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CRAWFORD'S ADVANCE-MEADE'S CAUTION.

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main force from being flanked. This charge ing Round Top on our left, at 5 was first directed toward my lines; but,

seeing that they were quite strong, five lines deep, and well strengthened with rails and stones, behind which the men lay, the enemy changed his mind, and concluded to make the attack on the division of the 2d corps, on my right, where there were but two lines. He marched by his right flank, and then marched to his front. In doing this, the wing apparently did not understand the movement, but kept straight on. The consequence was, that there was a wide gap between the wing and the main charging force, which enabled my men on the right, the brigade of Gen. Stannard, to form immediately on the flank of the charging column, while the enemy were subjected to an awful fire of artillery in front. It is our guns. The prisoners state that what ruined them was Stannard's brigade on their flank, as they found it impossible to contend with it in that position; and they drew off, all in a huddle, to get away from it. I sent two regiments to charge them in front at the same time. While this was going on, the enemy were subjected to a terrific artillery-fire at short range; and the result was that they retreated with frightful loss.

said some few of them laid their hands on

"Some five minutes after the charge was broken up and they began to retreat, a large number of batteries and regiments of infantry reported to me, as I sat on horseback, for orders to repulse the attack. I posted them, with the approval of the corps commander, though they were a little too late to

be of essential service.

"I would state that the wing of the enemy which got astray was also met by part of Stannard's brigade, which also formed on its flank, and it also retreated. Thus the day was won, and the country

saved.'

The battle was over; and it was won; but that was all. Our guns were nearly out of cartridges; the reserve ammunition had been drawn upon; a single brigade, standing at ease in the rear, composed the entire reserve of the Army of the Potomac. All beside had been brought forward and put in, on one point or another, to brace up the front for that stern ordeal.

There was very little fighting after this decisive repulse, save that Gen. Crawford, of Sykes's division, hold

P. M. advanced McCandless's brigade, by Meade's order, driving back a battery which confronted him without support, and, pushing forward a mile, took 260 prisoners (Georgians), of Anderson's division, and recovering a 12-pounder, three caissons, 7,000 small arms, and all our wounded who had fallen in Sickles's repulse, after they had lain 24 hours uncared for within the enemy's lines. It was manifest that the Rebel force had mainly been withdrawn from this wing to strengthen the grand assault nearer the center, and did not return; as Crawford held the ground thus gained without objection. He could see no reason why a decided advance on this wing of the 5th and the still comparatively fresh 6th corps might not then have been made without meeting serious opposition.

Gen. Meade has been reproached as timid and over-cautious; but it is plain that his strategy, though not daring, was able and wise. Had he allowed his hot-heads to dash their commands at the outset against the Rebel batteries on Seminary ridge, as they would gladly have done, he would have fought a magnificent battle and probably been magnificently beaten. Between two great armies, equally brave, equally resolute, and equal in numbers and in ef fectiveness of weapons, the choice of position naturally decides the fortune of the day. It is not with these as with armed mobs, where the assailant often triumphs by the mere audacity of his assault-the assailed concluding that those who are charging them will not fly, so they must. Had Lee assailed Burnside on the

heights of Falmouth, he would have been beaten most disastrously. And, though Meade's position at Gettysburg does not compare in strength with Lee's on the Fredericksburg heights, it was probably worth a rëenforcement of 10,000 men.

Nor is Meade justly blamable for not pushing forward at once, on the heels of his beaten foes. Around him lay nearly or quite one-fourth of his army, killed or wounded; he knew that his own ammunition was running low; he did not know that Lee's was even more completely exhausted. If he had ordered a general advance, and been repelled from Seminary ridge by such a fire as had met and crushed the Rebel assailants of Cemetery hill, he would have been reproached as rash and fool-hardy by many who have deemed him deficient in courage or in heartiness because he did not make the Union a Fourth-of-July present of the remnant of Lee's army.

