River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1913-07-03

checking the Union army ADVANCE
had made up his mind to turn south
ward to meet the force OF Hooker, or
as 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 place of
battle, but there it 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, a 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 division of cavalry, COM
posed the Union army's left wing.
The Fifth Army Corps was sent to
Hanover. southeast Of Gettysburg,
and the Twelfth Corps was immedi-
ately south of Gettysburg at dis
lance of eight or nine miles. This
was on June 80, and the Union forces
were 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 /. 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 it, was killed. He was on
horseback near patch Of woods with
his force confronting 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 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. A brigade
of Confederates, Mississippi organi-
zation, charged the Union forces,
broke their organization and succeed
ed in making prisoners Of large part
of New York regiment. Later these
men were recaptured and the Missis-
sippi brigade was driven back, por-
ton of 1t surrendering. In the fight
on the first DAY at this point of the
field or near it, one Union regiment,
the 151st Pennsylvania, lost in killed
and wounded 337 men out of total
of 446 in little more than a quarter
of an hours fight.
General Doubleday fell back to Sem
mary Ridge and extended his line.
The forces employed against him
here were greater than his own, and
after hard fighting Seminary Ridge
was given up. The first days battle
was in effect and in truth victory
for the Southern arms. On the night
of July 1 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 Confederate victory on the first
of July was not followed up by Gen.
eral Lee early on the next morning.
General Meade therefore succeeded in
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
Greek, another end was at Round Top
something more than two miles be-
yond Cemetery Hill to the south. The
Confederate line confronting it was
somewhat longer.
1t is impossible in brief sketch of
this battle to give the names of the
brigade and the regimental comman-
ders and the names of the regiments
which were engaged on both sides in
this great battle. Meade, Hancock,
Howard, Slocum and Sic1les with
their men were confronting Lee,
Longstreet, HILL Ewell and the other
great commanders of the South with
their men. The line of battle with the
spaces in between the different COM
mands was nearly ten miles. 1t was
the Confederate generals intention to
attack at the extreme right and left
and at the center simultaneously. 1t
was to be General Longstreet's duty
to turn the left flank Of the Union
army and to break it." Longstreet's
intended movement was discovered in
time TO have it met valiantly. The
battle of the second day really be-
gan with Longstreets advance. The
Southern general did not succeed in
the plan which he had formed to get
by Big Round Top and to attack the
Third Corps from position of van
tage in the rear. General Sickles de-
Tended Round Top and Longstreet
could not take it.
When one visits the battlefield of
Gettysburg he can trace the course
of battle of the second day where it
ragged at Round Top, Peach Orchard
Cemetery HILL. Culp's Hill, and what
is known as The DEVILS Den. The
tide of battle ebbed and flowed. Lit
tie Round Top was saved from cap
ture by the timely arrival of brigade
commanded by General Weed that
dragged the guns OF a United States
regular battery up to the summit by