The Bottineau courant., 1913-07-04
: FOURTH Of JULY
! FIFTY YEARS AGO.
! People Were Awaiting News
: Of Battle Of Gettysburg.

+ People Were Awaiting News i
+ Of Battle Of Gettysburg. i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
l"IFTY years ago this Fourth Of
II July the people Of the whole
country were in state Of tire
mendous excitement over the
battle Of Gettysburg, which came to an
end the day before. For three days
startling rumors had been a6oat. The
Confederate army. under General Rob-
ert q. Lee, was In the heart Of Penn.
sylvania. Fighting began July close
to the town Of Gettysburg. The Omit
ed States government censored all dis.
patches from the battlefield. but there
were unomcial telegraph messages sent
out from of1ces near the scene Of oper-
atoms. After the battle Of July q
dispatch stated that the Confederates
were cut in two and retreating. etc.
The Army of the Potomac was In the
Geld to combat Lee. lts commander,
General Joseph Booker. had been re-
moved June %. and news Of that add.
ed to the anxiety of the country over
the fate Of the army. The government
censorship Of telegraph dispatches sent
to the press was very rigid. but from
hour to hour in crisis ike that at Get
tysburg the authorities at Washington
sent dispatch direct to the towns and
cities to be placed on the bulletin
boards In this way the people within
reach Of the telegraph centers were
posted at intervals during the 4th upon
the latest news from the 6eld
The battle of Gettysburg closed July
3. The morning newspaper news Of
that date was chiefly in the minds Of
the public on the Fourth except those
who received the morning dailies Of the
Fourth. This number was q compare
lively small proportion Of the popula-
ton. In the news printed on July 8.
over which the people were Illuminating
on Independence day, was information
Of the severe battle on July ''near
Gettysburg"
The papers stated that General J. r.
Reynolds Of the Federal forces had
been killed. that the Confederates had
been ''repulsed" and driven" and
were avoiding the issue" and that
General George q. Meade. the CON-
mander who succeeded Hooker. was
''pressing'' them. The general sum.
mary Of this informal don which was be.
fore the people on the Fourth was that
reports from the battle Of Gettysburg
were mot unfavorable"
The morning papers Of July 4 placed
before their readers on Independence
day the statement that the battle Of
Gettysburg had been the severest Of
the war, but contained no hint what.
ever Of Pickett's charge. which closed
the day on July 8 and closed the bat.
tie Of Gettysburg The papers also
gave ofacial news relating to the fight
ing Of July and 2. One Of the news
paper headings was. I'VE Took Gettys-
burg" A dispatch from General Meade
dated at p. a.. July 2. the day Of the
terrible battle in front Of Little Round
Top, said that there had been no fight
ing Of consequence that day. In one
hour after that the Confederate guns
opened upon General Sickles' line. A
still later dispatch also appeared. dat
ed at q. m. July g. There was no ref
erence to the results Of the lighting Of
the previous day. but the dispatch stat
ed that lighting had begun on that
morning.
In comparison with Pickett's charge.
which took place on the afternoon Of
July 3, this lighting of the early morn
ing was mere incident Of the battle
Meade closed his dispatch with state
ment that the COnfederates have
made no impression on my position az
yet"
In this dispatch General Meade gave
to the people whose relatives were in
the army at Gettysburg food for
thought by stating that the losses had
been heavy. This news. taken In con-
nection with the previous statement
that the battle was the severest Of the
war, naturally 6lled the minds Of rela-
tives at home with anxiety a. to the
| fate Of their loved ones at the front
General Meade stated In his dispatch
that General Reynolds Of Pennsylva.
mia, Colonel f. f Cross Of New Hamp-
shire. General Zook and General Paul
had been killed he also mentioned the
wounding Of General Daniel e. Sickles
and some Of his brigade commanders.
But be said nothing Of the heroic death
In defense Of Little Round Top Of Gen.
eral Strong Vincent and General Sts-
phen D. Weed
The American Flaos
Let us. standing BY our fathers
graves. swear anew. and teach the
/ oath to our children. that With Gods
help the American republic. clasping
this continent In its embrace. shall
stand unmoved though an the powers
Of slavery. piracy and European Jeal-
ousy should combine to overthrow It: