Gettysburg

  I climbed up a good-sized oak tree so as to have a good view of the ridge west and northwest of us, where the two brigades of cavalry were then being placed. We could then hear distinctly the skirmish fire in the vicinity of Marsh Creek, about three miles from our position and could tell that it was approaching nearer and nearer as our skirmishers fell back slowly toward the town contesting every inch of ground. We could see clearly on the ridge ... the formation of the line of battle of Buford’s Cavalry, which had dismounted, some of the men taking charge of the horses and the others forming a line of battle, acting as infantry.

  Nearer and nearer came the skirmish line as it fell back before the advancing Confederates, until at last the line on the ridge beyond became engaged. Soon the artillery opened fire and shot and shell began to fly over our heads, one of them passing dangerously near the top of the tree I was on. There was a general stampede toward town and I quickly slipped down from my perch and joined the retreat to the rear of our gallant men and boys ... a cannon ball struck the earth about fifteen or twenty feet from me, scattering the ground somewhat about me and quickening my pace considerably.

  McPherson’s Ridge—July 1, 1863. Thirty-seven-year-old Union cavalry General John Buford sits astride his horse beside the McPherson barn and directs Calef’s battery into position. The Union troops held their line against the advancing Confederates until re-enforcements arrived, holding their position in the climatic battle known as McPherson’s Ridge. Illustrated by Don Troiani.

  For God Sake Forward—-July 1, 1863. The fearless men of the 2nd Wisconsin (Iron Brigade), lead by General John F Reynolds, rush into the grove of trees on McPhersons Ridge to stem the advancing Confederates during the opening encounters at Gettysburg. Illustrated by Don Troiani.

  THE ARRIVAL OF MAJOR GENERAL JOHN REYNOLDS AND THE FIRST CORPS

  That morning, riding ahead of his First Corps only a few miles from Gettysburg, Major General Reynolds and his staff received a message from Buford that his cavalry were heavily engaged by enemy infantry. Upon receiving this news, Reynolds instantly sent word to General Wadsworth of the First Corps to “close up and come on” as other riders raced to inform General Howard of the Eleventh Corps and General Sickles of the Third to advance with all haste to Gettysburg.

  Galloping ahead, Reynolds met Buford coming down from his observation post in the cupola of the Gettysburg Seminary College. Together they rode onto McPherson’s Ridge just after 10:00 am, where the line of troopers desperately held on against nearly 3,000 Confederates. Amid the deafening roar of gunfire Reynolds yelled to Buford, “Can you hold until my corps arrives?”

  “I reckon I can!” Buford yelled back.

  Reynolds turned to a junior officer and ordered: “Ride at your utmost speed to General Meade. Tell him the enemy are advancing in strong force, and that I fear they will get to the heights beyond the town before I can. I will fight them inch by inch, and if driven into the town, I will barricade the streets and hold them back as long as possible. Don’t spare your horse ...”

  A few minutes later, Reynolds rode south down the Emmitsburg Road to meet Brigadier General James Wadsworth’s 1st Division of the First Corps, who were just arriving. Reynolds ordered them to tear down fences and advance directly to the line of battle across the fields. Colonel Rufus Dawes and his 6th Wisconsin Regiment of the Iron Brigade were among these units. Dawes remembered: “To make a show in the streets of Gettysburg, I brought our drum corps to the front and had the colors unfurled. The drum major ... had begun to play ‘The Campbell’s are Coming,’ and the regiment had closed its ranks and swung into the step, when we first heard the cannon of the enemy, firing on the cavalry of General Buford. The troops ahead turned across the fields to the left of Gettysburg, toward the Seminary Ridge.”

  Reynolds personally deployed his first two brigades and a battery of artillery along McPherson’s Ridge. Brigadier General Solomon Meredeth’s Iron Brigade defended McPherson’s Woods west of the Cashtown Pike, and Brigadier General Lysander Cutler’s brigade arrayed for battle to the east by the railway cut. The Union troops formed a line just as Heth’s two Confederate brigades reached the Federal positions. Suddenly reinforced by infantry, Buford’s cavalry troopers could now outmatch the advancing Confederates. The opposing lines came upon each other suddenly and the fighting exploded into a murderous exchange of volleys at short range.

