ceSsant- Both sides fought With great
ferocity. and neither could drive the other
| out Of position.
On the third and final day General
Lee moved his force out OF the town OF
! Union army Into the valley, but this had
no effect. Finally the Confederates de-
cided upon, charge on Cemetery hill
The federal troops lay still and did not
return the fire until the Confederate army
was almost within reach When they
came within musket range the federal
fore it was a handto- hand conflict.
Every man fought for himself and by
! himself, Several attempts were made TO
take the hill. but without success. and
| 1t was finally decided TO abandon the
project,
It was now General Meade's turn to
make an attack. He placed his troops
In order and charged down the hill and
into the town, Tho Confederate army had
met with such terrible reyerses, after
three days fighting against fearful odds,
and, seeing that a further invasion OF
| Pennsylvania would be useless under the
! circumstances. General Lee began his re-
treat towards the Potomac under cover
Of the. darkness and heavy rain, Lee
| crossed the Potomac on the night OF the
18th, without having been attacked by
the pursuing federal army 1t was a
| crushing defeat that the southern army
had sustained, but 1t was not a rout.
| There were many individual Instances OF
bravery on both sides in the conflict.
| A northern historian thus pays tribute
to the valor Of the Confederates: S'The
impetuous bravery with which the Con-
| federate troops fought is illustrated by
the fact that every brigadier on Pickett s
| division was killed or wounded out OF
twenty-four regimental officers, only two
escaped; the colonels OF FIVE Virginia
regiments were killed, the Ninth Virginia
went In the fight with 200 men and came
out with only thirty eight"
On July the dog days begin and end
| on August IL 1t Is the date of the
massacre OF Wyoming in 177S; on which
army at Cambridge In 17I5; on which
Lake Champlain was discovered by Cham
| plain In 1909; on which the branch mint
| OF the United States was established In
San Francisco in 1852: the battle of Sado-
wa was fought in 1866, and the Spanish
feet under Cervera was destroyed In 1898
1t Is the birthday OF Samuel Huntingdon,
the eminent Connecticut jurist QT3D
John Singleton Copley, the first native
American artist (1739): of Louis XII OF
France Q423). and OF David McC. Smith,
the inventor QS33).