The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1913-10-21
First Days Fight
at Gettysburg and
Battle Incidents
Story of First Days Charges, Victor
les and Defeats Told By
Participant
LEE MADE SERIOUS MISTAKES
spIx
Professor of Geology Suggested Gene
terry Ridge as Stronghold of Union
Army; Serious Blunders Made
(By Capt. E. NJ. Brooks)

There was only one officer in either
army who had studied the topography
of the country about Gettysburg; that
officer was Gen. Alfred Pleasonton.
Disobeying Mead's orders to concen-
trate on Pipe Creek, he ordered Gen.
Buford to proceed with his division I'M
til Mead's army could get away.
Gen. Reynolds, marching to the mu-
sic of battle disobeyed Mead's order
and formed a line, supporting Gen. Bu-
ford. Late in the day Gen. Sickles al
so disobeyed Mead's order, but in
formed Gen. Mead of his reason for
doing so, and asked Gen. Mead's ap-
proval, which was given.
Prof. Jacobs states that his father,
Prof. Michael Jacobs was teacher of
Geology, Mineralogy, Botany and Sur
veying and in teaching those branches
had taken his classes over those fields
and ridges until he was acquainted
with every foot of the ground.
Ridge A Stronghold
Generals Buford, Reynolds and Dou-
bleday surveyed the enemy's camp on
west of the Seminary, and all the sur
rounding country including Cemetery
Ridge, with the college telescope and
became profoundly impressed with the
Importance of holding Cemetery Ridge
as the strategic point of the battle
field. A signal corps officer came to
the cupola of the college to establish a
signal station. To him Prof. Jacobs
pointed to Cemetery Ridge as the
place to form our line of battle.
The signal corps officer informed
Gen. Howard of what he had seen and
what Prof. Jacobs had told him. Gen.
Howard then went to the college and
surveyed the country with that tele-
scope, and afterwards he and Prof. ia
tcobs rode horseback over those fields
and to Little Round Top. AS soon as
Steinwhers division arrived Gen. How
ard set them to throwing up breast
works on Cemetery Ridge. All this
was done before Gen. Hancock arrived.
The above statements, whether found
In history or not, should settle the con-
troversy as to who selected Gettysburg
DIS battle field
Had the Confederates anything to
say as to the selection of that battle
field. Only this: A division or bri-
gadF' of their men arrived there bare
footed, exhausted and could not go any
further. This caused Lee to halt and
concentrate. Gen. Reynolds was al
most Immediately shot after forming
line of battle and Doubleday succeeded
to the command. Gen. Buford's men
struck the enemy about nine o'clock in
the morning.
Doubleday Insists
The Iron Brigade rushed into battle
at charge bayonet, the emergency
being so great that they had not had
time to load their guns. Then came
Cutters brigade. These brigades were
past grand masters at picking men
out of the rebel columns with the bay
onet. Doubleday was thoroughly i'm
pregnated with the thought that the
Johnnies must be kept back until
Mead's army occupied the strategic
point.
Doubleday rode back and forth a.
mong his men urging them to hold the
ground at all hazards. All hazards
means fight and win, or die. No
thought of retreat is admissible. So
insistant and persistant, was Double
cay that the men considered their pa
ttfotism impeached, and some of them
hAtly retorted, IF We can't hold the
lire, where can you find the men who
cang"
Doubleday VS.. Heath
Both sides fought with the energy
of despair, never being more than
twenty PAGES apart. Gen. Heath COM
manded the Johnnies and fought his
commands separately, never allowing
one brigade to support another. The
Johnnies out-numbered the federals
two to one. The incompetency of Gen.
Heath enabled Gen. Doubleday to clear
the field by eleven o'clock.
BY two o'clock heavy cannonading
was commenced by the Johnnies, Gen.
| A. p. Hill being now in command.
Gen. Doubleday's losses had been
great, but they had been reinforced.
n the niche of time, Col. Roy Stones
A.tYTfrade of Rucktails Srz1lnu infn line