Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1917-11-16
By CAPT. ROLAND F. ANDREWS
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Copyright, 1917, by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate,

Gettysburg, that terrible three day,
battle fought on the first. second AM
third days of July i'm 1863, marked tn
turning point of the American Civi
war. The war did indeed cOntinu
for two years more. but it was GettyS
burg which broke the military powe
Of the South; which decided that tn
United States of America should en-
dure. the united country Of fire.,
people. Gettysburg was the higl
tide of the COnfederacy."
Gettysburg lies in Pennsylvania
about thirty-five miles southwest OF
Harrisburg. A sleepy, unimportan
Pennsylvania village. it possessed nc
strategic Importance and but for ac
cident probably never would have
served as the theater of the greatest
battle of our Civil conflict. Lee. di
recting his great invasion of the North
planned concentration of his forces
there. The ragged men Of A. +. Hills
advance Confederate corps-inspired
1t Is said by the hope of obtaining
shoes-pushed hurriedly into the ham,
let and thereupOn became involved In
spirited battle with BufOrd's Fed
eral cavalry division. Reynolds. COM
Ing up with an infantry corps to sup
port BufOrd, met his death on the
field. but nlghtfall Of the first found
the Union forces holding the line on
the Cemetery Hill position They had
been pushed back by superior numbers
and cut up severely. particularly in a
fierce attack led by the redOubtable
Jubal Early. with Ewell's corps. Still
they maintained formidable position
upon which Meade, the newly appoint
ed Federal commander, decided to
make his stand. Three more corps
were moved up during the night. while
Lee got his whole army into position
Thanks to misunderstanding be-
tween Lee and Longstreet. who was
to attack the Federal left, the attack
on the morning of the second, like Ma
poleon's attack at Waterloo, was long
delayed. This gave the Northern army
time to get into position on horse
shoe ridge, having its right on Culp's
hill. Longstreet's assault when 1t did
come. however, came with n desper-
ate fury productive Of some terrific
fighting. Frightful was the slaugh-
ter in the Peach Orchard, where
Gen. Dan Sickles holding an ad-
sanced Federal position. misunderstood
or disObeyed an order to withdraw and
saw his men go down like ten pins,
while he himself lost a leg.
In the meantime the commanding
positions of Round Top and Little
Round Top remained by some strange
oversight unOccupied. Their possess
sion might have been obtained by the !
Confederates and might have spelled |
for them victory had not the error |
been discovered by Gen. G. X. War
rem. Meade's engineer officer. Per-
ceiving these crests to be occupied
only by signalers and realizing their |
tremendous possibilities Warren hast
lily diverted some Maine regiments |
who scrambled to the tops and there
found themselves almost instantly en-
gagged with eagerly advancing Southern
columns. The struggl. here was des-
perate, but In the end the Maine men
prevailed.
However LOngstreer and Hill actual
ly broke through the main line of the
Third Federal corps. though because
they were not properly supported the
Drigades which achieved this feat were
soon driven out again. Ewell swept
over Culp's hill, where the defending
force had been much reduced, but
Eariy's attempt to storm Cemetery
I'LL was repulsed.
With the coming Of night Meade
'Ound that with his line no longer n
horseshoe, but prolonged to the left.
he stood in danger of having both his
tanks turned. In council with his corps
he encountered serious
discussion Of retreat, but since Lee
had gained no commanding success
Ind since the necessities Of the hour I
we're most serious, he decided in IA
'Or Of continuing the fighting. He had I
lie had confidence in the steadiness of
ais men. Upon this superiority in
Orce Is based the amusing story Of
he Confederate scout, related ut the
euniOn in 1913. He declared that
Keeping to the Federal camp In the {
darkness he discovered that "the
'anks had all creation" since he dis
nelly heard the commando:
Universe attention! Continents
all in! BY nations, right WHEEL"
Also in the night Lee changed his
Ian. Deciding that LOngstreet should
OF press his attack over the broken I
round, ne directed that Ewell should
esume his hammerinS Of Meade's ex- }
rene right while the overwhelming /
low should be delivered by an at 7
ack on the center. comparable with 9
ne charge of the Guard at Waterloo. h
l. H. D.