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About Herald and news. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1942-current | View Entire Issue (July 3, 1963)
PACE 6-B HERALD AND NEWS. Klamath Fails. Oregon Wednesday, July 3, 1963 1 LEE INVADES THE NORTH . Jlfcgptefe? y ,j;. 0000 STUART'S CAVALRY VV ; pbc3SlOTf5f CZ3 CONFEDERATE (1 1"" j'iSII j iSplfl cIpifiKii F0RCES FREDK3ji8 PPP First Day The Strategy Behind Lee's Invasion of the North All roads led to Gettysburg In the last days of June, 1863. There was nothing Important about the little Penn sylvania town; no one in either the Confederate or Union camns was planning a battle there. But because it was the junction of nine major roads, Gettysburg was like a magnet drawing two great armies the Army of the Potomac and the Army of Northern Virginia toward a bloody clash that would be the great est battle ever fought in the Western Hemisphere. Gettysburg had its beginnings in the days following the disastrous Union defeat at Chanccllorsville, Va., on May 1-4. The Confederate government decided to launch a countcrstroke Into the North, for a number of reasons: In the West, U. S. Grant was laying siege to Vickshurg, last Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi; an inva sion of the North might pull Union troops away from there. A Southern victory In the North might also encourage the growing peace movement in the North. More impor tant, it might cause Britain and France to recognize the Confederacy. The capture of Washington could even end the war. Besides, Virginia wad war-torn and bleeding while the North was fat and untouched, Its fields lush and freen under the summer sun. So the invasion began. Seventy-five-thousand ien nndcr Robert E. Lee hit the dusty roads through Mary land into Pennsylvania. By the end of June the advance guards were as far north as Uarrisburg while the rear was in Chambersburg, northwest of Gettysburg. Eastward, the Army of the Potomac 88,000 strong was also on the move. More than 160,000 men in all were converging on Gettysburg. Every third one of them was to become a casualty. Lee operated in the dark during those important last days In June. "Jcb" Stuart, the brilliant cavalry com mander who was to guard Lee's right flank and recon noilcr tho Federals' movements, had gone off on a wide sweeping, glorious but useless foray into the North. It was not until the night of June 28 that Lee learned that the Federals, now commanded by Lt Gen. George Gordon Meade, had paralleled his route north, keeping hetween him and Washington and now threatened his line of communication. Lee was forced to can bis strewn-out army together. Fighting began on the morn ing of July 1 when Buford's Federal cavalry encountered elements of Confederate Gen. A. P. Hill's carps, who were moving into Gettysburg looking for stores. Reinforcements be gan to arrive on bath sides but Confederates, with superior strength, pushed toward Semi nary Ridge. After a brief re spite, the afternoon's fighting saw the Confederates force the Federals south through the town and onto Cemetery Ridge. Union troops on Seminary Ridge also withdrew to Ceme tery Ridge. The first day had been a Confederate victory but Meade's entire army was now assembled and digging in on the high ground. Second Day In the obsence of J. E. 6. Stuart's cavalry, on July 2, Lee lacked complete information on the Federals' strength and disposition. Against the advice of Longstreet, he attempted to turn the Union flanks by send ing Ewell's corps against the Union right on and around Culp's Hill and hitting the Union left, in front of Little Round Top, with Longstreet's corps. Bitter fighting took place in "Sickles' Salient" the Peach Orchard, Devil's Den and Wheat Field. Sickles' corps was thrown back but poor co ordination between Confed erate attacks along the whole line enabled Meade to parry each one in turn. Third Day July 3 dawned with Confed erate morale still high. Lee, re inforced by Pickett's division, determined to assail the Fed eral center. His intention was guessed by Meade. At about 1:45 p.m., 10 brigades 15,000 men commanded by Pickett, Pettigrew and Trimble, ad vanced in parade formation across the mile of fields sep arating Seminary and Ceme tery Ridges. A few men reached the Federal line at the Angle the "high tide of the Con federacy" but were repulsed. The Union forces had won a great victory but were, in Meade's judgment, too badly mauled to follow it up. North ern rejoicing was tempered by the fact of Lee's escape back to Virginia. The logical place was Gettysburg, because all roads led there. So they met, the men of North and South, on July I, 1863. When it was finished three days later, the North left 23,000 killed, wounded or missing on the fields and hills around Gettysburg. The South lost 28 000 men, a loss all the more grievous because she had not the means to replace them. Militarily, Gettysburg was the end of one era and the precursor of another: Never again would an army dress right and march in formation