Crossing the railroad, we come to the Eleventh Pennsylvania, Paul's brigade, the first north of the railroad; then Baxter's brigade of Robinson's division, in a narrow lane, screened by a low wall and a thicket of small oaks. The troops face west, looking over a wheat-field sloping gently towards the west.

Paul's brigade is in rear of Baxter's; the Ninety-fourth New York regiment on the left, with the Sixteenth Maine facing west; the One Hundred and Fourth New York and the Thirteenth Massachusetts face north, looking up a lane leading to the house of Mr. McLain and his great red barn. Stevens's Fifth Maine Battery is in reserve by the seminary. This completes the formation of the First Corps.

The Eleventh Corps did not arrive upon the field till past noon, and there was little time to arrange it. It was at a right angle with the First Corps. Walking east from the ridge, descending the hill, we find a gap of a quarter of a mile between the Thirteenth Massachusetts and Dilger's Eleventh Ohio Battery. Its intrepid commander wears buckskin breeches, and the soldiers have nicknamed him "Leather Breeches." They admire the skill with which he

brigade and Heckman's battery. The two brigades compose Schimmelpfennig's division.

In the fields south of Blocher's house we find Ames's brigade of Barlow's division, with Wilkeson's battery (G, Fourth United States), on a knoll, two of his guns pointing north-west, towards Blocher's house, two north-east, across Rock Creek, towards the house of Mr. Benner. Two cannon, under Lieutenant Merkle, have been stationed by the Almshouse, nearer the town. Von Gilsa's brigade is on the extreme right, along Rock Creek. The sharp action of the morning made the Confederates cautious. Hill knew that Ewell, with two divisions, was rapidly advancing from

Carlisle, and waited his arrival before renewing the attack, but placed his troops in position. Going over to Herr's Tavern, where the artillery is planted, and walking south into a beautiful grove, we find, at two o'clock, Heth's division-Brockenborough's and Pettigrew's brigades, with what is left of Archer's and Davis's.

Along the turnpike and in the fields is Pender's division-Thomas's brigade on the north side; McGowan, Lane, and Scales, south. Attached to the two divisions are seventeen batteries-sixty-eighty guns-a large portion of which are placed along the ridge on both sides of the turnpike. Passing through the fields north-east, crossing Rock Creek, we come to Brander's battery; beyond it, the right of Iverson's North Carolina brigade, then O'Neal's Alabama brigade on the summit of Oak Hill. Eastward, extending down into the fields, is Dole's Georgia brigade. Carter's battery comes down through the woods and takes a commanding position on Oak Hill, whence it can rain its missiles upon every part of the Union line upon the First Corps, upon Dilger's and Wheeler's batteries, upon Van Amsberg, or even upon Barlow's division. In reserve, behind O'Neal's and Dole's, are Daniel's and Ramseur's brigades. Going east, across Rock Creek, we see Early's division-Gordon's brigade-between the creek and the Harrisburg road, with three batteries across the road; Hays's and Hoke's brigades deployed in the second line, facing south-west, to envelop Barlow. Johnson's division of Ewell's corps is advancing along the Harrisburg road, and will arrive before the close of the battle.

It was to be an unequal contest, for the Confederates greatly outnumbered the Union troops, and had the advantage of position.

General Howard rode along the lines at two o'clock. He did not know the danger that threatened his right flank, for Gordon's, Hays's, and Hoke's brigades had not yet appeared. He hoped to hold his position till the Third Corps arrived, not knowing that, through misconception and misunderstanding, it was at that moment ten miles from the scene of conflict. Again he sent a messenger to Slocum, only five miles distant, to come up with the Twelfth Corps and form on his right and assume command, but Slocum did not come.

If Slocum had advanced when Howard sent his first message, quite likely the result of the first day's contest would have been different from what it was.

The Confederate batteries once more opened fire, concentrating it mainly upon the First Corps and Dilger's and Wheeler's batteries.

There was a gap between Ewell and Hill, and Ewell directed Iverson, Ramseur, and Daniel to march south-west, to bring the two corps

nearer together. They crossed the Mummasburg road, then turned south

east.

The mower had not yet swept the green fields, and the tall grass was waving in its beauty. The Confederate skirmishers crept through it, opening a galling fire upon the Union troops, who saw only puffs of smoke rising above the grass.

The movement of Rodes's troops induced Cutler to change front. He was south of the railroad, facing west, but swung his line to face the north, bringing it into position to send an enfilading fire upon Iverson, who was sweeping round to the west, while O'Neal was advancing directly south. The skirmishers were sheltered by the great red barn of Mr. McLain. Thev fired from the barn windows, from the fences and sheds, from beneath the apple and peach trees in the garden. It was a threatening cloud of Confederates which pressed down into the gap between the First and Eleventh corps. Dole intended to drive in a wedge which would break the Union line. Dilger and Wheeler had been sending their shells to the summit. of Oak Hill, but now they wheeled and poured a destructive storm upon Dole.

