68

BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG.

Brooke severely so. Firmly the Nationals held the line for some time against odds, assisted by the regulars, under General Ayres, on the left; but Caldwell was finally compelled to fall back, with a loss of nearly one-half his division. Ayres's was enveloped by the foe, but cut his way out gallantly. Then there was a renewed struggle for Little Round Top, when, at about six o'clock, six regiments of the division of Pennsylvania Reserves, of the Fifth Corps, led by the gallant General Crawford,' their commander, swept down the northwestern side of Little Round Top with a tremendous

shout, and drove the Confederates across the rocky intervale at its base and through the woods to the Emmettsburg road, taking three hundred of them prisoners. In this charge the Confederate General Barksdale was killed. Little Round Top was encircled by breast works that evening, and twelve 30-pound Parrott guns were placed in battery on its summit, before morning.

When the line of Humphreys and Graham swung round, the former, as we have observed, kept his right firmly on the Emmettsburg road. So soon as Sickles's left was disposed of, the victors hastened to strike this remainder, when Hancock sent to its support

two regiments from Gibbons's division (Fifteenth Massachusetts and Eighty-second New York), and advanced Willard's brigade of Hays's division to fill a wide gap. At that moment Hill ceased threatening, and advancing in heavy force from Seminary Ridge, fell upon Humphreys and quickly pushed him back, with a loss of half his men and three guns. In this onset Willard was killed, and Sickles had a leg so shattered that he lost it. Birney then took command of the corps.

DANIEL E. SICKLES.

The Confederates, elated by their successes, dashed like turbulent waves up to the base of the ridge occupied

1 See page 447, volume II.

This is a view of the crest of Little Round Top, at the place of the battery, where General Weed and Lieutenant Hazlett were killed. In the distance is seen Zeigler's Grove, on Cemetery Hill, where Hancock's battery was placed; and near by, the village of Gettysburg and the plain over which the Confederates swept to their attacks.

ATTACK ON CEMETERY HILL.

69

by the Nationals, fighting most desperately, and throwing themselves recklessly upon supposed weak points of their antagonist's line. In this encoun ter Meade led troops in person, and everywhere inspirited his men by his presence. Finally, just at sunset, a general charge was made, under the direction of Hancock, chiefly by fresh troops under General Doubleday, who had hastened to his assistance from the rear of Cemetery Hill. These, with Humphreys's shattered regiments, drove the Confederates back, and a portion of Doubleday's division, pressing up nearly to the opposing lines, recaptured four guns which had been lost. At twilight, the battle on the left and left center ended, when a new line was formed by the divisions of Robinson and Doubleday, and troops from the Twelfth Corps brought up by General Williams who was in temporary command of it, Slocum having charge of the entire right wing.

When the sounds of battle were dying away on the National left, they were suddenly renewed on the right. Lee, as we have observed, had directed Ewell to attack Slocum, simultaneously with Longstreet's assault on Sickles. But it was sunset before he began. Then he opened a heavy artillery fire upon Howard's batteries in the field in front of the Cemetery, and under its cover moved the corps of Early and Johnson to an attack. The efforts of the former were directed against Howard's right, and a body of troops, known as the Louisiana Tigers, were ordered to storm the batteries on Cemetery Hill, and attempt to break the National center. Never was an assault more gallantly made. They charged up the slope in the face of a heavy storm of canister and shrapnell shot, to the muzzles of the guns, pushing completely through one battery (Weidrich's) into another (Ricketts's), and demanding the surrender of both. The gunners fought desperately with every missile at hand, and beat them back, until Carroll's brigade, sent by Hancock to Howard's assistance, helped to repulse the Confederates and secure the integrity of the National line.

In the mean time Ewell's left division, under Johnson, had pushed up the little vale leading from Rocky Creek to Spangler's Spring, in the rear of Culp's Hill, to strike the weakened right of the Nationals, which the divisions of Williams and Geary had occupied. A greater portion of these troops had been engaged in beating back the Confederates on the left, and only the brigade of General Greene remained, with Wadsworth's division within supporting distance on the left. Johnson moved under cover of the woods and the deepening twilight, and expected an easy conquest, by which a way would be opened for the remainder of Ewell's corps to the National rear; but he found a formidable antagonist in Greene's brigade. The assault was made with great vigor, but for more than two hours, Greene, assisted by a part of Wadsworth's command, fought the assailants, strewing the wooded slope in front of the works with the Confederate dead and wounded, and holding his position firmly. Finally his antagonist penetrated the works near Spangler's Spring, from which the troops had been temporarily withdrawn, but, having been taught prudence by the events of the day, they did not attempt to go farther. So ended, at near ten o'clock at night, the second day of the battle, when nearly forty thousand men of the two armies, who were "effective" thirty-six hours before, were dead or wounded. The advantage seemed to be with the Con

a

July 2,

1863.