  Reynolds advanced with the Second Wisconsin, deploying them into the trees along McPherson’s Ridge, which were filled with Confederate soldiers of Archer’s brigade. Reynolds yelled to his men above the battle, “Forward men, forward for God’s sake and drive those fellows out of those woods!” At that moment, an enemy bullet struck Reynolds in the head, killing him instantly. Though he commanded the field for only an hour, Reynolds committed the First and Eleventh corps to battle, rescued Buford’s two brigades from annihilation, and saved the high ground south of Gettysburg from falling into Lee’s hands. Command of the First Corps now fell to 2nd Division commander, Major General Abner Doubleday.

  As the armies collided the action became divided by the Chambersburg Pike. Archer’s brigade had advanced south of the road over Willoughby Run toward the Herbst farm and straight into a devastating ambush by units of the Iron Brigade. A cry went up along the Confederate line: “Yanks! It’s them damned ‘Black Hats’ again!” Caught in the open and without support, nearly the entire brigade was shot down or forced to surrender.

  North of the road, Davis’s brigade was overwhelming Cutler’s defenders. As the Federals retreated Colonel Dawes’s 6th Wisconsin and two New York regiments were ordered into action to assist Cutler’s Brigade. Dawes recounted the moment:

  The regiment halted at the fence along the Cashtown Turnpike, a long line of yelling Confederates could be seen running forward and firing, and our troops of Cutler’s brigade were running back in disorder. The fire of our carefully aimed muskets, resting on the fence rails, striking their flank, soon checked the rebels in their headlong pursuit. The rebel line swayed and bent, and suddenly stopped firing and the men ran into the railroad cut, parallel to the Cashtown Turnpike. I ordered my men to climb over the turnpike fences and advance...

  When over the fences and in the field, and subjected to an infernal fire, I first saw the 95th New York regiment coming gallantly into line upon our left... Major Edward Pye appeared to be in command.... Running to the major, I said, “We must charge.” The gallant major replied, “Charge it is.”... We were receiving a fearfully destructive fire from the hidden enemy. Men who had been shot were leaving the ranks in crowds. With the colors at the advance point, the regiment firmly and hurriedly moved forward, while the whole field behind streamed with men who had been shot, and who were struggling to the rear or sinking in death upon the ground.

  The Fall of Reynolds depicted by Alfred Rudolph Waud. Photo credit: Library of Congress.

  The only commands I gave, as we advanced, were, “Align on the colors! Close up on the colors! Close up on the colors!” The regiment was being so broken up that this order alone could hold the body together. Meanwhile the colors fell upon the ground several times but were raised again by the heroes of the color guard. Four hundred and twenty men started in the regiment from the turnpike fence, of whom about two hundred and forty reached the railroad cut.

  Fight for The Colors—July 1, 1863. The Iron Brigade’s 6th Wisconsin dashed gallantly forward toward the 2nd Mississippi. The hand-to-hand struggle for the flag of the 2nd Mississippi was one of the most heroic moments of the first day’s conflict at Gettysburg. Illustrated by Don Troiani.

  My notice that we were upon the enemy, was a general cry from our men of: “Throw down your muskets! Down with your muskets!” Running forward through our line of men, I found myself face to face with hundreds of rebels, whom I looked down upon in the railroad cut, which was, where I stood, four feet deep .. . I shouted: “Where is the colonel of this regiment?” An officer in gray, with stars on his collar, who stood among the men in the c
ut, said: “Who are you?”I said: “I command this regiment. Surrender or I will fire.” The officer replied not a word, but promptly handed me his sword, and his men, who still held them, threw down their muskets ... Corporal Frank Asbury Waller brought me the captured battle flag. It was the flag of the 2nd Mississippi Volunteers, one of the oldest and most distinguished regiments in the Confederate army. It belonged to the brigade commanded by Joseph R. Davis, the nephew of Jefferson Davis.

  TILLIE PIERCE LEAVES FOR JACOB WEIKERT’S FARM

  As the fighting north of town grew into a thunder of musketry and cannon fire, the people of Gettysburg realized their town might soon become a battlefield. Tillie Pierce recalled her growing fears that morning:

  The Jacob Weikert farm as it appears today. Photo credit: The Gettysburg Daily.

