1863.]

HEAVY FIGHTING ON RIGHT AND CENTRE.

437

menace on its right flank. Wadsworth's division was drawn back under cover of a strip of woods on Seminary Ridge, and on the north side of the railroad bed-Reynolds' battery accompanying. Stone swung his right regiments to the rear and almost perpendicular to their former position and into the Chambersburg Pike; his left regiment remained faced to the west. Biddle's brigade changed front to the right and was posted in sup port of Cooper's battery, which replied to the enemy's guns on Oak Hill.

Twenty minutes after the two divisions of the Eleventh corps had taken position, the Confederate division of Early (Ewell's, formerly Stonewall Jackson's corps), with three batteries, came upon the field over the Harrisburg road, striking the right of Barlow's division. This was the signal for a general advance of the enemy's infantry along the whole line. There could not have been less than 35,000 Confederates confronting the small body of Federals drawn up around the north and west side of Gettysburg. It was near two o'clock when the long, deep and closely-formed lines of rebel infantry began their advance; behind these came heavy reserves. The formation of the Union line was such that the first shock of the enemy's blow fell upon the right brigades of the First corps who occupied the apex of the crescent. At this critical moment General Doubleday discovered that there was an interval between his right and the left of the Eleventh corps (from whence the cavalry had been withdrawn), and he ordered General Baxter, of General Robinson's division (in reserve), to move up and fill it. Baxter rushed into the dangerous gap in time to meet the enemy's onset. His brigade drove back the assailants at this point and captured three battle flags and a number of prisoners. But the interval was too long for Baxter to close and the rebels began to press in between his right and the Eleventh corps. General Doubleday then dispatched

*

General Robinson, himself, with the remaining brigade of his division, General Paul's. General Robinson put Paul's brigade in on the right of Baxter, before the enemy had succeeded in working through. But the gap was not yet filled and the right regiments of Paul's brigade were "refused" so as to cover his flank and at the same time extend across the Mummasburg road, while Stuart's battery, 4th U. S. artillery, was sent to his support. Cutler's brigade and then Meredith's received the onset in succession, as the rebel line swung around the crescent, and each brigade maintained its reputation for bravery and cool and effective fighting. They were losing men fast but they were taking a fearful revenge on their swarming assailants. Time and again the enemy dashed his strong lines against the thin ones of Paul, Baxter, Cutler, Stone and Meredith, and time and again was repulsed with the loss of large numbers of killed and wounded and many prisoners.

While the battle was thus raging along the First corps front, the Eleventh was furiously assailed by Rodes and Early, whose lines now united with the troops of Hill. Von Gilsa's Brigade was forced back to the Alms House, and the exultant enemy crowded such masses upon the whole division, that it was forced to give ground. General Barlow, its gallant commander, was wounded several times, and left on the field for dead. Schurz' division withstood the onset for some time, but overpowered by numbers, fell back in the

* General Paul was a graduate of West Point and a brave and capable officer. When General Patrick was appointed Provost-Marshal-General of the Army of the Potomac, soon after the battle of Antietam, General Paul was assigned to the command of Patrick's brigade. He continued in the command until he was wounded on the first day of July at Gettysburg, and left upon the field for dead. He, however, was only seriously wounded and lost the sight of both eyes. The writer had the pleasure of meeting General Paul at West Point some years ago, and found him in good health and spirits but totally blind. General John C. Robinson, who commanded the division, was a splendid and courageous officer, who, having passed through the fire of a dozen battles unharmed, lost a leg at Spottsylvania Court House. He bas since been Lieutenant-Governor of New York, and is now the honored head of the "Grand Army of the Republic" of that State.

1863.]

ELEVENTH CORPS OVERCOME.

439

direction of the town. The retreat had now fairly set in, and the troops on the right were thrown into disorder. Portions of them made stands here and there, and resisted the enemy's advance, but could accomplish no permanent results. As the streets of the village were reached, the crowding and confusion increased, while the Rebel batteries played upon the dense masses packed in the narrow ways, and their infantry following closely, kept up a rapid fire, and gathered in many prisoners.

