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THE BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG.

fell, and, surrounded by swarms of Union troops on all sides, his command enveloped and broken up, and having lost 5,000 men, Pickett gave the word to retreat. Wilcox's and Perry's brigades which should have supported Pickett's right were not prompt in starting, became separated from it, and, attacking the right of the 1st corps, were driven back, losing many prisoners. In their charge the Confederates had struck the 2d corps under Hancock, who had shown the same reckless courage as Armistead. He was struck by a ball and fell from his horse, but raising himself on his elbow ordered a flank attack, and not until the battle was over did he resign himself to the surgeon. Shortly afterward he sent the following dispatch to Meade:

"I have never seen a more formidable attack and if the 6th and 5th corps have pressed up the enemy will be destroyed. The enemy must be short of ammunition as I was shot with a 10penny nail. I did not leave the field until the victory was entirely secured and the enemy no longer in sight. I am badly wounded, though I trust not seriously. I had to break the line to attack the enemy in flank on my right where the enemy was most persistent after the front attack was repelled. Not a rebel was in sight upright when I left." *

Meanwhile on the Union right Gregg's cavalry division, aided by Custer's brigade, defeated Stuart after a severe fight and thwarted his attempt on Meade's right and rear. On the left Kilpatrick with two cavalry brigades recklessly charged the Confederate infantry in dense woods and

*Official Records, vol. xxvii., pt. i., p. 366.

behind stone fences west of Round Top, in which assault General Farnsworth, commanding one of the brigades, was killed.

Longstreet expected a counter attack and made ready for it. Entirely alone Lee rode up to encourage and rally his broken and defeated troops. His face showed not the slightest sign of disappointment, care or annoyance, even though he had suffered a disastrous defeat. It is clear that Longstreet did not give his commander the hearty coöperation demanded, but on the other hand Lee should not have attempted to attack the strongly intrenched Union troops with only 14,000 men. Undoubtedly one commander has as much of the stigma for the defeat to bear as the other, and General Lee is quoted as saying: "All this has been my fault. It is I that have lost this fight and you must help me out of it in the best way

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* Rhodes, United States, vol. iv., p. 291. Rhodes compares the emotions of Napoleon and Lee after disaster as follows: Lee wrote to Pickett on July 9, "No one grieves more than I do at the loss suffered by your noble division in the recent conflict, or honor it more for its bravery and gallantry." (Official Records, vol. xxvii., pt. iii., p. 987.) Napoleon after his disastrous Russian campaign was not surprised at the loss of 300,000 men and asked: "What are the lives of a million to a man like me?"

THE BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG.

the surrender of Vicksburg to General Grant. On the morning of July 4 Lee withdrew from his advanced position, put his trains in motion for the rear, and, under cover of the night and a heavy rain, began his retreat.* Followed and harassed by the Union cavalry, Lee reached Williamsport on the 7th. At the same time Halleck telegraphed to Meade urging him to push forward and attack Lee before he could cross the Potomac, although later he requested Meade to use his own judgment and said that he thought it best for him to postpone a general battle. On reaching Williamsport Lee found the Potomac badly swollen. "A series of storms

has placed the river beyond fording stage, and the present storm will keep it so for at least a week. I shall therefore have to accept battle if the enemy offers it, whether I wish it or not. I hope your Excellency will understand that I am not in the least discouraged or that my faith in the fortitude of this army is at all shaken." He stated that the condition of the army was good and its confidence unimpaired.|| On July 12, after he had taken up his strong position on the Potomac, he wrote Davis: "But for the power the enemy possesses of accumulating troops I should be willing to await his attack excepting that in

* Official Records, vol. xxvii., pt. i., p. 79. † Ibid, pp. 83-85.

Ibid, pp. 88-89.

|| Ibid, vol. xxvii., pt. ii., p. 299.

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our restricted limits the means of obtaining subsistence are becoming precarious. The river has now fallen to four feet, and a bridge, which is being constructed, I hope will be passable by tomorrow." By July 11 Meade, following a circuitous route through Frederick, had come within striking distance of Lee. He had determined to make an attack on the 13th, but not wishing to tempt a disaster called a council of war. Five out of the seven corps commanders opposed the projected attack and accordingly Meade devoted July 13 to examining Lee's position, strength and defensive works. The next day he advanced to make an attack if the conditions justified it but ascertained that during the night Lee had recrossed the Potomac. Lee's rear guard under General Pettigrew, however, was attacked by Kilpatrick and during the fight Pettigrew was mortally wounded and many prisoners were taken. From first to last the Union forces on the field of Gettysburg numbered about 88,000 effective men, while the Confederates numbered only 73,000. As finally reported the Union loss was 3,072 killed, 14,497 wounded and 5,434 missing, an aggregate of 23,003. The Confederate loss was 2,592 killed, 12,709 wounded and 5,150 missing, an aggregate of 20,451.†

* Ibid, p. 301.

