The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1913-01-02

Late Words About the Battle of Gettysburg.
From the New Orleans Picayune
The battle which was fought, or rather
concluded, at Gettysburg, Pa, between
the Confederate Army of Northern Vir-
ginia, under General R. E. Lee, and the
United States Army of the Potomac, under
Major General George G. Meade, on July
|3, 1868, has been regarded as the turning
point in the struggle for national indie
pendence by the Confederate States OF
America. It was this day, forty five years
ago, and the result of that battle will make
it famous in the history of the American
Republic, when for four years it was rent
into two separate nations engaged in
terrible warfare, the one for supremacy,
the other for independence.
The situation in few words was this:
General Lee had opened the campaign in
the spring of 1868 by attacking the Army
of the Potomac, under Hooker, intrenched
in the Wilderness region of Spottsylvania
County, Va, tract of country near the
junction of the Rappahannock River, over
grown with dense forest and underbrush.
Ia two days of heavy fighting, May 2 and
| 3, Lee, with 10000 men, had attacked and
wholly defeated Hooker, who had 72,OOO
and had driven him from all his positions
and across the Rappahannock. Lees
greatest loss was in the death of Stonewall
jackson, whose tremendous flank attack
on the intrenched Federals had insured
the victory which was won.
! Lee then undertook an invasion of the
Northern States. Paying no attention to
Washington city, he crossed Maryland at
it's narrowest point and marched directly
north into Pennsylvania, but keeping his
main body west of the Blue Ridge Noun
tains, which extend northeastward towards
New York, while the main body of his
cavalry, under General Stuart, was raid
ing in Maryland and Pennsylvania in the
rear of the Federal Army, and between it
and Washington and Baltimore.
| Lees troops in their northward march
had reached York and Carlisle, in Penn
sylvania, and threatened the State Capital,
Harrisburg, which was on the east bank OF
the Susquehanna River. The Federal
Army, which had been placed under COM
mand of General Meade, was seriously
confused with Lee in his front and Stuart S
Cavalry, cutting his communications with
Washington and Baltimore. Meade was
cautious to fault, and he kept out oil
Lees way. The Confederate command
er's object was to encourage Meade tc
make an attack, which Meade constantly
refused to do.
This state of things had very demon
alizng effect on the people of Pennsylva-
MIA, who saw the most formidable of the
: Confederate armies occupying their State
and moving and raidng at will, with nc
attempt to drive it out. In the meantime
Lee, occupying with his main army &
strong position at Cashtown, now gap ir
; the Blue Ridge Mountains, which Meade
} would have to force if he sought battle
J was able to maintain his line of connection
!, with Virginia without interruption, was ir
} no hurry to give battle, but sought to force
his antagonist to make the attack, some.
thing he was most unwilling to do
although driven to it by public opinion al
: we'll as by orders from his Government.
, 1t was while Lee was in this position o
, advantage and Meade was overborne by
) anxiety and worry that the constitutions
, rashness and headlong disregard of orders
> on the part of General A. P. Hill brough
7 on general battle, which he was strictly
5 ordered not to do, and forced his grea
/. commander to fight on ground greatly t.
, his disadvantage and to Meade's ad
, vantage.
3 A. P. Hill, who commanded one of Gen
eral Lees corps, was near Cashtown, ant
, he took two Of his divisions-Heth' 8 ant
t Pender's-and moved towards Gettysburg
with orders to make reconnaissance, bu
, not to give battle. This was on the morn
ing of July l.. Instead of taking observa
tons, Hill pushed on to Gettysburg. HI
g soon found himself heavily engaged will
, large force of the enemy and losing Sc
$ verely, one of his brigade generals, Archer
+, having been captured with many othe
, prisoners and bloody list of killed AM
wounded.
+ The engagement was so serious that
a brought up large endorsements to boil
sides, and thus it was that by the willfu
!. and headstrong behavior of his own corp
! commander he was forced to fight OF
/ ground not of his own choosing and t.
t abandon his plan of driving the enemy t.
4 attack him where he held every advantage
n But not willing to lose the prestige of vic
u tory which his army had always enjoyed
:, he was unwilling to retreat after the battl
8 had been forced on him by his own officers
t and so the tremendous battle at Gettys
: Gooooooooooooooooo
AVE &5 For Ynur Son