OF LAN'CASTER COUXTV. 405 



the left. He was appointed military -„venu.r of that .ity, a.i.l Iiis aclininistniti..n ..f 

 affairs so was vigorous and equitable that the loyal citizens i-cjoi.-ed in the estahUsh- 

 ment of the authority of the United States in their midst. His troops were prt-Hfut. 

 but were not called into action at the battle of C'hancelh.i-sville. iWheii (Joncra'l 

 Meade moved the army from Frederick into Pennsylvania, exiK-etinj; eatli hour to 

 encounter the rebel force, he selected General Reynolds, his bosi.ni friend, and the man 

 of all others in whom he reposed the most implicit conhdence, t.) lead the advanw 

 wing, composed of three corps, the First, Third and Eleventh. Momiii;,' an«l 

 evening, frequently during the day, and in the still hours of ni^ht, tliesT- two 

 distinguished soldiers, Pennsylvania's noblest contributions to the army, ennld 1>e 

 seen in close consultation and earnest discussion. The connnanding genenil eoinninni- 

 cated fully all liis plans and intended movements to his comi)ani<.n, and heani witli 

 deep interest the comments of the great soldier. Reynolds in turn, witli the \vh..le 

 ardor of his noble nature, entered into tlie worlc assigned him; he hd f«.rtli his tniops. 

 marching at the head of the great army as a patriot going out to battle for tlie honor of 

 his country and the liberty of his race. 



When, on the morning of the 1st of July, he rose to tlie summit of the liills in front 

 of Gettysburg, he saw at a glance, as his practised eyeViewed the country around him, 

 that there, on those rocky hills, must be fought the great battle, which was to decide 

 whether the honor of the Northern people should be preserved inviolate, or wlielher 

 their cities, and country, and villages should be sacked and destroyed by the inva<ling 

 foe. 



Arriving nearer the town, at eleven o'clock in the forenoon, he found General IJuford's 

 cavalry division already skirmishing with the Confederate troops, who ajipeared two 

 miles to the westward. Reynolds, with his accustomed boldness to attack, did not lies- 

 itate as to his duty, or wait for instructions; he was an accomplished .sohlier, and know- 

 ing that it was Meade's determination to fight tlie enemy on the fii"st advantageous 

 ground in his front, immediately advanced to the support of Buford's cavaln,-, and en- 

 gaged the enemy. The First corps pushed fonvard through the town to occupy a hill 

 on the west side, near Pennsylvania College, where it encountered Heath's division of 

 Hill's corps of Confederate troops. The battle opened with artillery, in which the 

 enemy at first had the advantage. Reynolds rode forward to change the position of the 

 batteries; the rebel infantry immediately advanced, pushing forward a heavy skirmish 

 line, and charged upon the guns, expecting tocai)tuie them. General Reynolds ordeivd 

 up Wadsworth's division to resist the charge, and rode at the head of the column to 

 direct and encourage the troops; but his gallantry made him a conspicuous mark for 

 the deadly bullets of rebel skirmishers, and he was shot through tlio neck, and fell 

 mortally wounded, dying before he could be removed from the field. The loss of tlieir 

 brave leader, personally the most popular officer of his rank in the army, might well have 

 seriously affected the behaviour of the men; but the spirit with which liis prcscni-c had 

 inspired them did not perish at his death; his corps, led by the senior officer. General 

 Doubleday, repulsed the enemy in a gallant charge, while the fighting, for a time, 

 became a hand-to-hand struggle, during which the rebel General Archer and liis wlu.le 

 brigade were captured and sent to the rear. 



General Reynolds was charged l)y some military criti.s with rashness in prematiuvly 

 bringing on the battle of Gettysburg; but it would, perhaps, be more .in>t to say that 

 he had but little direct agency in bringing it on; that it was unavoi.lable: tliat it wa.s 

 forced upon us by the rebels; that if they had not been held in check that day. they 

 would have pressed on, and obtained the impregnable position which our tnM>ps wen.' 

 enabled to hold; and that, most of all, the hand of Providence, who gave ns at l.x>t 

 a signal victory, guided the arrangements of that memorable day.- 



1 Sypher's History of the Pennsylvania Feservcs. 



2 Prof. Jacobs' Notes on the battle of G-ettysbursf. 