On the battle of Gettysburg see Longstreet, From Manassas to Appomattox; Doubleday, Chancellorsville and Gettysburg and Gettysburg Made Plain (1888); Walker, History of the Second Army Corps; Bates, The Battle of Gettysburg; Swinton, Army of the Potomac, and

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LEE'S RETREAT FROM PENNSYLVANIA.

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After Gettysburg Lee recrossed the Potomac and marched to Winchester and Bunker Hill. When Meade crossed the Potomac south of Harper's Ferry Longstreet's corps moved Decisive Battles; Powell, History of the 5th Army Corps; Battles and Leaders, vol. iii., pp. 244-440; Nicolay and Hay, Life of Lincoln, vol. vii., chap. ix.; Comte de Paris, Battle of Gettysburg; Davis, Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government, vol. ii.; George G. Meade, Did General Meade Desire to Retreat at the Battle of Gettysburg? (1883); John S. Mosby, Mosby's War Reminiscences and Stuart's Cavalry Campaigns (1887), and Stuart's Cavalry in the Gettysburg Campaign (1908); Samuel Toombs, New Jersey Troops in the Gettysburg Campaign (1888); S. C. Pickett, Pickett and His Men (1899); Helen D. Longstreet, Lee and Longstreet at High Tide; Gettysburg in the Light of the Official Records (1904); John W. De Peyster, The Decisive Conflicts of the Civil War; Cecil Battine, The Crisis of the Confederacy. A History of Gettysburg and the Wilderness (1905); R. K. Beecham, Gettysburg the Pivotal Battle of the Civil War (1911); The Battle of Gettysburg, by Niles " (1912); J. W. De Peyster, A. A. Humphreys (1884); A. R. Hancock, Reminiscences of W. S. Hancock (1887); F. E. Goodrich, Life of W. S. Hancock (1886); F. A. Walker, Life of General Hancock (1894); Bache, Life of Meade (1897); I. R. Pennypacker, Life of Meade (1901); B. R. Meade, Life of Meade; H. H. Humphreys, Critical Examination of Pennypacker's Life of Meade (1901); H. B. McClellan, Life and Campaigns of Major-General J. E. B. Stuart (1885); Theodore S. Garnett, J. E. B. Stuart (1908); Daniel Butterfield, Life of Joseph Hooker (1896); Walter H. Taylor, Lee and His Campaigns (1906); John R. Deering, Lee and His Cause (1907); F. T. Hill, On the Trail of Grant and Lee (1911); W. H. Taylor, Four Years with General Lee; Robert Stiles, Four Years under Marse Robert (1904); biographies and memoirs of Lee by J. W. Jones (1876), J. E. Cooke (1887), Fitzhugh Lee (1894), W. P. Trent (1899), P. A. Bruce, H. A. White (1897), Gamaliel Bradford (1902), R. E. Lee, Jr. (1904), and T. N. Page (1908); Confederate Military History, vol. iii., pp. 395-422; vol. iv., pp. 171-194; vol. v., pp. 257-276; vol. vi., pp. 223-235; vol. viii., pp. 199-202; vol. x., pt. i., pp. 254-264; vol. xi., pt. i., pp. 215-220, and pt. ii., pp. 150–156.

up the valley, crossed the Blue Ridge at Chester Gap and advanced to Culpeper Court House where he arrived on the 24th. A. P. Hill's corps followed by the same route and Ewell's, after pursuing Kelley's Union troops west to Martinsburg, found Chester Gap and Manassas Gap held by Meade. After crossing the Potomac at Harper's Ferry and Berlin on the 17th and 18th, General Meade moved up the Loudoun Valley along the eastern side of the Blue Ridge, and on the 21st Merritt's brigade of Buford's cavalry division, pushing well up into Manassas Gap, skirmished with the 17th Virginia infantry and took 20 prisoners from whom it was ascertained that Lee was moving up the valley with the evident intention of passing to the east of the Blue Ridge. Accordingly Meade sent the 2d, 3d and 5th corps to Manassas Gap, directing General French in command of the 3d corps then guarding Ashby's Gap to hasten to Buford's support. Before dark of the 22d French reached Piedmont, and Birney's division was pushed forward to Buford's aid, followed by the remainder of the corps, at daylight of the 23d entering the gap and relieving Merritt's cavalry, which then moved up to Chester Gap. Meanwhile, at dawn of the 23d, Hood's division of Longstreet's corps had marched from Front Royal and, taking the place of the 17th Virginia, was deployed in the Gap where it was relieved during the morning by Wright's brigade of about 600 men

