The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-08-05
Impressions at Gettysburg
Gathered On the Field
PART I.
(By W. j. PEELE.)

1
! went to Gettysburg, not to sit in
judgment on General Lee trhough the
"hind-sight" OF an ordinary man may
De sometimes equal TO the foresight Of
an extraordinary one), nor yet to learn
more refinitely how the Confederate
armies failed in their efforts to dis
lodge the Federals from the natural
and artificial f~ortihcations OF their
nook-shaped ridge. but TO see what
n North C~arolinians did on the field
ana what were the odds and Difficult
ties they labored under; and IN addi-
ton TO the of the commits
sion, to read, II l could. at first hand
the literature OF the reatest Ameri-
can Tragedy.
Our State had thirty-nine regiments
there. many OF them much battered at
ChanceliOrsville (Which was largely a
North Carolina fight), but still they
numbered some fifteen thousand Of
Lees fighting forces-about one-ffth.
The advantage of position on Gene
terry Ridge which the Federal armies
had, lay not SO much in the "Heights'
OF which We read in the spectacular
descriptions of the battle, and which
In the third days fight (I mean Petit
crews and Pickett's assault) do not
exist at all-but in the ease with
which the defenders of the Ridge
could see where their ad~versariee in
tended to attack them, and the facil-
ity with which they could bring all
their forces to any given point.
Cemetery Ridge is V-shaped. one
prong-that facing Seminary Ridge
elongated, and running nearly south
from the Gettysburg Cemetery to
away; the other prong extends south
| eastwardly about half thai distance.
In the hollow between these two
prongs of the Ridge wa a great natu-
raj place Of safety for the reserves and
the wounded. The forces on each
support a other with artillery. 1t
was a better battlefield than Waterloo,
but it was no Waterloo for ten Con
federates-the total losses OF the Fed
erals being h greater-and, but for
the slaughter OF the third days spec
tacular charge, the Federals would
have lost nearly twice as many as the
Confederates.
The first days battle vas fought q
, mile west and north Of Cemetery HUI
, and where the advantages Of position
were not SO marked; and, unless there
> was az occasional stone wall or shell
: ter of wood or branch, hilltop or rail
road excavation, there were no fortif-
cations. FOr the most part, the first
days battle was out in the open, and
the Federals were driven from the
field with great slaughter.
v On the night Of July l General Ram
sour bivouacked in the little round
plaza that marked the center Of the
q town. A quarter Of a mile to the south
! of him, on Cemetery Hill. Hancock, a
e 4 O'Clock in the evening. began to raj.
ly the broken sQuadrons of the Fed
q erals, which were taking refuge there
And indeed, the part Of Cemetery Hill
where he was, unless fortified, was no
!, a place Of refuge against an attach
from the town. On that side OF tn
4 hill was the one vulnerable spot, tn,
. way of attack being sheltered by tn
town on the slope OF the hill to within
4 easy striking distance. Not only coult
4 the victorious Southern troops hav
4 pressed on and occupied the top OF tn
a hill hat night, but the next day an
the next, it was still the key point Q
the Federal position, and APPARENT
yet most accessible to assail, In spite Q
a Notifications which were being heape'
up. Its advantage could have bee
n seen by those C~onfederates who wen
:. through the town on the evening O
It July /. General Lee is said to hav
n seen It. only through the report Of on
of his officers, made to him after h
a North Carolina historian will in
auire diligently what General lie
20 meant when he said he would hay
- won the battle of Gettysburg il Gen
- eral Pendet had not been shot. Did n
mean that he would have been advise
: lof this position in time to act, or ths
he would have had a division CON
mander on the spot, who would hav
: made the attack there II he had bee
,L allowed the authority that was CON
mitted to another. The spot wheI
Pender fell M we'll be n OF IN
pivofs of history; and If any rules {
R.. the battlefield government should So
riously interfere with erecting sultao!
en- memorials of capacity and valor e.
r hibited on the field, 1t is unmlstakaDl
s., evidence that the general movement
y. still sectional. j..
d. AS before intimated, l was on tt
field to learn as l might be able tn
II. large characters in which u hlstol
known that the history which is req
IL that whose shafts of truth are wins
ed by art-with literature and wit
poetry. Literature first hold