His real and grave error dated several days back of this. He had, on assuming command, been authorized to do as he judged best with French's force on Maryland Heights, and Couch's in central Pennsylvania. Had he, on deciding to fight Lee so soon as circumstances favored, ordered both these to join him at the earliest moment, he would now have been consciously master of the situation, and might have blocked Lee's return to Virginia. But he gave no such order to Couch; and having, at Butterfield's urgent suggestion, with

39 Among our killed, not already mentioned, were Brig.-Gens. S. H. Weed, N. Y., and E. J. Farnsworth, Mich.; Cols. Vincent and Willard (commanding brigades), Cross, 5th N. H., O'Rorke, 140th N. Y., Revere, 20th Mass., and Taylor, Pa. 'Bucktails.' Among our wounded

drawn French's 11,000 men from Maryland Heights, he left 7,000 of them standing idle at Frederick, sending the residue as train-guards to Washington, and actually apologized to Halleck, on meeting him, for having moved them at all! Had Gettysburg been lost for want of these 11,000 men, his would have been a fearful responsibility.

Couch's militia were pronounced worthless by worthless officers, who forget what Washington, Gates, and Jackson, severally did with militia; but, though they had been only held in reserve, or set to guarding trains, their presence would have had a wholesome moral effect. And now, if they had been at hand to set on the track of the beaten, flying Rebels, they might have done more, and could not have done less, than Sedgwick did when sent on that same errand.

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PLEASANTON FOR PURSUIT-MEADE HESITATES.

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having the advantage of position. | infantry force was behind them, ready Doubtless, our loss was mach the to strike heavily and attempt to turn greater on the first day, a little more the Rebel right. than the enemy's on the second, and The battle being over, Pleasanton, far the less on the third. Proba- who was in chief command of the bly, 18,000 killed and wounded, with cavalry, urged Meade to order a 10,000 unwounded prisoners, would general advance; being satisfied by pretty fairly measure the Confederate appearances that not only was the losses during their Pennsylvania cam- Rebel army demoralized and beginpaign. ning to retreat, but nearly out of During the 2d and 3d, the cavalry ammunition. But, as it was not of either army, hovering around its certain that the enemy was going, flanks, ready to make a dash at the Meade chose to be assured on that trains or camps of its adversary if point, by a cavalry reconnoissance to opportunity should serve, had had the Rebel rear. Pleasanton accordseveral slight collisions, but no seri-ingly dispatched some cavalry on this ous contest. On the 3d, an attempt of Hood, by a movement on the Emmitsburg road, to turn our left which Gen. Meade regarded as our weak point was defeated by Merritt's cavalry brigade, then coming up from Emmitsburg with intent to strike the rear and flank of the Rebel right, and by Farnsworth's brigade, which was guarding our own flank in that quarter. Gregg's division watched our right flank, confronted by Stuart. No important advantage was gained on either side; but a considerable infantry force under Hood seems to have been neutralized, during the grand assault, by the sturdy efforts of Merritt and Farnsworth, which were held to indicate that a strong

this day are famous, and should be commemorated in detail. Every Brigadier in the division was killed or wounded. Out of 24 regimental officers, only two escaped unhurt. The Colonels of five Virginia regiments were killed. The 9th Virginia went in 250 strong, and came out with only 38 men; while the equally gallant 19th rivaled the terrible glory of such devoted courage."

Among the Rebel killed were Brig.-Gens. Barksdale, Miss., and Garnett, Va. Among their wounded, Maj.-Gens. Hood, Trimble, Heth, and Pender, the latter mortally; Brig.-Gens. Pettigrew, Kemper, Scales, G. T. Anderson, Hampton, J. M. Jones, Jenkins, Armistead, and Semmes: the two latter mortally.

errand, who rode all night; Gregg, who, moving by our right, had been out 22 miles on the Chambersburg road, returning first, at 8 A. M.," and reporting that road strewn with wounded and stragglers, ambulances and caissons, showing that not only was the enemy in full retreat, but that he was completely demoralized. Gregg had easily taken quite a number of prisoners. Other commanders of cavalry, returning later from similar reconnoissances on other roads, found them likewise covered, and captured many stragglers and wagons. Still, as Meade did not advance in force on their direct line of retreat, and as the movement of the artillery and trains of a great army requires "1 Saturday, July 4.