In front of the lane, towards the barn, are the Thirteenth Massachusetts and One Hundred and Fourth New York, of Paul's brigade. They are in a grove of oaks south of the Mummasburg road, holding the right of the First Corps. The barn is riddled by their firing. Thick and fast the bullets fly through the garden; equally plenteous are they raining upon the Thirteenth Massachusetts, which charges towards the barn, Sergeant Morris carrying the colors. Suddenly he leaps into the air and falls dead, with his hands grasping the staff.

The concentrated fire upon the Confederates under Dole compels him to fall back.

Iverson's brigade of North Carolinians have been creeping through the tall grass, firing, dropping upon the ground to reload, thus screening themselves from the fire of Baxter's brigade, sheltered by the scrubby oaks. There comes a lightning-flash from beneath the green foliage, and the men of North Carolina go down as if smitten by a thunder-bolt; not all by the fire of Baxter, but in part by a volley from Cutler's brigade across the railroad. "Let us capture them!" is the cry that runs along the lines. "Forward, Twelfth!" is the word of command from Adjutant Wherum. Over the wall leaps the Twelfth Massachusetts, through the shrubbery dashes the Eighty-eighth Pennsylvania and the other regiments-each soldier instinctively seeing that it is the right thing to be done-all rushing down upon the astonished Confederates.

"The enemy charged," says Iverson, "in overwhelming force, and captured nearly all that were left unhurt of the three regiments of my brigade. When I saw white handkerchiefs raised and my line of battle still lying down, in position, I characterized the surrender as disgraceful; but when afterwards I found that five hundred of my men were left lying dead and wounded, and in a line as straight as a dress parade, I exonerated the survivors, and claim that they nobly fought and died, without a man running to the rear. No greater gallantry or heroism during the war.... The fighting ceased on my part.”(2)

"The dead lay in a distinctly marked line of battle," are the words of General Rodes. (")

It was nearly three o'clock, and the battle was becoming more intense. "At 3.45," says General Howard, "Generals Doubleday and Wadsworth besought me for reinforcements. I directed General Schurz, if he could spare a regiment or more, to send it to reinforce General Wadsworth, and several times sent urgent requests to General Slocum to come to my assistance. To every application for reinforcements I replied, 'Hold out if possible a while longer, for I am expecting General Slocum every moment.'... About 4 P.M. I despatched Major Howard, my aide, to General Slocum to inform him of the state of affairs, and request him to send one of his divisions to the left and the other to the right of Gettysburg. He met the general on the Baltimore pike, about a mile from Gettysburg, who replied that he had already ordered a division to the right, and that he would send another to cover the left, as requested, but that he did not wish to come up to the front and take the responsibility of that fight. In justice to General Slocum, I desire to say that he afterwards expressed the opinion that it was against the wish of the commanding general to bring on a general engagement at that point."(")

The Twelfth Corps had arrived at Two Taverns during the forenoon, after a march from Littlestown in the early morning. The cannonade and musketry could be distinctly heard by the troops as they rested in the fields around Two Taverns. A general engagement had begun, inaugurated by General Reynolds, commanding the left wing of the army, who had been killed. General Slocum outranked General Howard, and did not wish to assume any responsibility.

General Slocum's course has been open to much criticism, but he claimed that General Meade did not desire to have a battle at Gettysburg.

Let us look at affairs as they were at three o'clock on the right of the Union line. A part of the Seventeenth Connecticut had been sent across Rock Creek as skirmishers, but were being driven back by Early's advancing

line of battle. The only battery which could be spared on the Union side. for the right of the line was G, Fourth United States, commanded by Lieutenant Wilkeson, who had placed four of his light 12-pounders on a knoll overlooking a wide reach of fields on both sides of Rock Creek, and two pieces nearer the town, by the Almshouse, under Lieutenant Merkle. The Seventeenth Connecticut, and Twenty-fifth, Seventy-fifth, and One Hundred and Seventh Ohio, constituted the brigade of General Ames, assigned to hold this important position, with no reserve that could be called upon in the hour of need. Von Gilsa, along Rock Creek, must hold the flank. The artillery duel began, between Wilkeson, with four pieces, and twelve guns on the part of the Confederates.

Wilkeson was supported by the Seventeenth Connecticut regiment.

It was a trying situation for the cannoneers of the Union battery. Their commander, to encourage them, to inspire them with his own lofty spirit, sat upon his horse, a conspicuous figure, calmly directing the fire of the pieces. He rode

from piece to piece, his horse upon the walk. Shells were bursting amid the guns; shot from rifled cannon cut the air or ploughed the ground, from cannon not half a mile away, upon a hill much higher than that which he occupied. This young lieutenant bore an honored name Bayard Wilkeson a family name, given him in part, also, by his par

ents out of their admiration for the great Chevalier of France, the knight of other days, whose character was without a stain, whose life was above reproach. This self-possessed lieutenant from New York, animated by an unquenchable patriotism, became a soldier at sixteen, received his commission when he was but seventeen, and was not then nineteen years of age. His first battle was Fredericksburg. For six months he had been commander-his captain engaged elsewhere. So admirable the discipline and efficient the battery under the instruction of this boy-lieuten