The Oskaloosa herald., 1913-07-17

Iona" sFissf'2O -
| he is no patriot nor loves deeply
ms country and her welfare who Is
permitted to stand in the presence of
the survivors of her greatest battle
contest in this glad greeting time Of
fraternal joy over united country
and who enters not with Astounding
enthusiasm into the celebration of
these three glorious reunion DAVIS.
taking place on the scene of carnage
OF fifty years ago. The celebration is
most fitting, and the most effective
illustration and proof of a reunited
nation the world could ever see. a
most remarkable manifestation of
abiding American patriotism
1t Is not easy to reach Gettvsbprp
now, relatively, by rail, in compari.
son with many another of the worlds
battlefields, situated as it is on a
spur OF a railroad or two apart from
the direct travel between the west
and the Atlantic seaboard--not so
easy, again, relatively-as it seems
TO nave been the summer of 1863 g. .
over two years of varying fortunes
OF war found General r. l., Lee vet
in charge of the major body of the
southern army lowering about the
| border between Maryland and Penn.
sylvania, uncomfortably near Wash
ington and Philadelphia: Washington
mad been burned once by the British
under Gen. Ross in 1914. and many
people there now doubtless recalled
the fact and were on constant dread
OF a repetition of the scourge, while
now and again across the , Potomac
hung the challenge, ION to Rich
! mond,' echoing back always and with
defiance, "On to Washington"
The campaign thus far in the east
had too many times resulted in dis.
aster TO the Union forces or in check
ing the advance against Richmond:
IN the west, the tide was by no means
permanently turned toward Union;
while all about the nations capital.
! indeed all too frequently everywhere,
for the best encouragement of Lin.
coin in his great task, came criticism
/ OF the management of the war. Cen
eral after general was retired. trans
ferred or displaced, sometimes not
without merit, but perhaps more fire.
quently through the restless presence
OF events that grew weary of waiting.
Lee realized on hfs part the neces-
sity OF a more aggressive action
mobilization that would spread over
northern territory, and so, crossed the
Potomac. The closing days of June,
1863, found his troops in circuitous
maneuVers In south central Pennsyl-
vania. Entering by way of Cham
bersberg the region where was to be
the historic conflict celebrated today
after half century, part of his troops
under corps commanders A, P, Hill
and Ewell, he encountered July first
northeast of the little town of Gettys.
burg Major General Jno. F. REYNOLDS
FORCES. and the federal cavalry under
Buford. General George G. Meade
mad only few hours before. super.
seeded Hooker in the command of the
army Of the Potomac.
A sharp conflict resulted wherein
reynolds fell from his saddle mortal.
/ ~ wounded, a great loss to the Union
at a vital moment, for the forces I'M
! der Ewell we're aiming at possession
OF CUPS Hill, TO the east of the town.
Inc Army OF the Potomac and that
of Northern Virginia were slowly. but
inevitably drawn up in the customary
manner of civilized warfare, so that
roughly speaking, the two armies
faced one another At once. there,
fore, began the maneuvering for ad
vantage, which might consist in turn
ing of either flank of the adversary
or massing against the opponents
/ center.
General Lee, in command of fewer
troops than Meade. had yet the ad
vantage of longer command of his
men. and long and amazing loyalty
OF the private soldiers. officers and
! corps commanders to his personal
leadership and direction. Yet he felt
keenly that decisive action was now
necessary. Supplies we're low in the
south; crops left unsown in the pitt
less despair of people whose fields
had for two years been overrun with
the struggling hosts in pursuit of eact
other: depleted ranks of men, youns
and old, further and further with
drawn from private life to fill the
ranks at the battle front. All the
more was some aggressive move i'm
perative since every day was ven
ture farther and farther into strang,
and unwelcome territory, longer ant
longer away from a home base o
supplies. So Lee deployed his forces
alon gthe road from Gettysburg Semi
nary, in an irregular line, south TO
perhaps five or six miles. Facing hin
was shaping a stretch of men In Blue
starting at the town, along Cemeter,
Ridge. on and out to Little Rount
Top. Between there was a lowe
sweep of farms and meadows perhap
a mile and a half wide.
The first of the grim three Jul,
days fifty years ago closed with Rey
nold's death while attempting to stol
the advance of the Southern troop
near the Seminary who were afte