Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1913-07-03

ward to meet the force OF Hooker. or
rs It turned out the force Of Meade
Lee with his force had advanced
north beyond Gettysburg. while Meade
with his force was south OF the town
The fields near the Pennsylvania vii
lage had not been picked as a place OF
battle. but there II was that the two
great armies came together and for
three days struggled for the mas
terry.
On the last day OF June. the day
before the real battle OF Gettysburg
began. General Reynolds. q corps
commander OF the Union army. went
forward to feel out the enemy He
reached Gettysburg by nightfall His
corps. the First. together with the
Third and the Eleventh Infantry
Corps with a division OF cavalry. com
posed the Union army's left wing.
The Fnth Army Corps was sent to
Hanover southeast OF Gettysburg, |
and the Twelfth Corps was immedi-
ately south OF Gettysburg at a dis |
lance Of eight or nine miles. This
was on June 30. and the Union forces |
we're fairly well separted. but they |
were converging and Gettysburg was
their objective.
General Reynolds OF the Union |
forces arrived at Gettysburg early on |
the morning OF July I. He dispatched |
courier to Meade saying that the |
high ground above Gettysburg was
the proper place to meet the enemy |
Not long after this message was sent |
TO Meade General Reynolds who dis
patched Il, was killed He was on |
horseback near a patch OF woods with |
his force confronting a large detach-
ment OF Confederate troops which was
coming toward them. These troops OF |
the enemy were dispersed by the
Union batteries and Reynolds was
watching the successful solid shot |
and shrapnel onset when a bullet /
struck him in the head killing him in
stantly
General Abner Doubleday succeeded
Reynolds in command OF the troops |
at that point OF the field. brigade |
~ Confederates. a Mississippi organi-
,ation. charged the Union forces,
broke their organization and succeed |
I'd in making prisoners OF large part |
ef New York regiment. Later these |
r1en we're recaptured and the Missis-
Gppi brigade was driven back, a por-
ton OF IL surrendering. In the fight |
CT the first day at this point OF the |
field or near Il. one Union regiment. |
thu i5lst Pennsylvania. lost in killed |
and wounded 337 men out OF total |
Of f46 In little more than a quarter
Of an hours hight
General Doubleday fell back to Sem
mary Ridge and extended his line.
The forces employed hgainst him :
here were greater than his own. and
after hard fighting Seminary Ridge
was given mp. The first days battle
was in effect and In truth a victory
for the Southern arms On the night
Of July l General Hancock arrived
and succeeded IN rallying the Union
forces and putting new heart into the
men. General Meade on that night
ordered the entire army TO Gettys-
burg.
Victory Not Followed Up.
For some reason or other perhaps
| unknown to this day. what was virtu-
ally a Confederate victory on the first
OF July Was not followed up by Gen
eral Lee early on the next morning.
General Meade therefore succeeded IA
Strengthening his lines and In pre-
pairing for the greater conflict One
end OF the Union line was some dis
lance east OF Cemetery Hill on Rock
m
something more than two miles as-
yond Cemetery Hill to the south. Ths
Confederate line confronting IL wAs
somewhat longer
II is impossible In a brief sketch os /
this battle 70 give the names OF the /
brigade and the regimental eommSn-
ders and the names OF the regiments I
which were engaged on both sides IN
this great battle. Meade. Hancock /
Howard. Slocum and Sickles with 1
their men were eonfronting Lee.
Longstreet. Hili. Eveli and the other /
great commanders OF the South With 1
their men The line OF battle with tie 4
spaces IN between the different cora
mands was nearly ten miles. IL Wa /
the Confederate generals intention 70 /
attack AZ the extreme right and Isr I
ara AZ the eentsr .iusuftansousiv n
was 70 be General I.onxstreet.s drtv
TO turn the left flank Of the UnL,. I
army and to break IL. LOnKssree<'. I
intended movement was discovered ia 4
tine 10 have Il met valiAntly. Tsv
battle Of the second day really he
gan with LouKstreet's advance. II.
southern general did not succeed n.
the plan which he had formed 70 gs,
By Big Round Top and TO attack the
Third Corps froua a position Of van
taxe in the rear. General sickIes de-
Tended Round Top and Lonsstrest
could not take H.
When one visits the battlefield Of
Gettysburg be can trace the course
Of battle Of the second day where IL
ragged At Round Top. Peach Orchard,
Nratr