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ridge of land, branching from the main ridge and losing itself in some low lands in front of the Round Tops.
On the other side of the valley was another ridge, well lined with woods, which was almost parallel with Cemetery Ridge.
This one was called Seminary Ridge, from the Seminary which stood upon it.
The rebel signal station was visible, and on the low ridge stretching to right and left, from that was the advance line of battle of Gen. Lee,—a fine position, but not as strong as the one selected by Gen. Hancock.
On the morning of the second of July, the Sixth and Fifth Corps had not yet taken up their final positions.
The Fifth Corps had a march of 36 miles to make in the night of July 1st and the morning of the 2nd and that morning passed very quietly for the other Union forces.
Notwithstanding Ewell's success, Lee made no effort until the balance of his army could get up, under Longstreet, and this occupied the entire forenoon.
Far in the north could be seen the dust made by Stuart, returning from his wild escapade around the Union army.
Down to the left, Kilpatrick and his men were seen to come up. The Union troops were rapidly getting their positions and there was a feeling that a hard struggle was before them.
Failure to drive the enemy, everyone knew, meant invasion of the North.
Lee's failure to drive Meade and Hancock meant, perhaps, the destruction of his army.
The summer sun gilded leaf and trunk, hill and plain.
Light summer airs just stirred flag and plume, and it was hard to realize that ere many hours all the many-sided savagery of war would be here.
Early in the morning, there occurred a movement which nearly led to dire disaster.
Gen. Sickles' disposition was a little lower on the crest than the rest of the line, the Emmetsburg road really overtopping it. With the best of intentions to accomplish a great purpose, he decided to sieze the Emmetsburg road.
This new position caused an angle where Sickles' left was thrown back to make connection with Little Round Top. The angle was in a peach orchard and was not a strong position.
It brought the Third Corps into a very advanced position, left its flank ‘in the air’ and opened a gap of some
Salem Press. Co., Salem, Ma., 1906.
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