THE ENGAGEMENT AT MANASSAS GAP.

of R. H. Anderson's division under orders to hold the Gap until Ewell came up from Winchester. Wright's brigade was deployed on the west end of the Gap, and Rodes' division with two batteries of artillery advancing to its support drew up about 600 yards in rear and sent 250 sharpshooters to take position on its left. These dispositions were completed about 2 P. M. Meanwhile Birney's division had advanced steadily from Wapping Heights beyond which was Wright's line. About 4 P. M. Spinola's Excelsior brigade and two regiments of Ward's charged past Wapping Heights, attacked Wright's men and

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drove them back upon Rodes, who stood firm. About dark the artillery checked the Union advance. Rodes lost 15 killed and wounded, while Wright lost 19 killed, 83 wounded and 66 missing and French lost 21 killed and 84 wounded. During the night Ewell fell back to Front Royal and the next morning was followed by the Union army, but as all of Lee's troops had passed he marched swiftly through Chester and Thornston Gaps and took position on the south side of the Rappahannock. Thus the lower valley was reoccupied by Union troops and remained in their possession at the opening of the campaign of 1864.

CHAPTER XXIX.

1863.

DEMOCRATIC OPPOSITION AND THE ELECTIONS OF 1863.

Depression and disaffection in the North-Vallandigham's speech Complaints at the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus · Congress authorizes the President to suspend the writ- The arrest, trial and banishment of Vallandigham - Lincoln's justification - The Democratic denunciation of Lincoln-Vallandigham's defeat for the Ohio governorship - Burnside's suppression of the New York World and the Chicago Times— The various attempts at peace-making- The elections of 1863 - The suspension of the writ of habeas corpus.

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348

VALLANDIGHAM'S SPEECH.

Sumner said that he did not despair, "but I fear that our army is everywhere in a bad way. I see no central inspiration or command; no concentration, no combination which promises a Jena."* To make matters worse there were strange and sadly ominous signs of disaffection at the North. Governor Morton, of Indiana, telegraphed Stanton on January 3, 1863: "I am advised that it is contemplated when the legislature meets in this State to pass a joint resolution acknowledging the Southern Confederacy, and urging the States of the Northwest to dissolve all constitutional relations with the New England States. The same thing is on foot in Illinois. 't Even in Congress there was much intemperate denunciation of the Government. On January 14, 1863, Clement L. Vallandigham made a fiery speech boasting of his opposition to abolitionism or the political development of the anti-slavery sentiment of the North and West. Among other things he said:

"On the 14th of April I believed that coercion would bring on war, and war disunion. More than that, I believed, what you all in your hearts believe to-day, that the South could never be conquered And not that only, but I was satisfied that the secret but real purpose of the war was to abolish slavery in the States, * and with it *

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upon my garments. * Our Southern brethren were to be whipped back into love and fellowship at the point of the bayonet. Oh, monstrous delusion! Sir, history will record that, after nearly six thousand years of folly and wickedness in every form and administration of government, theocratic, democratic, monarchic, oligarchic, despotic and mixed, it was reserved to American statesmanship, in the nineteenth century of the Christian era, to try the grand experiment, on a scale the most costly and gigantic in its proportions of creating love by force and developing fraternal affection by war; and history will record, too, on the same page the odious, disastrous, and most bloody failure of the experiment. * You have not conquered the South. You never will. The war for the Union is, in your hands, a most bloody and costly failure. The President confessed it on the 22d of September. War for the Union was abandoned; war for the negro openly begun, and with stronger battalions than before. With what success? Let the dead at Fredericksburg and Vicksburg answer. And now, Sir, can this war continue? Whence the money to carry it on? Where the men? Can you borrow? From whom? Can you tax more? Will the people bear it? * Will men enlist now at any price? Ah Sir, it is easier to die at home. I beg pardon; but I trust I am not discouraging enlistments.' If I am, then first arrest Lincoln, Stanton and Halleck, and some of your other generals; and I will retract; yes I will recant. But can you draft again? Ask New England, New York. Ask Massachusetts. * not Ohio- the Northwest. She throught you were in earnest, and gave you all, all- more than you demanded. Sir, in blood she has atoned for her credulity and now there is mourning in every house and distress and sadness in every heart. Shall she give you any more? But ought this war to continue? I answer, no- not a day, not an hour. What then? Shall we separate? Again, I answer, no, no, no! What then? Stop fighting. Make an armistice. If to-day we secure peace and begin the work of disunion we shall yet escape; if not, I see nothing before us but universal, political and social revolution, anarchy and bloodshed, compared with which the reign of terror in France was a merciful visitation.".

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* Congressional Globe, Appendix, pp. 53, 54, 55, 59, 60.

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