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42 Gen. D. B. Birney, who succeeded Gen. Sickles in the command of the 3d corps, says:

"I was ordered to send out a reconnoissance at daylight [on the 4th] to ascertain the position of the enemy. I did so early Sunday morning, and reported that the enemy were in full retreat. I also sent back for permission to open upon the enemy with my rifled batteries as they were crossing a point very near me, upon the turnpike going toward Hagerstown; and the staff officer brought me permission to do so. I had commenced the movement to attack, when another staff officer arrived from Gen. Meade with a written order from him to make no attack;

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"On the 4th of July, it seemed evident enough that the enemy were retreating. How far they were gone, we could not see from the front. We could see but a comparatively small force from the position where I was. On Sunday, the 5th and 6th corps moved in pursuit. As we moved, a small rear-guard of the enemy retreated. We followed them, with this small rearguard of the enemy before us, up to Fairfield, in a gorge of the mountains. There we again waited for them to go on. There seemed to be no disposition to push this rear-guard when we got up to Fairfield. A. lieutenant from the enemy came into our lines and gave himself up. He was a Northern Union man, in service in one of the Georgia regiments; and, without being asked, he unhesitatingly told me, when I met him as he was being brought in, that he belonged to the artillery of the rearguard of the enemy, and that they had but two rounds of ammunition with the rearguard. But we waited there without receiving any orders to attack. It was a place where, as I informed Gen. Sedgwick, we could easily attack the enemy with advantage. But no movement was made by us until the enemy went away. Then, one brigade of my division, with some cavalry, was sent to follow on after them, while the remainder of the 6th corps moved to the which was done. My skirmishers advanced and took possession of their hospitals, with a large number of their wounded. I had sent some twenty orderlies with a staff officer, who led the reconnoissance; and I reported these facts con

left. We moved on through Boonsboro', Hagerstown. After passing Boonsboro', it and passed up on the pike road leading to became my turn to lead the 6th corps. That day, just before we started, Gen. Sedgwick ordered me to move on and take up the best position I could over a little stream on the Frederick side of Funkstown. As I moved on, it was suggested to me by him to move carefully. 'Do n't come into contact with the enemy; we do n't want to bring on a general engagement.' It seemed to be the current impression that it was not desired to bring on a general engagement. I moved on until we came near Funkstown. Gen. I had passed over the stream referred to, Buford was along that way with his cavalry. and found a strong position, which I concluded to take and wait for the 6th corps to who was in front, came back to me and come up. In the mean time, Gen. Buford, said, 'I am pretty hardly engaged here; I it is a strong place in front; it is an excelhave used a great deal of my ammunition; lent position.' It was a little farther out than I was-nearer Funkstown. He said, 'I have used a great deal of my ammunition, and I ought to go to the right; suppose you move up there, or send up a brigade, or even a part of one, and hold that position.' Said I, 'I will do so at once, if I can just communicate with Gen. Sedgwick; I am ordered to take up a position over here and hold it, and the intimation conveyed to me was that they did not want to get into a general engagement; I will send for Gen. Sedgwick, and ask permission to hold that position and relieve you.' I accordingly sent a staff officer to Gen. Sedgwick, with a request that I might go up at once and assist Gen. Buford; stating that he had a strong position, but his ammunition was giving out. Gen. Buford remained with me until I should get an answer. The answer was, 'No, we do not want to bring on a general engagement.' 'Well,' said I, 'Buford, what can I do?' He said, 'They expect me to go farther to the right; my ammunition is pretty much out. That position is a strong one, and we ought not to let it go.' I sent down again to Gen. Sedgwick, stating the condition of Gen. Buford, and that he would have to leave unless he could get some assistance; that his position was not far in front, and that it seemed to me that we should hold it, and I should like to send some force up to picket it at least. After a time, I got a reply that, if Gen. Buford left, I might occupy the position. Gen. Buford stantly to Gen. Meade; but this peremptory order from him not to open fire at all prevented any pursuit of the enemy." July 5.