against the guns of an other army. But not until the 20th century would the world witness massed artillery duels to compare with those of Gettys burg. Politically, it was the end of the South's hopes for Independence (though the war dragged on for 20 more months). But it was the beginning of a stronger United Slates. Todav we, the heirs of the men of Gettysburg, can forget 'the blood and remember only the glory. We remember Gettysburg and, a full century after the battle, "take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion." General Lee Stole March On Meade After Gettysburg War Tide Turned In 3-Day Battle By H. D. QUICG United Press International The great three-day battle of Gettysburg, turning point m the Civil War, was fought just 100 years ago this week with appal ling casualties on both sides. But its final casualty wauea m years, three months, and 16 days to happen in another place, another time, another occasion, lt was a time of peace but a day of remembrance of war, and the Great Battle raged again that day. It took its final toll in a strange and touching way. Oct. 19, 1927. was the date. The day was gray and dripping and cold in Washington, D. C. and occasional hard rain swept the city. The rain let up as President Calvin Coolidge, escorted by a troop of cavalry, left the White House with Gov. John S. Fisher of Pennsylvania and other digni taries. The procession went lo a spot near the Botanical Gardens be low Capitol Hill. There, in a set ting of rippling flags and Civil War corps shields, ringed by sol diers, sailors and marines, a crowd had gathered for the un veiling of a monument to Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade, Pennsylvania native and Union commander at Gettysburg. Several hundred Civil War vet erans were there, some with black slouched campaign hats, others wearing blue kepis. On a granite platform before the presi dent were the color bearers of Hie G. A. R. with many Civil War regimental flags. And with the speaxers on the platform was a man who had been a color bearer at the battle of Gettysburg, Henry H a a k Spayd, past commander of t h e Pennsylvania G. A. R. The rain stopped as the cere mony began. Sen. Simeon D. Fess of Ohio, acting chairman of the National Meade Memorial Commission, presided and spoke first. After an invocation, Gov ernor Fisher presented the mon ument to the nation. Miss Henrietta Meade, the general's daughter, who was 10 when the battle was fought, was present, wearing a big corsage and carrying one of the huge handbags popular at the time. As she pulled the line un veiling the monument, a field ar tillery unit fired a 13-gun salute, and 48 pigeons were released. More Comfort Wearing FALSE TEETH Here Is a pleasant wy to overcome loose plate discomfort. PASTELTH an improred powder, sprinkled on upper and lower plates holds them nrmer so that they feel more com fortable. No gummy, gooey, past taste or feeling. It's alkttllne inon acid). Does not sour. Checks "piste odor breath". Get PASTELTH today at drug counters everywhere. tv Clean & Press While U Wait Keep Your Western Wear Clean & Razor Sharp! Hours 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. CLOSED JULY 4th J. W. KERNS LAUNDRY AND CLEANING y I L L AX. G E M( NO Or OIV1SO THC BO" WANEW COft0ATIC)N 734 South 6th TU 4-4197 5 By MERTON T. AKERS United Press International Lee stole a march on Meade aftor tlo of GeUysbunt. AU day on tho Fourth of July 1863 the Army of tho Potomac, commanded by Ma), Gen. George Gordon Meade, and (he Army of Northern Virginia, under Gen. Robert E, Lee, lay exhausted on the parallel hills of Cemetery Ridge and Seminary Ride at Get tysburg after three days of fight ing. Both were content to call it a day and to sort out Die wreck age, human and material, of the Civil War's bloodiest battle. The weather was rainy. A smog lay over the battlefield, part gun-smoke, part natural fog. It was no day for fighting and everyone seemed gratelul. (To morrow the first of the never' ending lino of tourists would ar rive at the Gettysburg battlefield on an excursion train from liar' risburg, Pa.) Lee and his army were in a tight spot. He had lost the big gest and climatic battle of the war a fact not fully realized at the time. But as he had done at Antielaiii (Sharpsburg), Lee defiantly held his army In battle position for a full day In the face of superior numbers before he begau to retreat on the night of July 4-5 through the mountains of aouth central Pennsylvania and western Maryland toward the Po tomac. As the crow flies he had about 35 miles to go to reach the river at Williamsport, Md., about five miles southwest of Hagerstown, Md. He was short of ammunition and provisions. He was burdened with wagon trains of wounded. His losses at Gettysburg about one-third of his force and strag gling and desertion hod thinned ins retreating army to little more than 35.000 men. Must Reach Itlver His problem was to reach and cross the river before Meade, moving parallel, could cut him off. His chances of doing so seemed