  I was between nine and ten o’clock when we first noticed firing in the direction of Seminary Ridge. At first the sound was faint, then it grew louder. Soon the booming of cannon was heard, then great clouds of smoke were seen rising beyond the ridge. The sound became louder and louder, and was now incessant. The troops passing us moved faster, the men had now become excited and urged on their horses. The battle was waging.

  Our neighbor, Mrs. Schriver, called at the house and said she would leave the town and go to her father’s (Jacob Weikert), who lived on the Taneytown road at the eastern slope of the Round Top.

  Mr. Schriver, her husband, was then serving in the Union army, so that under all the circumstances at this time surrounding her, Mrs. Schriver did not feel safe in the house... she thought it safer for herself and two children to go to her parents, who lived about three miles to the south. She requested that I be permitted to accompany her, and as it was regarded a safer place for me than to remain in town, my parents readily consented that I should go.

  About one o’clock we started on foot; the battle still going on. We proceeded out Baltimore Street and entered the Evergreen Cemetery. This was our easiest and most direct route, as it would bring us to the Taneytown road a little further on. As we were passing along the Cemetery hill, our men were already planting cannon. They told us to hurry as fast as possible; that we were in great danger of being shot by the Rebels, whom they expected would shell toward us at any moment. We fairly ran to get out of this new danger.

  At last we reached Mr. Weikert’s and were gladly welcomed to their home. It was not long after our arrival, until Union artillery came hurrying by. It was indeed a thrilling sight. How the men impelled their horses! How the officers urged the men as they all flew past toward the sound of the battle!

  After the artillery had passed, infantry began coming. I soon saw that these men were very thirsty and would go to the spring which is on the north side of the house.

  I was not long in learning what I could do. Obtaining a bucket, I hastened to the spring, and there, with others, carried water to the moving column until the spring was empty. We then went to the pump standing on the south side of the house, and supplied water from it. Thus we continued giving water to our tired soldiers until night came on, when we sought rest indoors.

  MEADE CALLS UPON HIS FINEST— MAJOR GENERAL WINFIELD SCOTT HANCOCK

  Meade learned of the early fighting at Gettysburg while still at his Taneytown headquarters via messages from both Buford and Reynolds at 11:30 AM. Still hoping to fight on defensive terrain of his choosing along a position near Pike’s Creek, he did not yet commit his entire army to Gettysburg. Instead, Meade ordered Major General Winfield Scott Hancock to advance the Second Corps up the Taneytown Road toward Gettysburg to cover an avenue of retreat for the First Corps should Reynolds decide to withdraw.

  Major General Winfield Scott Hancock. Photo credit: Library of Congress.

  Major General Oliver Otis Howard. Photo credit: Library of Congress.

  By 1:00 pm Meade learned of Reynolds’s death and that Major General Otis Howard was now in command on the field. Meade did not think much of General Howard’s leadership, for at Chancellorsville, it was Howard’s Eleventh Corps that had broken under Stonewall Jackson’s flank attack. So Meade rode to General Hancock’s headquarters with orders for him to ride toward Gettysburg with authority to decide if the town would indeed be the location to make a united stand against Lee. The time was 1:30 pm.

  LEE MOVES TO THE BATTLEFIELD

  General Lee advanced toward Cashtown accompanied by Longstreet, his senior advisor. Leaving Greenwood that morning, neither Lee nor any of his generals expected to encounter the Union army that day. Without Stuart’s cavalry to warn him, Lee was unaware that Buford’s two brigades had arrived in Gettysburg the day before, or that the Union’s First Corps was encamped eight miles from the town. His first clue that trouble lay ahead came with the faint sound of cannon fire as he passed through the Cash-town Gap. He quickly rode to Cashtown and sought Hill at his headquarters.

  General Hill was about to set out for Gettysburg when Lee approached him. Just after noon a staff officer arrived, informing Lee that Ewell was advancing with the Second Corps to Gettysburg. Lee sent a reply ordering Ewell to avoid a general engagement. Lee wished to avoid a major battle until all of his three corps were assembled. Impatient at the lack of information and hearing no end to the gunfire, Lee mounted Traveller and rode toward the sound of the guns, intent on taking command of whatever battle lay ahead.

