Ozaukee County's
War History
by Daniel E. McGinley

as extracted from THE PORT WASHINGTON STAR
August 7, 1897



26th Wisconsin
Chapter 8

By this time, Lee's whole army was marching through the green fields of Pennsylvania, and on June 27th, his advance division was within thirteen miles of Harrisburg, the state capital. His invasion had stirred up the wildest kind of a commotion, not only in Pennsylvania but throughout the North, and the people began to think that the boast of the blatant Georgia Senator Toombs, that he would call the roll of his slaves at the base of Bunker Hill Monument, might soon be realized. The enemy seemed to be very near and the Army of the Potomac very far away. On the 28th, Stuart's rebel cavalry rode close to Washington and Baltimore, and gave the inhabitants of those cities a bade scare; while on the same day, the Richmond government telegraphed in every direction orders for troops to hurry to the protection of the rebel capital, a force of Union troops at the "White House" causing a panic among the officers of the government.

President Lincoln had, a few days previous to this, called upon the states of Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia and New York to raise 120,000 men to assist in driving the invaders back, and Governor Curtin of Pennsylvania set to work to raise and equip 60,000 men who were styled the "Emergency Militia." But as there were little else than shot-guns to arm them with, these troops were not very effective.

Lee, unaware that Hooker was following him closely, pressed northward rapidly; every day adding fresh impetus to the excitement and preparations in his front and rear and upon both flanks. The great North was now thoroughly aroused, and troops were hurried to the threatened points by every train. Hooker applied to the authorities at Washington for permission to take the 10,000 men garrisoning Harper's Ferry, and add them to the Twelfth Corps under Gen. Slocum, for the purpose of acting directly against Lee's communications and harassing his rear. This request was flatly refused by "Grandmother" Halleck, and Hooker tendered his resignation, which was accepted on the 28th and Gen. Geo. G. Meade was given the command of the Army of the Potomac. Having learned on the 28th that the Union army was in the vicinity of Frederick, Md., Lee was greatly surprised, and immediately issued orders for the concentration of his own army at Gettysburg, Pa., from which point he could threaten both Philadelphia and Washington. But like many other well laid plans, this one failed for the reason that the Union army was moving upon the same point.

On Sunday, June 28th, the Twenty-sixty, accompanying the movements of the Eleventh Corps, left Middletown and passing Frederick bivouacked a short distance beyond. On the 20th the corps pressed on in the midst of a steady rain and passing through Utica and Creagersville, bivouacked near Emmetsburg. The next day, the Eleventh Corps remained quietly at Emmetsburg, which was about ten miles south of Gettysburg. The First Corps was nearer Gettysburg on Marsh Creek; the Second and Third corps were some ten miles east of Emmetsburg, at Taneytown, with the fifth corps near by at Union Mills; the Twelfth was nine miles further east at Frizzelburg; and the Sixth corps some seven miles still further east at Westminster.

Ewell's corps of Lee's army was approaching Gettysburg from the north, and on the night of the 30th, bivouacked within nine miles of it. The other rebel corps were further away from Gettysburg than was the bulk of Meade's army. That night Stuart with his rebel cavalry, bivouacked but a few miles from the Union army; and not having received Lee's order for a concentration at Gettysburg, started the next morning for York where he expected to find Ewell's corps. He encountered Kilpatrick and his Union cavalry at Hanover, where the rebel troopers received a severe drubbing, but taking another route, Stuart kept on towards York, passing within seven miles of Ewell's column, which was marching toward Gettysburg, neither being aware of the proximity of the other. This mistake took the rebel cavalry so far away that it did not take part in the battle of the first day at Gettysburg, a most fortunate circumstance for the Union cause.

By evening on June 30th, Meade knew that Lee was concentrating at Gettysburg, but he issued no orders that night, and the great battle of Gettysburg began next day without any plan being formulated by the Union Commander. Gen. John F. Reynolds, commanding the First corps and the left wing of the Union army, was a Pennsylvanian by birth, and inflamed at witnessing the devastation of his native state, was eager to meet the foe as soon as possible His command was the nearest to Gettysburg, and he determined to advance to and hold that place at all hazards. Two Union cavalry brigades took possession of the little village that night, under Gen. Buford, and early on the morning of the 1st of July, the First and Eleventh corps were marching rapidly toward the now famous town.

Heth's division of Hill's rebel corps also started at an early hour to occupy Gettysburg, and soon found itself confronted by Buford's skirmishers. As the rebels had had several encounters with the militia, who were easily routed, they did not expect to meet a serious resistance that morning, and advanced with great confidence. At 9 A.M., three cannon shots were fired by Buford's command as a signal for his skirmishers to open on the enemy, and the great battle of Gettysburg began with a sharp fight between our cavalry and the rebel infantry, our cavalry being partly dismounted and fighting as infantry.

Two armies that met in the great struggle on the ridges of Gettysburg, were in numbers as follows, according to the best authorities:

The Army of the Potomac, Gen. Meade, 82,000 men and 300 guns.