Thus the right of the Federal line, consisting of two divisions of the Eleventh corps, and nearly or quite half of the entire Union force on the field, had been swept away, and the First corps was left to fight it out alone.

CHAPTER XXXII.

FIRST DAY AT GETTYSBURG

CONTINUED-ULSTER GUARD IN BIDDLE'S BRIGADE ON EXTREME LEFT-FIGHTING ON THAT PART OF FIELDWHAT MR. BATES SAYS ABOUT IT-RIGHT OF FIRST CORPS GIVES WAYSITUATION ON THE LEFT-EVIDENCES OF COOLNESS-LEFT FALL BACK TO SEMINARY-COLONEL BIDDLE WOUNDED--NO DISORDER OR CONFUSION ON THE LEFT-LEFT BRIGADE RETIRES-ULSTER GUARD COVERS MOVEMENT-TIME EMBRACED BY THESE OPERATIONS-WHAT MESSRS, SWINTON, LOSSING AND JACOBS SAY-A LETTER FROM GENERAL DOUBLEDAY-ENEMY'S DEMONSTRATIONS IN EVENING-THE VAN-GUARD OF THE FEDERAL ARMY HAD ACCOMPLISHED ITS MISSION-PROFESSOR BATES' COMMENTS ON THE FIRST DAY'S FIGHT-"WHERE WAS THE REST OF THE ARMY ?"-LOSSES IN FIRST AND ELEVENTH CORPS-THE HILLS AND ROUND TOPS WERE OURS-" ON THE LEFT AT GETTYSBURG."

LONG before the Eleventh corps gave way, the right of the enemy's lines of assault had swung around the curve of the Union line, and struck the Federal left near the Hagerstown road, and the roar of battle then swept along the whole line with great fury. Biddle's Brigade was still holding the left. Cooper's battery of four pieces was posted in the brigade line, between the "Ulster Guard" and the 142d Pa., the brigade being now posted on the ridge, in Front of Willoughby Run, and in nearly the identical position it occupied just before advancing into the ravine, some hours before. In the separation of the brigade to make an interval for Cooper's battery, the right and left regiments were thrown so far apart, that Colonel Biddle directed Colonel Gates to take charge of the two regiments on the left (121st Pa. and "Ulster Guard"), while he looked after the two regiments on the right. The brigade was not reunited again until it formed behind the barricade in front of the Seminary, at about four o'clock in the afternoon.

Mr. Bates, after describing the operations

on the

1863.]

FIGHTING ON THE LEFT.

441

right, thus speaks of the events on the left: "But the wave of battle, as it rolled southward, reached every part in turn, and the extreme Union left, where Biddle's brigade was posted, at length felt its power. A body of troops, apparently an entire division, drawn out in heavy lines, came down from the west and south, and overlapping both of Biddle's flanks, moved defiantly on. Only three small regiments were in position to receive them; but ordering up the One Hundred and Fifty-first Pennsylvania, which had been detached for special duty, and throwing it into the gap between Meredith's and his own, and wheeling the battery into position, Biddle awaited the approach. As the enemy appeared beyond the wood, under cover of which they had formed, a torrent of death-dealing missiles leaped from the guns. Terrible rents were made; but closing up, they came on undaunted. Never were guns better served; and though the ground was strewn with the slain, their line seemed instantly to grow together. The infantry fire was terrific on both sides; but the enemy, outflanking Biddle, sent a direct and a doubly destructive oblique fire, before which it seemed impossible to stand. But though the dead fell until the living could fight from behind them as from a bulwark, they stood fast as if rooted to the ground." [pp. 72-3.] The right of the first corps had now been forced to give way, as the enemy were pouring their thousands upon its exposed flank, and brigade after brigade was swept from the field until Biddle's brigade stood alone upon the line, holding in check a whole division of Confederates. Cooper's battery, which had most gallantly breasted the storm and poured grape and canister into the foe with destructive effect, was now sent to the rear to save it from capture, and the brigade prepared to retire. The enemy were moving down the Hagerstown road, and would soon have turned our flank and taken the brigade in reverse. It was almost as dangerous to