The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-07-03
General Sickles Tells Of
Desperate Second Day
at Gettysburg.
HE is ATTACKED
WITH FEROCITY
Aged Soldier Believes World Has
Seen No Warfare Which Can
Approach That of July 2 and
8, '63, Between Northern
and Southern Hosts of
Meade and Lee.
By GENERAL DANIEL T.. SICKLES.
(soie surviving Union corps mnndcr
who participated In the battle of

Nsoie surviving Union corps command IL er
who participated in the battle of
GettysburgD
gettysburg. Pa. July 2.-My heart
beats faster tonight. The thronginR
hordes who have motored and walked
and trolleyed to my camp 10 day have
swept their hats of and hailed 1t as
"Sicl<les Day"
And SO have always regarded
July 2.
1t was on this day a half century
ago that God gave mo strength to
serve my country and my Maker better
than l ever had been able to serve
them before.
1t was u!.on this day in '63 that
lost my leg and did my little part by
the mercy of God to preserve the
Union.
July 2. 1863, broke hot and clear
just as In the early hours to-day n
molten sun poured out of sky but
trihe overloaded. had retired
shortly after midnight the previous
evening and slept the quiet, dreamless
sleep that is generally attributed to
innocent babes.
Last night I enjoyed just tho same
KIND or sleep. But that is to be eN-
pected of young fellow. who at nine
ty-three is still able to read without
his glasses. eh?
Shake Hands After FIFTY Yenrs.
Many men who came to-day to shake
my hand told me they were too busy
TO do so nfty years ago-that their
"hole hearts and minds were wrapped
up In the conflict to come knew
that conflict of the utmost import
ance to our country was at hand. And
something told mo the fight would be-
gin about o'clock. So it proved.
Few minutes before 3. General
Meade. In command, sent word TO me
that he desired to see me immediately
L 7
enemy was about to attack Meade
did not believe me, and sent his aide
de-camp back with more peremptory
message. Meade had never been in
favor of giving battle at Gettysburg.
and knew that he would order me
Creek. where he intended TO battle. At
this time held the advance line ex
tending from Devils Den to the Peach
Orchard.
1 had also forced out further limo
on the Emmittsburg Road. which
passes In front OF the Rogers house
here.
had hardly given spurs to my horse
IN response to my superior's summons.
when the enemy's attack opened I
Immediately sent word to Meade 1
could not obey his commands. because
few minutes hell had broken loose
along my line. My 10000 men were
attacked with devillsh ferocity by two
OF Longstreets divisions and Ander-
sons division. of HIS Corps-20. 900
men in all.
Let me call attention right hero TO
the fact that If l had not taken the
initiative our left would have been
lost. Longstreet said I won the ba tile
by my advance move. Sheridan said
so. and Grant indorsed the formers
opinion.
The fight was the most desnerata
and severe of my life 1t was far more
Intense than Chancellorsville. NV TO
tai losses were 1920 men, while the
enemy's was approximately 1000 or
$500. The cannonading was the heav-
lest ! have ever heard. l think moth
Ing In the worlds history could an
proach the second and third days bat
ties at Gettysburg.
How He Lost His Leg.
And now l come TO the descr;ntior
or the second days hattle, in which I
am more poignantly Interested re-
Ter 10 the loss OF my right leg AS 7
roll back the tablets OF my memory.
every detail of the incidents surround
ing that loss are present in my mind
IL occurred between 6 and 7 o'clock
IN the evening. Owing to the small
number of my men compared with that
or the enemy. l knew that 1t was ONLY
through force of perronal leadership
mat l could hold them together. so
rode constantly on my horse up and
down my line of battle. have been
criticized for this. but 1t was the ONLY
way could prevent my men from
being overpowered. And so | paid no
attention when they cried: "Sickles to
the rear. Sickles to the rear"
The loss of n limb or the loss OF n
life meant nothing TO me then. Nor
has 1t since. l had but one thought
to win the battle.
II was after the victory had been
pr"ctcaiiy won that the piece OF
shrapnel that almost cost mo nv life
came along. AT first did not know
] was hit. My thoughts. as said
before. were solely on the battle and
so / am unable to tell exactly at what
point | was struck. II was somewhere
between the peach orcahrd and the
wheattield. 1 made the discovery that
/ had been hit as l was riding back
from the immediate front to my head
quarters flag. felt my foot was wet
and damp. | looked down and found
that my knee and leg wcrc also wet
and damp. 1 slipped my leg over the
back of my horse and saw that / was
bleeding great deal. Then knew
my ieS was badly fractured--it later
turned out to have been fractured both
above and below the knee
Instantly l slipped from my horses
back and sent for n surgeon. was
still bleeding great deal and I saw
that would bleed to death before the
arrival OF surgeon unless something
was done. So l ordered one OF my staff
to take small strap from his blanket
and buckle II about my leg The strap
(Continuod on Third PageD