ter on the same ridge as it curved to the right. The Third came up during Wednesday night, and the Fifth at 10 o'clock Thursday morning. At 11 o'clock at night General Meade arrived upon the field and placed the troops in order of battle. Howard with the 11th, what was left of the 1st and the 2d under the gallant Hancock, constituted the centre. The 12th under Slocum held the right. The 3d under Sickles, and the 5th, after its arrival, were placed on the extreme left. The Union army was so compact, that troops could be readily removed from either wing to the other, or to the centre, as they might be needed. General Meade had his headquarters on the ridge, in the rear of the cemetery, and more than one hundred guns bristled along the crest of these hills fronting the enemy, and were confronted by one hundred and fifty guns of the rebels. An effort was made to induce Meade to assume the offensive and attack on Thursday morning, pouring his whole army on the rebel centre, and smashing through dividing it into two parts; but Meade wisely preferred to await the attack in his strong position. Thus the bright July morning wore away, and no movement of importance was made until near the middle of the afternoon.

Lee had ordered a general attack by Longstreet on the Union left and centre, to be followed by Hill. While preparations were being made in the rebel army for this movement, Sickles sent Berdan's regiment of sharp shooters into the woods in his front, and they advancing a mile, descried the grey-backs moving large masses to turn the Union left. Longstreet was bringing his whole corps, nearly a third of the slave holder's army, to precipitate it upon the Union left. Sickles immediately moved out and occupied another ridge, which he thought a more commanding position than the one in which he had been placed, but which did not connect with the main force. His left rested upon Round Top hill. On came the rebels, and both armies opened with artillery. Then came the wild yell, and the charge of the grey backs is met by a storm of grape and cannister, their line is shattered and sent whirling back; directly another line debouches from the forest, and another and weightier charge is approaching. General Warren, who as chief of staff is watching the fight,

sends for reinforcements. Sedgwick and the fighting Sixth are not yet available. Sickles holds on desperately; aid after aid is dispatched for help; but from the clouds of smoke and flame it is seen that Sickles is being pushed back. He finally yields so far as to occupy his first position, and the 5th corps comes to his support, and the brigades winding down among the rocks to the front brace up his lines, and like a rock turn back the assaulting columns. Longstreet is repulsed, and now Anderson moves upon the Union centre. With massed columns, and the well known yell with which the rebels ever charge they come swarming on. Hancock repels the assault. Sickles, severely wounded is borne from the front, and Birney the abolitionist, assumes command.

The conflict in the centre rages fiercely. Hancock is wounded in the thigh, and Gibbon in the shoulder. The First and Second wavered; the rebels pressed to the muzzle of the batteries, shot down the artillery horses, and the fight was hand to hand, when the banners of the welcome Sixth corps under the brave Sedgwick came up. Although wearied with a march of 32 miles in 17 hours, they hurried forward with shouts to the rescue and the enemy were hurled back, repulsed-destroyed. The right had been weakened to sustain the left and centre; and now Ewell made a dash upon Slocum on the extreme right. For a short time the attack was most ferocious; but a part of the Sixth and some of the First came again at the critical moment, and the enemy, although they had succeeded in taking some positions held by Slocum, were finally driven back, and the day closed with the rebels repulsed from every part of the field. It had been a bloody day. Sickles' and Hancock's corps had been badly shattered; both these commanders wounded,-Sickles with a leg shot off. For miles, every house and barn was filled with the wounded and the dying. Thursday had gone and yet the result was not decided. Friday came, and Northern persistence was to crown with victory the three days struggle.

Early in the morning a file of soldiers marched slowly to the rear, bearing tenderly upon a stretcher the heroic Sickles; yesterday leading his corps with the dash and spirit for which he was ever distinguished; to-day, with his right

leg amputated, grave and stoical, his cap drawn over his face, and a cigar in his mouth. The enemy opened at daylight with artillery. At dawn General Slocum made an attack on Ewell; he commanded it will be remembered Stonewall Jackson's men, and the fight was maintained with equal spirit on both sides, Slocum being aided by Sykes' division of the 3d corps and Humphreys. Ewell's forces were at length driven back, and at 11 o'clock, a. m., there was a lull and quiet on the bloody field.

