Evening star., 1928-05-27
burg and Lincoln to Furnish Theme for Memorial Day

cost. and the ever-increasing numbers
Of the Federals dulled the edge OF their
gains.
Returning to the general line Of the
battle front, one finds along the shank
of the hook, running north to south,
what is known as Cemetery Ridge, oc-
cupied from the first by the Federals.
who planted their guns along its crest
and down its slope until 1t was ter
raced with defenses. This stone-ridged
crest was to be the scene Of the last
supreme effort of the men in gray.
In the eye of the f1sn hook lay, ~
the southern terminus of the ridge, the
rock-Strewn hill called Round Top, a
little to the north of it a second rise
known as Little Round Top, and lit
tie to the west the third member of this
trinity of hills, the well named Devils
Den, a mass of ragged rock whose deep
crevaSSes concealed those sturdy sharp
shooters who picked OF the Federal
officers with unerring aim. These
rock formations we're natural breast
works, which both sides employed con-
tinuously.
At the western base of Devils Den,
running out in broadening line, was
a huge wheat field, its ripening grain
ripping under the sun-waShed breeze
A valley about mile wide lay with
gentle slopes between the two armies,
Lee having seized the long ridge known
as Seminary Ridge $50 called from the
theological school stationed there),
which ran almost parallel with Gene
terry Ridge Lees lines at the north
swung around Culps Hill, giving the
Confederates semi-circular line Of de-
fenSe.
r. A.. G..A I..,,z .G~,..~Ia g.. ..tao~~
along those two well defined positions,
a grim piece of humor was part of
history. A bit of woodland, known as
McPherson's woods, was seized by the
| Iron Brigade in the First Corps under
| Doubleday. to be used as cover from
which to enfllade the enemy. AS they
| took the wood they captured many Con-
tederates among whom was the famous
brigadier, Archer. who at West Point
had been a classmate of Doubleday's.
At sight of his old school friend, Dou-
bleday shook hands cordially, saying,
well, Archer, I am glad to see you'll"
Archer replied. well. I'm not so glad
to see you-rot by damned sight"
| X X 4 X
July 2 dawned clear and beautiful,
but the heat mounted steadily with
the hours. until by o'clock the sun
fell In scorching wrath upon the strug-
Cling men, for whom was heat and
dust and thirst and the confusion of
bursting shells. The chief work of the
day centered in the eye of the hook
the Round Tops and Devils Den.
While this conflict ragged the hidden
sharpShooterS in the deep crevaSSeS Of
rock-walled Devils Den took fearful
toll of men and officers. On these rock
strewn slopes men had no time to re-
load their guns, so they fought with
bayonets and clubbed musketS; the
ground was marked with the fearful
cost of that days awful fighting, the
blue and the gray lying side by side,
the wounded and the slain.
How young they were, these boys who
struggled through the waves Of the
ripened wheat who fought through tan
gled forests from the shelter of one tree
to the next, stumbling over jagged rocks
and broken trunks of trees, mounting
up from one rock barricade to another
to the SUBMITS of these hills; tired, but
obedient, valiantly serving the flags that
led them onl Truly, "theirS not to rea-
son why. theirs but to do or die" for
10000 men were lost at the close Of that
days battle.
Lee had penetrated the Union lines
on Culps Hill, but at the close Of that
day Meade's other lines remained un-
broken. In midnight council with his
generals, Meade decided not to with
draw his forces, but to fight 1t out
where they were. What subtle esti-
mate lies in this of the naeager results
of all their giant effortsl
That night, as the night before. 4
brilliant, full moon flooded that wide
battle area, turning its valleys AMI
I fields and orchards to pools of white
light, wan as the white st1ll faces that
looked SO fixedly up at the stars that
burned like myriad home lights in some
i new far land. Cool and fragrant with
the odor of ripening fruit was that
night breeze, after the heat of the day.
to the lads who lay wounded on hill
and vale. The sleepless birds called
through the still night, and men went
silently seeking those who war had
manned and bruised. The council Of
war could plan for yet greater sacri-
fees, but while they planned, the kindly
hearts of weary men could search out
and succor the broken men unmindful
Of the uniform they wore.
With the morning, the gtrth OF war
had been drawn tighter on each side.
and the two lines bristled with newly
nassed batteries. center opposed to
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