630 
ACHIEVEMENTS OE FIELD ARTILLERY. 
the crest of the little hill the fire of twelve guns cut them down. As 
the cannon thundered the ranks broke, only to be formed again with 
dogged determination. A third time the batteries tore the Federals 
to pieces, and as they fell back under this terrible fire I sprung every¬ 
thing to the charge. My troops leaped forward with exultant yells, 
and all along the line we pushed forward. Farther and still farther 
back we pressed them, until at ten o’clock at night we had the field. 
Pope was across Bull Bun, and the victorious Confederates lay down 
on the battle-field to sleep, while all around were strewn thousands— 
friend and foe, sleeping the last sleep together.” 1 2 
It would be difficult to add anything to this eloquent tribute to what 
may be done with guns, but we cannot lose the opportunity of record¬ 
ing our admiration for the soldierlike instinct that conceived and 
directed the blow, and obeyed Lee’s order in the spirit and not in the 
letter in which it was delivered. Mr. J. C. Ropes, in his excellent 
account of this battle, 3 also adds the following words of General Long- 
street : “ as it was evident that the attack against General Jackson 
could not be continued for ten minutes under the fire of these batteries, 
I made no movement with my troops. Before the second battery could 
be placed in position the enemy began to retire, and in less than ten 
minutes the ranks were broken and that portion of the army put to 
flight.” 
A year later, when Lee and Meade met to contest the possession of 
the Northern States on the ridges of Gettysburg, artillery again played 
a great part in three days of the most stubborn fighting of perhaps all 
the war. The Army of the Potomac under General Meade numbered 
82,000 men and 300 guns, to which Lee was able to oppose 73,500 men 
and 190 guns. Stuart with the latter lead 11,100 sabres and 16 guus, 
and Pleasanton with the former had about the same number of cavalry, 
and 27 guns. 
On the 1st of July, 1863, the Confederate army, advancing on 
Gettysburg from the North and West, struck the advanced posts of the 
Federals to the west of the town about 9 o’clock. The Federals being 
at first in inferior numbers were forced gradually back on the Seminary 
Ridge, here General Doubleday rallied his troops, and his artillery did 
excellent service in checking the enemy’s advance. 3 “ The first long 
line that came on from the west was swept away by our artillery, which 
fired with very destructive effect, taking the rebel line ‘ en echarpe .’ ” 
Although the Confederates came on in great numbers by the aid of this 
artillery, whose fire throughout was most effective, the Federals were 
able to beat back their foes, and almost detroyed the first line of the 
Scales’s brigade. Scales, who was wounded himself, says in his account 
that “ the fire was most severe,” and that “ every field officer but one was 
killed or wounded.” Eventually the shattered 1st Corps was obliged 
to fall back, which it did under the covering fire of its batteries, who 
remained in position to the latest possible moment, and were compelled 
1 “ Battles and Leaders of the Civil War,” Vol. II. 
2 “The Army under Pope,” by J. C. Ropes. 
3 “ Chancellorsville and Gettysburg,” by A. Doubleday, Major-General, Commanding 1st Corps 
at Gettysburg. 