It has been stated that the key to the Union position was Cemetery Hill. Lee determined to make a desperate ef fort to get possession of this hill. With this purpose he concentrated upon that hill the concentric fire of more than 100 guns, ranged in a half circle. The lull had continued until near 1. p. m. Meade, Howard, and other leaders were watching for the attack, when at 1 o'clock, the thunder of an hundred heavy guns burst upon the position. It was held by the 11th and 12th corps. The storm came suddenly. Soldiers and officers worn with battle and seeking rest were scattered upon the grass. Many were struck as they lay; some died with cigars in their mouths, some at their dinners on the crest of the hill, and some with letters and photographs of friends in their hands, taking a last fond look before the battle which all knew was to be decisive, and fatal to many. Horses were shot down as they stood quietly waiting for the riders to mount. The air in an instant was filled with missiles and splinters; the earth and rocks torn up and shattered, filled the air with clouds of dust; the branches of trees were torn off, and the grave stones and monuments scattered in wild confusion. Within five minutes after the terrific rain of death began, the hill was cleared in all its unsheltered places of every living thing. All but the dead sought shelter. For an hour and a half, this terrible concentrated fire on Cemetery Hill was continued, and was replied to with equal vigor by the batteries on the ridge and range of hills. After the cannonade had continued about three hours, General Howard slackened his fire to allow his guns to cool. It was supposed by the enemy that our batteries were silenced, and that the time for an irresistible charge had come. The divisions of

Virginians under General Picket, led the advance supported by large bodies of other troops. As the leading columns of the advance emerged from the woods and became fully exposed to the Union fire, it wavered. But Picket's brigades did not falter; although they were exposed to the terrific fire of grape, canister and shell from at least forty guns, with a bravery worthy of old Virginia, they still held on their way steady and firm, closing up their ranks as their comrades were cut down. They crossed the Emmettsburg road, and approach the masses of infantry. General Gibbon, now in command of the Second corps, bare headed, walks along his line, shouting, "hold your fire, boys, they are not near enough yet." Still they came on, and with fixed bayonets sweep up to the rifle pits. "Now fire!" thundered Gibbon. A blaze of death all along the line of the Second corps followed; down go the rebels, but the survivors do not yet falter; they charge on the pits, -on they press, up to the muzzles of the artillery; but here they are met with such storms of grape and canister, that the survivors throw down their arms and surrender, rather than run the gauntlet of the retreat. Three thousand prisoners were taken. The result is thus stated by General Meade in a dispatch dated at 8.30. P. M.:

"The enemy opened at one o'clock, P. M. from about one hundred and fifty guns. They concentrated upon my left centre, continuing without intermission for about three hours, at the expiration of which time they assaulted my left centre twice, being upon both occasions handsomely repulsed with severe loss to them, leaving in our hands nearly three thousand prisoners.'

When the repulse was complete, whole companies and regiments threw down their arms and surrendered, to avoid the terrific fire to which they were exposed. The battle was over. The army of the Potomac had again vindicated its bravery and its endurance. As General Meade rode proudly yet sadly over the bloody field, a band passing, struck up "Hail to the Chief."

* Military and Naval History of the Rebellion, page 404. Vide Meade's Report.

The next morning was as sweet, fresh, and balmy as though the storm of death had not been sweeping for three long days over these quiet, pastoral Pennsylvania hills and valleys. Alas! must the historian forever, to the last period of recorded time, recount these terrible scenes of slaughter suffering and death!

Lee was in no condition to renew the attack. His ammunition was short, the spirit of his army broken, and yet Meade made no vigorous pursuit. The rebel loss was 14,000 prisoners, and probably 25,000 in killed, wounded and missing. The Union loss was about 23,000 in all. Few battles in ancient or modern times have been more severely contested; few where greater numbers were engaged, and where there was a greater loss of life; none where more heroic valor was displayed on both sides. Had Sheridan, or Grant, or McPherson, commanded in place of Meade, it is believed Lee's army would never have recrossed the Potomac.

We have seen with how grateful a heart Lincoln returned thanks to Grant and his brave officers and soldiers in the West. He received the intelligence of the victory of the army of the Potomac with emotions not less warm. 4th of July, he issued the following announcement:

On the

"The President of the United States announces to the country, that the news from the army of the Potomac, up to ten o'clock P. M., of the 3d, is such as to cover the army with the highest honor- to promise great success to the cause of the Union-and to claim the condolence of all for the many gallant fallen; and that for this, he especially desires that on this day, He whose will, not ours, should ever be done,' be everywhere remembered and reverenced with the profoundest gratitude."

Mr. Lincoln had been made devotional, reverential, humble, by the great events in which he lived; and his State his letters and addresses indicate more and more papers, even to the day of his death, a consciousness of the Divine Government.

On the evening of the 4th of July, the popular exultation over these successes found expression in a serenade to the Military and Naval History of the War, p 505.