  EWELL ATTACKS THE UNION RIGHT

  After narrowly escaping with his life that morning, Daniel Skelly was still determined to see what was happening on the battlefield:

  Being anxious to see more of the battle, I concluded I would go up upon the observatory on the store building of the Fahnestock Brothers, situated on the northwest corner of Baltimore and West Middle Streets, and just across the street from the court house. The observatory.. . had a good view of the field where the battle was then being fought.

  We had been up there quite a little time when I observed a general and his staff coming down Baltimore Street from the south of the town. Upon reaching the court house, they halted and made an attempt to get up into the belfry to make observations, but they were unable to accomplish this. I went down into the street and going over to the court house told them that if they wished they could go up on the observatory of the store building. The general dismounted and with two of his aides went with me up onto the observatory. Upon reaching the house-top, the general, with his field glasses, made a careful survey of the field west and northwest of the town; also the number of roads radiating like the spokes of a wheel from the town.

  Major General John Brown Gordon

  In the midst of it a scout came riding up West Middle Street at a full gallop, halted below us and called up, asking if General Howard were there. General Howard answering in person, the scout called to him that General Reynolds had been killed and that he should come onto the field immediately.

  Upon receiving this message the General, his staff officers and myself went down into the third story ware-room, when General Howard stopped and gave orders to one of his aides to ride back and meet his corps, which was then on the march from Emmitsburg, Md., ten miles from Gettysburg, and direct General Steinwehr, upon reaching the field to occupy Cemetery Hill and fortify it. General Howard, as he came into Gettysburg, had noticed the prominence of this hill, and riding up to the cemetery was impressed with its commanding position.

  By 1:30 pm Howard’s Eleventh Corps was deployed north of the Chambersburg Pike on the Iron Brigade’s right, in a crescent-shaped battle line from McPherson’s Ridge to a wooded prominence called Blocher’s Knoll, north of Gettysburg.

  Just as the Eleventh Corps was taking its place in the line, Ewell’s entire Second Corps advanced toward Gettysburg down the Cash-town Road. They arrived in time to witness Hill’s brigades engaged to the west, and the Federal right flank open to attack before them. By sheer good fortune two of Lee’s corps now faced an outnumbered Union army and could attack on two sides. Fate, it seemed, was with the Confederacy on July 1.

  Ewell arrive
d on Oak Hill overlooking the vast field before Gettysburg and saw Howard’s Eleventh Corps deploying to his front. He realized a general engagement was already underway, despite General Lee’s orders not to bring on a larger battle. Knowing Hill’s corps was advancing from the west, the opportunity to hit the Federal right flank compelled Ewell to seize the initiative and ordered General Robert E. Rodes’s division forward.

  Hoping to strike quickly, Rodes sent forward three brigades to outflank the Union line. Poorly coordinated and without support, all three brigades were quickly shot to pieces by Union defenders. Yet the Union lines were now dangerously exposed. Blocher’s Knoll was an elevated hillock jutting out from the main Union line. If attacked in strong force, the lines there could be outflanked and fired upon from two sides. Although Rodes’s first attack met with fierce resistance, the weight of a full division would soon be applied on the exposed Union right—and it would have to crumble.

  Brigadier General Robert Emmett Rodes

  “Soon the “rebel yell” could be distinguished in the mighty roar, and conveyed to us the gratifying intelligence that our boys were getting the best of the fight...”

  —Private James Hodam, 17th Virginia Cavalry

  Major General John Gordon’s brigade of Jubal Early’s division led the attack on Blocher’s Knoll in the renewed attack. He recalled, “With a ringing yell, my command rushed upon the line posted to protect the Union right. Here occurred a hand-to-hand struggle. That protecting Union line once broken left my command not only on the right flank but obliquely in rear of it. Any troops that were ever marshaled would, under like conditions, have been as surely and swiftly shattered. There was no alternative for Howard’s men except to break and fly or to throw down their arms and surrender.”