slim. The Potomac was runn; high and the rains wore making it higher. aieacie moveu nis army cau tiously and slowly. He was under orders from Washington to fight on the defensive and to keep his army between Lee and tho capi tal. He had two choices. One was to chase Lee's army west through the mountain passes, which like ly would be fortified and defend ed. The second was to slant to the southwest through Maryland and cut off Lee around Hagers town. On the basis of scanty informa tion about the position of Lee's army, he chose the second route but lost a full day in making the decision. Lee made the most of Meade's delay and puslied his I army hard tnrongh the mud and rain. Suffering of the Conledcrate wounded in the convoy of wagons was Intense. Brig. Gen. John D. Imboden, commanding the convoy, de scribed the trip: 'The column moved rapidly. considering the rough roads and the darkness, and trom almost every wagon issued heart-rending wails of agony. . .Scarcely one in a hundred had received adequate surgical aid.. .Many of tho wound ed. . .had been without food for 3ti hours. Their torn ond blood v clothing, matted and hardened. was rasping the tender, inflamed and still oozing wounds. Very few of the wagons had even a layer of straw in them and all were without springs." CilUrns lilt Wagons Tha convoy was attacked Rev eral times by Federal cavalry. At one point citizens set upon tlie wagons with axes and cut the spokes of the wheels. At another point !00 wagons were captured. When tlie convoy reached Wil liamsport, Imboden forced every family In town to cook for tlie wounded. Ry July 7 Mcnde'a army wasl slogging southwest through the mud and rain (ilong the same roads in Maryland that they had marched north over in tlie dust only a week or so before. That day Meade rodo into Frederick. Md., where he had as sumed command of the army, to ill plaudits of tlie loyal citizens and went to a hotel for a bath. Then he wrote to his wife: From the time 1 took com mand (June 28 until today (July 71 I. , .have not had a regular night's rest, and many nights not a wink of sleep, and for several days did not even wash my hands and face, no regular food, and all tho time in a ivA state of mental anxiety. Indeed, I think 1 have lived as much in that time as in the last thirty years." Ho also asked her lo send him two pairs of eyeglasses. Wagon trams trom Westmin ster, Md., tlie Federal supply de pot, brought in new uniforms, shoes and other equipment and important supplies ol ammuni tion. The Federals puslied on over tlie mountains west of Frederick and by Julv 11 began to skirmish with the Confederates south of Hagerstown above the old Antie tarn battlefield. Politicians After Mradr Washington was prodding Meade to hurry and strike Lee's army on the north side of tlie Po tomac. President Lincoln applied tlie soul'. Maj. Gen. Henry W. Halleck overall army commander, tele graphed Meade: "Tlie President is urgent and anxious that your Army should move against him (Leei by forced marches." That was what Meade was doing but his caution and lack of information slowed him down. "My army is and has been making forced marches short of rations and barefooted," Meade replied testily. On July 12 Meade had his army placed around Williamsport for what he hoped would be the decisive blow. Lale in the day he was readv to attack when a heavy thunderstorm broke. About supperlimo the attack was called off. Meade met with his corps com manders that night. He lavored attack the next day. Only two of the commanders went along with their chief, Maj. Gen. James S. Wadsworth of the I Corps and Mdj. Gen. O. O. Howard of the XI Corps. The ultimate decision of the council of war was for more re- connoitering. I.ee Forms Army Tlie day before Lee had formed his army in an arc protecting the river crossing site at Williams port. The Polomac was still too high to wade. Leo handled Hie positioning of part of the army himself. "I never before, and never aft erward, s;iw him ds I thought visibly anxious over an approach ing action. Col. E. P. Alexan der, artillery officer, wrote, "but I did on tins occa.-ion." All day on the 13th Meade sent his titxips probing into the Con federate lines in keeping with the council of war decision the night before. Late in the day General How ard sent word that he feared Lee was getting away." But by then it was too late for action. Meade determined to strike tlie next day, the 14th. He did. but Lee was cone he had crossed the river on the night of July 13-14. Sumo of his men went over on an improvised pontoon bridge covered with branches to deaden tlie sound of marclung feet. It was a ricketv bridge but it was good enough to any two corps and the artillerv. The other corps waded, the tail men standing in tlie deep part of tlie river and passing along their snorter comrades. Only a small rear guard was cut oil and captured. Lee had escaped from Mary land again, thanks to the one day tlie Federals had dallied as tlie river receded. 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