BROCKENBORDOG PETTIGREW DEVIN DAVIS •PARCHER GAMBLE tiful plain dotted with farm-houses, crossed by fences, traversed by the roads north to Carlisle, north-east to Harrisburg, north-west, over Oak Ridge, to Mummasburg; behind him is the town; east of it, Cemetery Hill, the marble head-stones standing out clean and white in the morning sun; beyond it, crowned with a forest, is Culp's Hill; southward from the cemetery is Zeigler's grove of oaks and a gentle ridge, changing to a rocky, wooded hill-Little Round Top -with Great Round Top beyond. It is an enchanting landscape. Southward from the seminary extends the ridge upon which it stands, thickly covered with oaks. Westward, almost beneath him, are Buford's hard-pressed lines, with Calef's battery sending shot and shell across Willoughby Run, while on the Chambersburg pike are the advancing columns of Pender's division. At last, after many days of weary marching, the two armies are to meet by chance upon a field which Buford, by the terms of his orders from Reynolds, has seen fit to hold. Couriers ride down the Emmettsburg road with orders from Reynolds to the other two divisions of the First Corps, and to General Howard, commanding the Eleventh, to hasten to Gettysburg. GETTYSBURGT OPENING OF BATTLE AT GETTYSBURG, 8 A. M., JULY 1, 1863. Marsh Run, upon which Buford's pickets began the fight, runs southeast, and crosses the Emmettsburg road five miles south. Wadsworth's division had bivouacked on its banks - Meredith's brigade on the north, Cutler's on the south side of the stream. General Cutler, ever prompt, was ready when the hour for marching arrived. He crossed the bridge and took the lead of the column, the soldiers carrying one day's rations in their haversacks and sixty rounds in their cartridge-boxes. A cavalryman comes clattering down the turnpike with an order to General Wadsworth to march across the fields upon the double-quick. "Pioneers to the front!" is the order, and the men who carry axes run ahead, tear down the rails, and the column turns into the field.() "Load at will! Forward! Double-quick!" and the men go upon the run through the meadows, the pioneers clearing the way, Hall's Second Maine Battery dashing ahead, the horses upon the gallop, ascending the hill, passing the seminary, wheeling into position on the north side of the turnpike in line with Calef's.(') As the brigade goes across the fields they see an old gray-haired man who fought in the Mexican war coming across the meadow from his small one-story house on the Chambersburg road at the western end of the town. He has his gun in hand, and joins the ranks of the One Hundred and Fiftieth Pennsylvania regiment. It is John Burns, who does not wait to be enrolled, but fights valiantly till wounded. In the ranks of Baxter's brigade, advancing from Emmettsburg, is a boy from that town marching with the men of the Twelfth Massachusetts -J. W. Weakly. He has obtained a gun, a soldier's cap, and a blue blouse. His blood is up, and he is determined to fight the Confederates. He is thin and pale, and not very strong. He wants to be mustered in as a soldier, and Colonel Bates, commanding the regiment, has accepted him. Before night he will be lying upon the field, his young blood staining the green grass from a wound in his right arm and another in his thigh. When Baxter's brigade reached Codori's house and turned into the fields they gave a cheer. Some of the men who had been detailed to guard the wagon expressed their dissatisfaction.(*) "What is this row about?" asked General Baxter. "We want to go to our regiment if there is to be any fighting." "Oh, is that it? Very well; if that is the case, you are just the men I want." Across the fields they go upon the run to join their respective commands. JOHN BURNS BROUGHT TO HIS HOUSE AFTER THE BATTLE. While Cutler's and Meredith's men are coming up the eastern slope of the ridge, let us go over to Willoughby Run and take a look at Heth's advance. South of the turnpike Archer's brigade, finding only dismounted cavalrymen in front of them, has passed on, crossed the stream, and is driving Gamble step by step back towards the seminary. North of the turnpike Davis's brigade is sweeping across the fields, compelling Devin to fall back. From Herr's Tavern Pegram's sixteen guns are sending shot and shell upon Calef's and Devin's unprotected men. Pender's division is deploying in the fields by Herr's Tavern. At this moment Archer's men were advancing upon one of the guns of Calef's battery, shooting four of Sergeant Newman's horses, but the gunners took hold of the cannon and dragged it back. General Reynolds leads Cutler's brigade in person into position, stationing the Seventy-sixth New York regiment, Fifty-sixth Pennsylvania, and One Hundred and Forty-seventh New York north of the railroad excavation, while General Wadsworth places the Fourteenth and Ninetyfifth New York south of it, to support the battery. Up through the green field advances Davis's Confederate brigade, following the retreating cavalry. Before Cutler's regiments are in position men begin to fall from the ranks. The atmosphere is thick with the drifting cannon-smoke. General Cutler with his glass looks down towards Willoughby Run.