The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1963-07-09
Lett rs Alb out The
Bait e OF { Gettysburg

Hill and thus determined the
place at which the great and fl
nal battle was to occur.
The arrival Of Hancock at four
o'clock in the afternoon restored
order in the Union ranks and
inspired confidence in the troops.
Tow ard midnight General
Meade appeared on the scene
and proceeded to post his whole
army on hill south of the
town. locally known as Gene
terry Ridge. extending two miles
north and south, and curving at
the end like a fishoOk. The
ridge was crowned with two ell
evations. known as Round Top
and Little Round Top, both at
the southern end, and another
called Cups Hill at the barb
within half mile of the town
All through the night the Union
troops. were busy getting in posi-
ton. and when day came the
army was posted on the ridge
from Round Top clear along
Culp's Hill. The Confederate
army rested with its center on
Seminary Ridge west of the
town and its right and left wings
extending around to the north
and south, forming a great semi
circle half surrounding the I'm
ion army and constituting a pos
ition in every way less advant-
ageous than that of the enemy.
Lee Confident
Nevertheless. Generals Lee
was confident Of victory, not
having learned of the arrival of
Meade's renforcements during
the night. Lee had 10000 men,
Meade about 10000.
Until two o'clock in the after
noon Of July 2 the two armies
faced each other. each seeming
loath to begin the awful work of
slaughter which they we'll knew
was to follow. Then the Con-
federates advanced. Longstreet
leading their right wing up the
ascent in the endeavor to dis
lodge Sikeles. who held Round
Top At this end of the line oc-
Cured the chief fighting of the
day. Here for two long hours the
battle ragged with awful fury.
Three hundred pieces of artil-
lery belched forth destruction in
every direction. while the flashes
OF fire and the dense pail of
smoke made a lu'id scene. Long
street, with hat in hand, led the
Confederate charge as though he
were counting death itself. Slow
~ SickleS was pressed back. his
leg Shot off by a cannon ball,
and it began to look as it the
Confedcrates would gain posses
sion OF Round Top. when at
this juncture the Federal cause
was saved by the arrival of re-
endorsements.
Culp's Hill Captured
While this was going on at the
south end of the Ridge. the Con
federates had attacked the cen
ter OF the Union position, but
had been repulsed. Finally. at
the other end, they carried
CUPS Hill and at the close of
the day were in complete pos
session of it. The net results Of
this day Of carnage were slight
ly favorable to the Confederates.
They had been prevented from
taking Round Top by the arrival
OF reenforcements, but had dri-
ven back the Union right from
CUPS Hill. The losses of both
sides were heavy, being about
10000 men from each army.
The Great Battle
The third day, however was
to witness the most heroic and
terrible contest that had yet oc-
cured. Soon after dawn the Fed
eral artillery began to play up
on Cups Hill. which the Con-
federates had taken the prev
lous day. After a bombardment
OF several hours the Union forces
succeeded in recapturing the
Hill, and thus regained the posi-
ton which they occupied on the
first day of the battle.
This was followed about noon
by deep calm which preced-
ed one of the mightiest contests
recorded in the ANIMALS Of war
fare. General Lee had massed
his artillery along the crest of
Seminary Ridge with the deter
mlnation of making a grand as
sault on the Union center. At
half past twelve O'Clock the
death-like silence was borken by
the shrill sound of a WhitWorth
gun, which was the signal for
the opening of the contest. It
was followed Immediately by the
roar of more than two hundred
cannon. For an hour and a half
this terrific fire was kept up, but
1t did little harm to the Union
soldiers, who lay well protected
behind walls and earthWorks.
the presence of the magnetic
Hancock, who dashed up and
down the lines, inspired the sold
lers and kept up their courage
The cannonading was followed
by a pause, and Lee, determin-
ing upon one great final effort,