Evening star., 1938-07-02
GEN. LONCSTREET
SECOND DAY HERO
Swept FederaIS Before Him
in Fierce Three.Hour
Battle.
BY MRS. HELEN DORTCH
LONGSTREET,

AOG\0o AGE1 L,
Widow Of the Confederate General.
HEADQU UARTE r 8 ARMY OF
NORTHERN VIRGINIA, GEITYS
BURG, BATTLEFIELD, July 9TH,
Army Of Northern Virginia was astil
by $3.50 o'clock this day, Is years ago
getting ready for the bloody secone
days battle on the sun-baked hills o.
Pennsylvania.
Iongstreet and his staff breakfastet
before daylight.
Gen. Lee. who had been reconnoit.
ering the field since daylight, had de.
cided to make the main attack from
the right, with Hoods and McLaw'.
divisions OF Longstreet's corps. sup.
ported by four brigades of Anderson.
division, OF Hills corps.
BY o'clock Longstreet was riding
over the Confederate lines on Semi.
nary Ridge, disposing McLaw's division
for battle.
In their more elevated position or
Cemetery Hill, the Federals were
strongly fortified, while the Confed-
crates had no entertainments. al
though both armies were concealed by
woods.
Federals Apprehensive.
Under the ominous silence that
spread over the waiting lines. appre-
hension among the Federals increased
fear that Lee, content with the VIC
tory Of the 1st, would not assault the
strong position Of the Union forces
but would make some flank movement
which would force the Federals to
abandon their fortifications
Meade had received imperative
orders from Washington to keep his
army between the Potomac and the
Capital. If Lee passed around to the
left of the Federal Army, as Long
street urged, Meades position would
be untenable
Hoods and McLaw's divisions moved
to the attack. Longstreet rode with
McLaw's.
At 3 O'Clock, the heavy cannonading
commenced on Longstreet's right, was
followed by Ewells cannons on the
left. This was answered by thunder
Gus volleys from the enemy, whose
cannon, mingling with the roar Of
Confederate guns, swept every inch of
the wheat field and peach orchard
grounds occupied by Gen. Sickles
which Lee had ordered Longstreet to
capture
Watching from Seminary Ridge, the
commander-in-chie of the moving
lines OF gray, saw their length swept
by Federal batteries joined by infantry
fire. and as the Union guns decimated
the Gray columns. he saw them close
up and move ever onward.
Sickles' Line Forced Back.
Fighting stubbornly over every incn
OF the ground, Sickles' line was forced
back by the deadly Confederate fire,
to the position originally occupied on
Little Round Top.
In the hottest of the battle, to The
sound of Rebel yells Longstreet. hat
In hand. led a Georgia regiment in
capturing battery.
The Confederates moved on the
guns on the hill adjoining Devils Den,
where the fighting was heavy.
In lines broken by rocks and boul-
ders, they ascended the heights on
the spur OF Devils Den, from which
the enemy fire poured increasingly into
their thinning ranks.
Determined resistance Of fresh
Union troops rushed from every part
Of the Federal line, fought in vain to
halt the Gray columns.
Rocks and boulders, the dead and
dying. the batteries of mighty army,
were powerless to stop the Gray wave
sweeping up the rugged slopes. Soon
the red flags of the Confederacy rip
Piled from the hill near Devils Den,
above three pieces Of captured artil-
lery.
Sickles Has Leg Torn OF.