(") "Is that the enemy?" Colonel Hoffman, of the Fifty-sixth Pennsylvania, inquires. "Yes." "Ready! Right oblique! Aim! Fire!" are his orders, and a volley crashes upon the air; a volley from Davis's Confederate brigade is the response. General Meredith's brigade followed Cutler's in the march from Marsh Run.() Cutler's had passed up the ridge and taken position north of the seminary. A staff-officer sent by Reynolds conducted Meredith into position. The Second Wisconsin was in advance upon the run, and passed south of the house of Mr. Shultz, into the woods of McPherson, coming forward by company into line, the men loading their guns while upon the run.(") The cavalry were falling back. The Confederates under Archer had crossed Willoughby Run, picking their way through the thicket and tangled vines along its banks, and forming on the eastern side. In an instant the conflict began at close range, the Second Wisconsin firing a volley before the other Union regiments came into position. The volley was almost simultaneous with that of the Fifty-sixth Pennsylvania. BEGINNING OF INFAN- It was ten o'clock-probably a few minutes past the hour. General Reynolds, having placed Cutler's brigade in position up by the turnpike with Hall's battery, relieving Calef's, came riding down through McPherson's field into the woods. General Doubleday, who had commanded the third division of the First Corps, but who had been appointed by Reynolds to command the corps while he directed the movements of the left wing, came galloping with his staff over the fields from Codori's house to the Fairfield road, stopping there, and sending a staff-officer to Reynolds for instructions. "Tell Doubleday that I will hold the Chambersburg pike, and he must hold the road where he is."(") The air is thick with bullets. Reynolds is a conspicuous figure on his horse. The Confederates are but a few rods distant, and can see that he is giving directions. A soldier singles him out, and fires a bullet which passes through his brain. He falls from his horse dead, speaking no word, uttering no cry. At the beginning of the battle the Union troops lost a commander of such eminence and ability that President Lincoln had thought of appointing him to the command instead of Meade.(") The sad news runs along the lines of the "Iron Brigade," as Meredith's has been called, and the men are determined to avenge his death.(") Archer's Confederate brigade is before them; it had crossed Willoughby Run. "Forward! Charge!" was Meredith's command, and the line went forward, striking Archer's line partly in flank, crumbling it in an instant, capturing a large portion of the First Tennessee, together with General Archer, and sweeping the entire brigade into the field on the other side of the stream. At this moment the battle was waxing hot between Davis's Confeder ate brigade and Cutler's by the railroad. Davis was advancing through the field, sending the Fifty-fifth North Carolina north of the railroad, which attacked the flank of the two regiments which Reynolds had placed north of the excavation. Three Mississippi regiments were between the railroad and the turnpike. General Wadsworth gave an order for Cutler to fall back. The two regiments north of the railroad obeyed, and retired towards the town, but the order did not reach the other regiments of the brigade by McPherson's house. Lieutenant-colonel Miller, commanding the One Hundred and Forty-seventh New York, received it, but before he could issue it fell insensible. Major Harney, who succeeded to the command, knew nothing of it. The Mississippians were coming through the railroad excavation east of Willoughby Run. The One Hundred and Forty-seventh New York, left alone by the railroad, ignorant of any order to fall back, still continued the contest till more than one half were killed or wounded, when the order came again for them to fall back. In the field between the railroad and the turnpike is Hall's battery, in great danger at this moment, for the Mississippians are streaming along the railroad to gain its rear.(") "Take your guns to the rear and open fire upon them," is Hall's command to Lieutenant Ulmer, who starts with two pieces, gains a new position, but before he can fire all the horses of one piece are shot down, |