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| Confederate Headquarters.2 |
1863. |
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[64]
the former, by a forced night march, arrived early in the morning, and the latter at two o'clock in the afternoon.1
Lee, too, had been bringing forward his troops as rapidly as possible.
He made his Headquarters on Seminary Ridge, at the house of the venerable Mary Marshall, where the Chambersburg road crosses the eminence, and on the morning of the 2d of July, a greater portion of the two armies confronted each other, both in a strong position, with the little village of Gettysburg, and a valley not a mile in width, between them.
Meade's army lay along Rocky heights, forming two sides of a triangle, with its apex at Cemetery Hill, near the town, its shorter line bending back southeasterly over Culp'a Hill to Rocky Creek, and its longer line
bending back south-southwest to Round Top.3 Howard's shattered corps, re-enforced by two thousand Vermont troops under General Stannard; occupied Cemetery Hill, supported by the divisions of Robinson and Doubleday, of the First, with Wadsworth's, of the same corps, on the right.
This division joined Slocum's corps on Culp's Hill, which formed the right wing of the army.
On the left of Howard, the corps of Hancock and Sickles occupied the irregular Ridge from Zeigler's Grove, on Cemetery Hill, to Round Top, the latter forming the extreme of the left wing.
Sykes's corps was held in reserve.
Slocum's corps, re-enforced by Lockwood's Marylanders, twenty-five hundred strong, comprised about ten thousand men. Sedgwick, with over fifteen thousand men, was yet many miles away.
Lee's army then present occupied Seminary Ridge and the high ground to the left of Rock Creek, making an irregular curve along a line about.five miles in length.
His right, facing Sickles and Hancock, was composed of the divisions of Hood and McLaws, of Longstreet's corps.
Hill's three divisions stretched from their left, so as to confront Howard on Cemetery Hill; and Ewell's, forming the left wing, occupied the village and its vicinity, the divisions of Early and Johnson extending so as to menace Wadsworth and Slocum on Culp's Hill.
Stuart's cavalry had not yet arrived from Carlisle, and Buford's so roughly handled the day before, was recruiting its strength in the National rear.
Such was the General disposition of the two armies on the morning of the 2d of July,
each having a large number of cannon in position.
1 Sykes was not far from Hanover, twenty-three miles distant, when ordered to advance, and Sedgwick was at Manchester, more than thirty miles distant.
2 this was the appearance of Lee's Headquarters when the writer sketched it, from the Chambersburg road, late in September, 1866. it was a substantial old stone House. Mrs. Marshall yet occupied it, and was then seventy-eight years of age.
3 see note 1, page 59.
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