ARMY OPERATIONS. 



103 



Corps and other commanders are authorized to order 

 the instant death of any soldier who fails to do his duty 

 at this hour. 



By command of Major-Gen. MEADE. 



S. WILLIAMS, Assistant Adjutant-Gen. 



Gettysburg, whither both armies were mov- 

 ing, was not only the capital of the county in 

 which it is located, but a central point to which 

 many roads converged. The road from West- 

 minster, by which the sixth corps was advancing, 

 comes in on the southeast ; that from Taney- 

 town, by which the third and twelfth were ad- 

 vancing, comes in on the south, which was the 

 route also of the second and fifth ; that from 

 Emmitsburg, by which the first and eleventh 

 corps. were advancing, comes in on the south- 

 west ; that from Ohambersburg, by which the 

 Confederate corps of Gens. Longstreet and 

 Hill were advancing, comes in on the north- 

 west ; and those from Harrisburg and York, by 

 which the corps of Gen. Ewell was advancing, 

 come in on the northeast. 



On "Wednesday morning, Maj.-Gen. Reynolds, 

 in command of the first corps, advanced on the 

 Emmitsburg road from Marsh creek to Get- 

 tysburg, where he arrived about ten o'clock, 

 and marched directly through the town. A 

 body of the enemy, being the advance of Gen. 

 Heth's division of Gen. Hill's corps, was dis- 

 covered to be posted on the road that came in 

 from Chambersburg on the northwest. They 

 were driven back by Gen. Buford's cavalry. 

 The division, coming up, drove back the caval- 



ry. At this time the first corps appeared. The 

 first division, under Gen. Wadsworth, was in 

 the advance. The division of Gen. Doubleday 

 followed and formed on the left, and that of 

 Gen. Robinson on the right. The position occu- 

 pied was a ridge northwest of the town, which 

 sloped to the west, into a little open valley of 

 ploughed fields and meadows. Beyond the 

 valley is a ridge of higher land thickly wooded. 

 The valley runs in a southwesterly direction. 

 Across this valley the line of Gen. Reynolds 

 advanced somewhat hastily, almost before it 

 was well formed, and soon encountered a 

 heavy force of the enemy's infantry, by which 

 it was driven, but fell back in good order. The 

 impetuosity of the enemy caused them to press 

 the right centre too rashly, and, by a movement 

 of the left centre upon the flank of the foe, a 

 large number were taken prisoners. The ad- 

 vance of the enemy was broken soon after, and 

 Gen. Reynolds prepared to go forward. His line 

 advanced as before, and drove the enemy from 

 the valley and over the ridge at the farther 

 side, with a heavy loss by the severe fire of 

 the foe. His line of skirmishers was now 

 thrown out some distance from the hill, and 

 Gen. Reynolds, upon going out to it to recon- 

 noitre, was killed by a shot from the enemy. 



The eleventh corps now arrived, and Gen. 

 Howard assumed the command of the whole 

 field, while Gen. Schurz took command of the 

 eleventh corps. Gen. Doubleday now com- 

 manded the first corps. 



