Right Wing Nut House

This is the seventh and final installment of week-long blog posts called Countdown to Gettysburg“. They are written from the perspective of someone who lived at that time and as if the internet existed in 1863.

The introduction to the series is here.

Previous Posts:

June 27, 1863

June 28, 1863

June 29, 1863

June 30, 1863

July 1, 1863

July 2, 1863
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(Check for updates all day)

Washington is once again quiet this early morning but I don’t think it’s the result of people being sound asleep in their beds. First, there’s this God awful heat. For those of you who aren’t familiar with our climate here in Washington, imagine the worst mosquito infested swamp and then add oppressive, life draining heat. The mercury never fell below 85 degrees last night which made sleep impossible.

Of course, I don’t think too many of us would be sleeping anyway with what’s going on in Pennsylvania. The titanic struggle taking place in the farmers fields and gentle, rolling hills outside of Gettysburg has become one, long, unbroken nightmare as casualty figures come into the telegraph office of the War Department. My source there tells me that some officers are in shock at the numbers of dead and wounded that after two days of desperate fighting add up to some 20,000 Federals. (No word on reb casualties but since they’ve been the attackers, their losses should be equal to or even exceed ours). Lincoln himself has been a frequent visitor to that office, as our President does his customary pacing back and forth, not saying much but looking drawn and haggard from lack of sleep.

No one evidently got much sleep on the battlefield either. The Federals were busy all night shifting troops right and left as Meade and his generals tried to anticipate Bobby Lee’s next move. And even if the weary soldiers got a chance to lie down, it was impossible to ignore the screams and moans of tens of thousands of wounded men lying on a battlefield where both sides are in such close proximity to each other.

As for the battle itself, there’s already been action on the extreme right this morning at Culps Hill. You may recall that General Wadsworth’s boys were temporarily dislodged from those heights yesterday in the early evening only to undertake a vicious counterattack that caused the rebs to abandon some of their positions. So while we held possession of the hill, Johnny Reb was grimly holding on to positions that could easily result in a reversal.

During the night (this according to my friend who writes and sketches for Harpers), Meade ordered several batteries over to the right to support an infantry assault that took place this morning at first light. The goal of this attack was to kick Ewell’s boys off that hill and secure it once and for all.

Once again, it was a very bloody affair with hand to hand fighting taking place all along the line. Looks like General Slocum’s XII Corps bore the brunt of that battle and, as of 8:00 AM have completely routed the rebs and sent Ewell’s boys flying.

Here are the lines of battle as of this moment:

Gettysburg 8:00 AM July 3

General Meade has VI Corps held in reserve. They’ve been placed in what appears to be the safest part of the battlefield, right smack dab in the center of the Federal line.

Following the action on Culps Hill, the entire battlefront has quieted down. Major Rathbone is speculating that Lee won’t do any fighting today but rather re-group and try and figure out what to do next. Rathbone says its too hot for a major attack and I tend to agree although no one has ever been able to guess what Bobby Lee is going to do.

I got a huge surprise this morning when I got a wire from an old pre-war friend who writes for the Richmond Times. He’s with the reb army and has promised me a report from the reb lines later today.

His help will be appreciated. That makes the next engagement unique in that I”l have eyewitness accounts from both sides.

I wonder if I’ll even have anything to write about later?

UPDATE

Something big is going on. This from Mr. Waud, my friend who’s covering the war for Harpers:

Approximately two hours ago, the loudest sound ever made on the North American continent was heard as more than 150 Rebel guns opened up at exactly the same moment. The crash and rumble of this cannonade is unlike any I’ve experienced. The Rebels are concentrating their fire at the exact center of the Union line. Fortunately for our boys, they are firing at the top of the hill while our boys are hugging the ground a few dozen yards below the crest. That fact is not helping our artillery as this bombardment is wreaking havoc with the three dozen or so batteries that Colonel Hunt has lined up on the Cemetery Hill. Direct hits are being scored on our caissons and wagons and huge explosions are heard as the ammunition in those wagons goes off.

The noise, the smoke, the screams of men and horses, the hoarse shouts of officers all combine to make this a scene reminiscent of Dante’s Hell. And then, a miracle.

In the middle of this mayhem a lone figure on his horse can be seen. It’s General Hancock. He’s riding along the line as if nothing is amiss calmly telling the boys to keep their heads down and to wait for the infantry which is sure to follow. One of his aides runs up to him and shouts over the tremendous din “General, please get down from your horse. We cannot afford to lose you.” Hancock bravely replied “There are times when a Major General’s life doesn’t count.”

Magnificent!

Our boys have stopped firing now on orders from Colonel Hunt. My guess is he wants to save ammunition for the infantry attack that’s sure to come. And the rebel guns seem to be slackening off as well.

It won’t be long now.

My friend Mr. Byrd from the Richmond Times should be reporting shortly. When he does, I’ll post again.