70

BATTLE ON CULP'S HILL.

federates, for they held the ground in advance of Gettysburg occupied by the Nationals the previous day, and also that on which Sickles offered battle. "These partial successes," said Lee, in his report, "determined me to continue the assault next day."

When all was quiet, after the battle, General Meade and commanders held a consultation, when it was agreed to remain and accept battle again in the morning. The National line, with the exception of the small portion on the extreme right occupied by Johnson's men, was intact, and held its

original and strong position on the rocky crests, from Wolf's Hill to Round Top. Slocum's corps was again concentrated on Culp's Hill, with a strong breast work of logs and earth in front of it; and Shaler's brigade, of Sedgwick's corps, and Lockwood's Marylanders, were placed near it. Pickett, with three brigades (mostly Virginians), who came from Chambersburg, joined Longstreet early in the morning, when the batteries of the latter were advanced to the line of the Emmettsburg road, from which he had driven Sickles. Lee's general plan of attack was unchanged, excepting the employment of a portion of Hill's corps in support of Longstreet. He confidently expected Ewell would follow up his victory in the morning, when the National line might be assailed in front, flank, and rear.

Provision was made by Meade during the night to drive out the intruders on the National right, who had been strengthened for an early advance. A heavy artillery force was placed in that direction, and firing was commenced at four o'clock in the morning, under cover of which the divisions of Williams and Geary, and Shaler's brigade, moved to the attack. For four hours a desperate struggle went on, when, by a charge of Geary's division, the Confederates were driven, and the right flank was made secure. Meade, too quick for Lee, had foiled his efforts on the National right to obtain a victory. Ewell was repulsed and firmly held in check, and the Round Top was impregnable; so Lee determined to assail Meade's center with a force that should crush all opposition. The whole forenoon was spent in preparations for the move

1 On Culp's Hill, as on Round Top, piles of rocks, in several places, made natural defenses for the assailed Unionists. The above picture, made from a sketch drawn by the author a few days after the battle, shows the then appearance of the line of breast works, of which some of the rocks were a part. This scene was at the point where the One Hundred and Fiftieth (Dutchess County) New York fought.

TREMENDOUS ARTILLERY DUEL.

71

ment. Lee's superior artillery force was placed in advantageous positions, and at noon he had one hundred and forty-five cannon in battery along the line occupied by Longstreet and Hill. Meade, too, had been preparing for the expected shock of battle. General Hunt, his chief of artillery, had worked all night in arranging the great guns from Cemetery Hill to Little Round Top, where it was evident the blow was to be given, and he judiciously posted artillery in reserve under Colonel R. O. Tyler.'

At midday there was an ominous silence, during which General Lee entered Pennsylvania College building, which he was using for a hospital, ascended to the cupola, and, in violation of the acknowledged principles of honor in military life, stood under the sacred yellow flag which all civilized warriors respect as a protection to the sick and wounded, and where he was sure of safety from personal harm, and with his field-glass leisurely reconnoitered Meade's position. His observations there determined him to aim his chief blow at Hancock's position on Cemetery Hill, and, giving the signal at one o'clock, one hundred and fifteen of his cannon opened a rapid cross fire upon the devoted point. Just behind it was Meade's head-quarters, where shot and shell made many a pit and furrow in the grounds around it, and endangered the life of every living thing connected with it. A hundred National guns replied, and for the space of two hours the thunders of more than two hundred cannon shook Gettysburg and the surrounding country with their fearful detonations.

Then, like a stream of fiery lava, the Confederate infantry, in a line full three miles in length, preceded by a host of skirmishers, flowed swiftly over the undulating plain, threatening to consume every obstacle in its track. Behind this assaulting column was a heavy reserve. Pickett, with his Virginians, led the van in a charge upon Cemetery Hill, supported on his right by Wilcox's brigade, and on his left by a brigade of North Carolinians, of Heth's division, commanded by General Pettigrew; in

GEORGE PICKETT.

all about fifteen thousand strong. The batteries had now ceased firingMeade's first, because his available ammunition was failing, and there was a momentary lull in the tempest.

1 The batteries of Bancroft, Dilger, Eakin, Wheeler, Hill, and Taft, under Major Osborne, were placed in the cemetery, where the kind and thoughtful General Howard had caused the tombstones, and such monuments as could possibly be moved, to be laid flat on the ground, to prevent their being injured by shot and shell. On the left of the cemetery, near Zeigler's Grove, were Hancock's batteries, under Woodruff, Brown, Cushing, Arnold, and Rorty, commanded by Captain Hazzard. Next to these, on the left, was Thomas's battery, with those of Thompson, Phillips, Hart, Rauth, Dow, Ames, and Sterling, under McGilvray, in reserve. On the extreme left were the batteries of Gibbs and Hazlett, the latter now commanded by Lieutenant Rittenhouse. 2 Testimony of officers of the College.

