Eastern Utah advocate. [volume] (Price, Utah) 1895-1915, 1914-07-02
FOURTH OF JULY
FIFTY YEARS AGO.
People Were Awaiting News
Of Battle Of Gettysburg.
years ago this Fourth Of
n July the people Of the whole
country were In a stats OF ire

TIFTY years ago this Fourth OF
~ July the people Of the whole
country were In a stats OF ire
mendous excitement over the
battle Of Gettysburg. which came to an
end the day before. For three days
startling rumors had been anoat The
Confederate army. under General Rob
ert u. Lee. WIS IN the heart Of Penn
ayivania. Fighting began July close
10 the town OF Gettysburg The Unit
ed Staten government censored all dis
patches from the battlefield. but there
were unofficial telegraph messages sent
out from Offices near the scene OF oper-
atoms. After the battle OF July I n
dispatch stated that the Confederates
were cut 10 two aud retreating. etc.
The Army OF tue Potomac was In the
Geld 10 combat Lee. itA commander.
General Joseph Hooker. had been 70
moved Iunr ~ aud news Of that add
ed to the anxiety VI the country over
the fate VI the army. The government
eensorship OF telegraph dispatches sent
20 the press was very EAs<id. but from
hour TO hour IN crisis like that NJ Get
tynburg the authorities at Washington
sent dispatches direct 10 the towns and
cities TO be placed on tho bulletin
boards In this way the people within
reach OF the telegraph eenters were
posted az intervals during the 9Th upon
the lntest news from the held.
The battle ~ Gettysburg closed July
3 The morning newspaper news OF
that date was chiedy IN the minds OF
the public on the Fourth except those
who received the morning dailies OF the
Fourth This number was compare.
lively small proportion " the popula-
tion. In the news printed on July 3.
over which the people were Illuminating
ON Independence day was information
OF the severe hattie on July near
GettyEbaug
The pxpsrS stated that General j. Y
Reynolds OF the Federal forces had
been killed. that the canfederates had
been 'repuisrd' aud driven" and
were avoiding the issue" and that
! General George q. Meade. the com
1 mander who succeeded Hooker. was
pressing them The general sum.
mary Of this information which was be-
fore the people on the Fourth was that
reports from the battle OF Gettysburg
we're mot unfavorable
The morning papers % July placed
before their readers on Independence
day the statement that the battle OF
Gett burg had been the severest Of
the war. but contained no hint what.
ever OF Pickett's charge. which closed
the day on July and closed the bat
tie OF Gettysburg. The papers also
gave Official news relating 10 the Eight.
Ing OF July and 2. One OF the news
paper headings was. I'VE Took Gettys,
burg" A dispatch from General Meade
dated az 3 p m., July 2. the day OF the
terrible battle In front OF Little Round
Top, said that there had been no tight
Ing OF consequence that day. In one
hour after that the Confederate guns
opened upon General Siekes' line. A
still later dispatch also appeared. dat
ed AZ a. m July 3. There was no ref
erenee TO the results OF the lighting OF
the previous day. but the dispatch stat
ed that lighting had begun on that
morning
In comparison with P.eSett'a charge
which took place on the afternoon Of
July 3, this lighting OF the early morn
ing was mere incident OF the battle
Meade closed his dispatch with a state
ment that the Confederates HAY,
made no impression on my position al
yet"
In this dispatch General Meade CAV,