UPDATE II

Dear God. This from Mr. Byrd:

I was until recently on the hill next to the Lutheran Seminary with General Lee watching as our infantry formed up for the coming attack. By the looks of things, it appears that our men will be assaulting the center of the Yankee lines right where the Cemetery is. The distance to their objective appears to be almost a mile. Almost immediately our boys will come under fire from Yankee guns firing long range shells. We’ve already had a taste of it and I can tell you its not very pleasant.

The sight spread out before me is one that if I live to be 100 years old I shall never forget. Our magnificent infantry is spread out in a line approximately 2 miles long several companies deep. The colorful mass of humanity is augmented by the glint of steel shining in the afternoon sun and hundreds of red and blue battle flags snapping in the breeze. It is very hot. I can see General Armistead in front of his brigade as well as Generals Kemper and Garnett. They are all part of General Pickett’s Division which didn’t arrive on the field of battle until last night. I also see elements of Johnson Pettigrew’s boys as well as General Trimble’s Division.

All told, there must be close to 15,000 men lined up in what has to be the most magnificent demonstration of martial prowess by any army in history. I even heard General Lee say to to an aide “It is well that war is so terrible, else we should grow too fond of it.”

The men are ready to step off now. I plan on watching from the cupola of the Cemetery so that I can get a birds eye view of what transpires. I will wire you with the details after the battle.

UPDATE III

It is over.

Bobby Lee’s last gamble to win the battle and destroy our army has failed.

The attack of General Pickett has been repulsed with huge losses inflicted on the rebs. Thanks to Mr. Waud and Mr. Byrd, I’ve been able to draw this map of how the battle unfolded:

Picketts Charge July 3, 1863

Here’s an excerpt from Mr. Byrd’s account:

After the step off from Seminary Ridge, our boys came under immediate and intense fire from Yankee gunners. It was deadly accurate. Great holes were torn in the lines as both solid shot and shell burst among the closely packed formations of men. I saw one shell burst that must have taken down 20 of our boys.

While casualties were heavy our boys were making good progress until they came to the Emmittsburg Road. There, a wooden fence barred their way. Trying to climb over it, our boys got bunched up and the Yankee gunners had a field day. Since we were less than 300 yards from their lines, the gunners were pouring round after round of double cannister into our lines and, along with the thousands of muskets being fired by the Yank infantry, it appeared that our men were being mowed down like wheat before the scythe.

Eventually, our boys made it over the fence and tried to reform for the attack but the fire was just too murderous. That’s when I saw General Armistead place his hat on top of his sword and beckon the men to follow him. The effect on the boys was like electricity. Immediately most of the remaining men began to move up the hill toward what appeared to be a stone wall where the Yanks had refused their line - bent it backward at a right angle. I finally lost sight of our boys because the smoke just became too dense to see through.

Mr. Waud picks up the narrative as I excerpt part of his dispatch:

The noise and shock of battle were tremendous. Our gunners were really giving the Rebels a hard time. But still they came. There must have been 5,000 of our boys on that part of the field all pouring a deadly musket fire into the fast dwindling number of Rebels. But still they came. I saw one Rebel officer with his hat stuck on his sword urging his men forward. The hat had fallen toward the hilt but still they came. Then one final lunge and the Rebels were amongst our boys. There was shooting and hacking and clubbing and stabbing along a front of just a few dozen yards. The Rebel officer with the hat on his sword was leaning against one of our guns obviously wounded but still urging his boys forward. Finally, a counterattack by two regiments of New Yorkers sealed the fate of the remaining Rebels and they began to surrender in droves.

As for the Rebels who could walk, they were making their way slowly back to the Seminary Ridge. That’s when our boys started to chant “Fredricksburg…Fredericksburg” taunting the retreating soldiers with that horrible Federal defeat last December where our boys broke themselves into pieces against the stone wall on Marye’s Heights. I suppose it was tremendously satisfying but strangely out of place. Those Rebels made a most spirited charge. I daresay it will be remembered for a long while.

My source at the War Department tells me that Lee is through and will probably try and retreat. I hope Meade proves himself the bulldog and goes after him, catches him, and destroys his army. But perhaps, that’s too much to hope for.

Casualty reports won’t be final for a while but I think it’s safe to say that this has been the bloodiest battle in American history. The War Department is estimating our losses at 25% which would be more than 20,000. Reb losses must be higher, probably 1/3 which would make their butchers bill almost 30,000.

Oh, dear God! Let this war be over soon. I don’t think I can take too many more “victories” like this one.

One final note: There’s word that General Pemberton has asked for terms of surrender from General Grant at Vicksburg. If true, that would make tomorrow the most memorable 4th of July since our founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence. Lee’s army beaten and Grant taking Vicksburg’s surrender. Perhaps this is the beginning of the end.

I pray this is so. So much blood shed. So much waste. So many tears.

I remember long ago some idiot Congressman saying that you’d be able to wipe up all the blood spilled in this war with a handkerchief. I wonder what happened to him? Someone should take him to Gettysburg so that he can make good on his boast.