3 Samuel Wilkeson, then a correspondent of a New York journal, made the following record of the scene at head-quarters, of which he was an eye-witness: "Every size and form of shell known to British and to American gunnery, shrieked, whirled, moaned, and whistled, and wrathfully fluttered over our ground. As

72

CEMETERY HILL SCALED.

The silence was soon broken by the awful roll of musketry. So compactly did the assailing force move, that its front did not cover more than two of Hancock's brigades, which were so reduced that they did not number, in the aggregate, more than six thousand men. Shot and shell from Hancock's batteries made fearful lanes through the ranks, yet they moved steadily on, and pressed up to within musket-range of the National line of infantry, where Gibbons was in command, Hancock being wounded. Half concealed, the infantry of the Second Corps kept silence. Suddenly Stannard's Vermonters, of Doubleday's command, posted in a little grove, opened terriblevolleys on Pickett's flank, doubling it a trifle. Yet he pressed onward, when the divisions of Hayes and Gibbons opened an appalling and continuous fire upon him. This was too much. Pettigrew's North Carolinians wavered a moment, fought well for awhile, and then gave way, when two thousand of them were made prisoners, and, with fifteen battle-flags, became trophies of victory for Hayes and his divisions. Still Pickett moved on with his Virginians, and, with the greatest courage and fortitude, his men, following Generals Armistead and Kemper, scaled Cemetery Hill, burst through Hancock's line, and planted the Confederate flag on a stone wall. In this onset they drove back a portion of General Webb's brigade. These were soon rallied, and, with other troops, so effectively filled the breach that Pickett could go no further. At the same time Stannard's Vermont brigade, of Doubleday's division, opened a destructive fire on Pickett's flank, which broke the spirit of his men, and very soon twenty-five hundred of hem were prisoners, and with them twelve battle-flags were captured.' Three-fourths of the gallant brigade were dead or captives. Wilcox, who failed to attack until Pickett was repulsed, met a similar fate in the loss of men, being also struck in the flank and ruined by Stannard's Vermonters.

2

many as six in a second, constantly two in a second, bursting and screaming over and around head-quarters, made a very hell of fire that amazed the oldest officers. They burst in the yard (see picture on page 63)—burst next to the fence, on both sides garnished, as usual, with hitched horses of aids and orderlies. The fastened animals reared and plunged with terror. Then one fell, and then another-sixteen lay dead and mangled before the firing ceased, still fastened by their halters. These brute victims of a cruel war touched all hearts. A shell tore up the little step at the head-quarters cottage, and ripped bags of oats as with a knife. Another carried off one of its two pillars. Soon a spherical case burst opposite the open door-another ripped through the low garret. . . . . Shells through the two lower rooms. A shell in the chimney that fortunately did not explode, Shells in the yard; the air thicker and fuller, and more deafening with the howling and whirring of these infernal missiles."

It seems proper here to say that the correspondents of the public press, and the artists of the illustrated papers, justly rank among the heroes of the war. They braved every hardship and peril of the war-often under fire, and in the most dangerous positions during battles, in the business of their vocation as observers and recorders of events. And it is interesting to observe how accurate, as a general rule, were the descriptions of many of these Froissarts of the Civil War, even in the statistics of battles. They were generally able and conscientious men, and to them the future historian and romancer must look for the most vivid and picturesque features of that great drama of the nineteenth century.

1 These were mostly raw troops, and generally behaved well. They had been deceived, it is said, with the assurance that they would meet only Pennsylvania militia, but when the terrible fire was opened upon them, the fearful cry spread through their ranks, "The Army of the Potomac!"-See Dr. Jacobs's Rebel Invasion of Maryland and Pennsylvania, page 43, and Swinton's Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, page 359. Pettigrew's brigade was terribly shattered when it gave way. Its commander was badly wounded, and all but one of its field officers were dead or maimed. It fell back under the command of a major. It was about 3,000 strong when it went into the battle, but only 800 answered to their names at roll-call the next morning. 2 Sixty-ninth, Seventy-first, and Seventy-second Pennsylvania.

3 The brigades of Hall and Harrow; the One Hundred and Fifty-first Pennsylvania, and Twentieth New York, under Colonel Gates; the Nineteenth Massachusetts, Colonel Devereux, and Wallon's Forty-second New York. General Garnett was killed, General Armistead was mortally wounded, and General Kemper was badly

hurt.