The Army of Northern Virginia, Gen. Lee, 73,500 men and 190 guns.

Stuart's cavalry, 11,100 men and 16 guns.

Pleasanton's cavalry, 11,000 men and 27 guns.

Gen. Reynolds rode anxiously at the head of the infantry column which was hurrying toward Gettysburg that morning The leading division was Gen. Wadsworth's First Division of the First Corps, and one of its two brigades was the famous "Iron Brigade" in which were the Second, Sixth and Seventh Wisconsin regiments. Veterans of many hard-fought fields, the men of this brigade were not unfamiliar with the sounds which were wafted to their ears from the front that beautiful July morning, but the anxious expression upon the commander's face caused their officers to urge the men to hasten forward with all possible speed. On to and through the little town the tired troops hurried under the broiling sun, and crossing Seminary Ridge, swung into line of battle on either sides of the Chambersburg and Fairfield pikes, just as the cavalry skirmishers began to give way before the overpowering numbers of the rebel infantry.

It is not my intention to go into the details of this battle, which are familiar to every student of history, for on account of its situation, the battle of Gettysburg has been more thoroughly written up than any other battle of that war. I will simply tell as much about this engagement as will be necessary to show the part taken in it by our boys of the Twenty-sixth Wisconsin.

The Badger boys of the Iron Brigade met the advancing rebel lines with their usual gallantry, and after a desperate struggle, checked the enemy on the left, and driving him back some distance, captured the rebel General Arcker and a large part of his brigade. The Sixth Wisconsin, being detached from the brigade and sent to the assistance of the other brigade, which was being pressed back by superior numbers, advanced at a double quick, and taking the enemy in the flank, drove him into a deep railroad cut. The Sixth gallantly charged on the rebel position, and captured a whole regiment, colors and all, but at a terrible cost, scores of the brave boys going down before the murderous fire. The two brigades fought heroically for nearly two hours, when the enemy having been largely reinforced, began to pour around both flanks of the Union line, and the order was given to fall back through the town to Cemetery Ridge, a high range of hills south of the town. Gen. Reynolds, when he first reached the field, had picked out Cemetery Ridge as a rallying point, and as the best place to form the Union line of battle. It is said that he sent orders to the Eleventh Corps to form on the Ridge when it reached the field, intending to fall back to it with the First Corps at the proper time. Thus fate gave this gallant son of the Keystone state the honor of choosing the ground upon which to fight one of the greatest battles of the century, and in which the invaders of her soil suffered a decisive defeat. But the brave General did not live to witness the triumph of our arms, for while watching the Iron Brigade open the infantry battle that morning, he was struck by a minie and instantly killed. Reddening with his life blood the soil of his native state, and dying while defending it and his country's flag, the death of gen. Reynolds was a most happy one. Neither his country nor his state has forgotten his services, and a magnificent monument has been erected to his memory upon the spot where he fell so gloriously on that July morn.

Early that morning, the Eleventh Corps was aroused from hits slumbers and told to prepare for a march. At seven o'clock it was stretched out on the road and marching rapidly toward Gettysburg, the distant boom! boom! of cannon warning the troops that some of their friends had met the enemy there. When they came within a few miles of the town, the din of battle was wafted plainly to their ears and the balance of the distance was marched at a doublequick. Gen. Howard and his staff reached the scene of action some time before his corps arrived, and as he rode out of town towards the front, he met two regiments falling back hastily, as they had been ordered to do so by Gen. Wadsworth. Instead of waiting to hear or see further, he dispatched an officer in haste to Gen. Meade at Taneytown, with the message that the First corps had fled from the field at the fist contact with the enemy! The truth of the matter is that but one division of the First Corps had as yet reached the field, and it was gallantly holding its line against great odds. Thus we find the evil genius of Chancellorsville making an exasperating blunder at Gettysburg before he scarcely reached the field, and doing a great injustice to one of the best corps in the army.

At 11 A.M., the balance of the First Corps reached the field and was deployed west of the town, but the rebels received heavy reinforcements also, and the battle was growing in dimensions every hour. The whole of the First Corps was soon heavily engaged, and seeing that it was being hard pressed, Howard sent back an order to the Eleventh Corps to hurry forward and the weary troops redoubled their exertions to get to the aid of their comrades, many dropping by the roadside from sheer fatigue. The First corps was now commanded by Gen. Doubleday, and Howard, being the ranking officer on the field, assumed the command of both corps, the command of the Eleventh Corps falling to Gen. Schurz.

The head of the Eleventh Corps reached the field shortly after noon, Schurz's division, Schimmelphennig leading the way. They were deployed in line on the right of the First Corps, on the north side of the town and facing north. Barlow's division on coming up, was placed on the extreme right, while the other division was ordered to Cemetery Ridge as a reserve.

When Meade hard of Reynold's death, he sent gen. Hancock to the front to assume command of the troops there, but Howard being Hancock's ranking officer, refused to be commanded by him, and thus for a time, there were two Union commanders on the field.