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July 5, 11 A. M. 45 Before Committee on the Conduct of the War.

LEE'S RETREAT TO THE POTOMAC.

was still with me, and I said to him, ' If you
go away from there, I will have to hold it.'
"That's all right,' said he; 'I will go away.'
He did so, and I moved right up. It was a
pretty good position, where you could cover
your troops. Soon after relieving Buford,
we saw some Rebel infantry advancing. I
do not know whether they brought them
from Hagerstown, or from some other place.
They made three dashes, not in heavy force,
upon our line to drive us back. The troops
that happened to be there on our line were
what we considered in the Army of the
Potomac unusually good ones. They quietly
repulsed the Rebels twice; and, the third
time they came up, they sent them flying

into Funkstown.

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been started by Butterfield, chief of staff, on the Boonsboro' road, were halted; while others, farther in advance, moved on. Soon, word came from Sedgwick that it was unwise to push the enemy farther on the route he was following; whereupon, the whole army was impelled down the Middletown road; Sedgwick being ordered to move the most of his command from Fairfield Pass by Emmitsburg to join the main body. Arrived at Middletown, the army was halted a day to rest and refit, and then moved through. South Mountain by Boonsboro' to Hagers

"Yet there was no permission to move on and follow up the enemy. We remained there some time, until we had orders to move on and take a position a mile or more nearer Hagerstown. As we moved up, we saw that the Rebels had some light field-town and the Potomac; where Lee works-hurriedly thrown up, apparentlyto cover themselves while they recrossed the river. I think we remained there three days; and the third night, I think, after we got up into that position, it was said the Rebels rëcrossed the river."

had of course arrived before it, taken
a strong position, and was prepared
to maintain it.
to maintain it. Lee says, in his offi-
cial report:

"The army remained at Gettysburg during the 4th, and at night began to retire by the road to Fairfield, carrying with it about 4,000 prisoners. Nearly 2,000 had previously been paroled; but the enemy's numer

The 4th and 5th were devoted by Gen. Meade to caring for the wounded and burying the dead; part of our cavalry pursuing on the Cash-ous wounded, that had fallen into our hands after the first and second day's engagements, town road, as Sedgwick did on that were left behind. by Fairfield. On the 5th, Meade "Little progress was made that night, was satisfied that Lee had retreated; barrassed our movements. The rear of the owing to a severe storm, which greatly embut he believed that he was falling column did not leave its position near Getback into the Cumberland Valleytysburg until after daylight on the 5th. not making for the shelter of the Potomac. He decided to move the great body of his forces by the left flank through Boonsboro' Pass, and so place himself between the enemy and his resources. But Sedgwick soon reported that the main body of the enemy was in position in and around Fairfield Pass, and that it might be necessary to fight another battle in those mountains. Hereupon, the 5th corps and some other troops were sent to rëenforce Sedgwick, and the 1st and 3d, which had

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"The march was continued during that day without interruption by the enemy, except an unimportant demonstration upon our which was easily checked. Part of our train rear in the afternoon, when near Fairfield, moved by the road through Fairfield, and the rest by the way of Cashtown, guarded by Gen. Imboden. In passing through the mountains, in advance of the column, the great length of the trains exposed them to attack by the enemy's cavalry, which cap

tured a number of wagons and ambulances; but they succeeded in reaching Williamsport without serious loss.

"They were attacked at that place on the 6th by the enemy's cavalry, which was gallantly repulsed by Gen. Imboden. The atand driven off by Gen. Stuart, and pursued tacking force was subsequently encountered for several miles in the direction of Boons46 July 6.

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