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Culp’s Hill to secure that important position, and aided by Howard, by War-ren who had also just arrived from headquarters, and by others, a strongline, well flanked, was soon formed.
General Lee , who from Seminary Hill had witnessed the final attack, sentColonel Long, of his staff, a competent officer of sound judgment, to examinethe position, and directed Ewell to carry it if practicable, renewing, however,his previous warning to avoid bringing on a general engagement until thearmy was all up. Both Ewell, who was making some preparations with aview to attack, and Long found the position a formidable one, strongly occu-pied and not accessible to artillery fire. Ewell’s men were indeed in no con-dition for an immediate assault. Of Eodes’s eight thousand, nearly threethousand were hors de combat. Early had lost over five hundred, and hadbut two brigades disposable, the other two having been sent on the report ofthe advance of Federal troops, probably the Twelfth Corps, then near by, towatch the York road. Hill’s two divisions had been very roughly handled,and had lost heavily, and he withdrew them to Seminary Hill as Ewellentered the town, leaving the latter with not more than eight thousand mento secure the town and the prisoners. Ewell’s absent division (Edward John-son’s) was expected soon, but it did not arrive until near sunset, when theTwelfth Corps and Stannard’s Vermont brigade were also up, and the ThirdCorps was arriving. In fact an assault by the Confederates was not prac-ticable before 5:30 p. m., and after that the position was perfectly secure.For the first time that day the Federals had the advantage of position, andsufficient troops and artillery to occupy it, and Ewell would not have beenjustified in attacking without the positive orders of Lee , who was present?and wisely abstained from giving them. [Continuation on page 200.]
INCIDENTS OF THE FIRST DAY AT GETTYSBURG . J
BY E. P. HALSTEAD, BREVET-MAJOR AND ASSISTANT ADJUTANT-GENERAL, U. S. V.
COUNTING THE SCARS IN THE COLORS.
rw S3SSgl«!
S oon after dayliglit on July 1st, General Rey-nolds, then at Marsh Run, gave orders tomove with all possible dispatch to Gettysburg ,
where General Buford, with a small divisioncavalry, was contending against Heth’s divisionof infantry and vastly superior numbers.
The First Corps moved promptly, covered a d lS 'tance of nearly eight miles, and the First Divisioncommanded by General Wadsworth, reached thefield about 10 o’clock in the forenoon.
In returning for the Second and Third division 8I met John Burns in the field east of tho Seminary!with an old musket on liis shoulder and a powder -horn in his pocket, hurrying to the front, lookingterribly earnest. When near mo lie inquired?“Which way aro the rebels? Where are 0111troops ? ” I informed him that they were just 111front, that he would soon overtake them. Hesaid, with much enthusiasm, “I know how to ho' 1 ’I have fit before!”
Wadsworth’s division was immediately engag eCt ’except tho Sixth Wisconsin, held in reserve byGeneral Doubleday’s orders. General Robins 0 ®and General Rowley wore soon up with their di vl