orget that terrible last day of June. Our brave
boys, who, though taken by surprise, had so valiantly defeated the
enemy, built their bivouac fires and rested for the night on the field
of their recent victory. Stuart's cavalry was now losing caste, while
our troopers were not only adding fresh laurels to their chaplet of
renown, but also new fibres of vitality to the hearts and hands which
loved and defended the sacred Tree of Liberty.

FIRST DAY AT GETTYSBURG.

General Buford, with his division, had moved from Frederick City
directly to Gettysburg, the capital of Adams County, a rural village of
about three thousand inhabitants, beautifully situated among the hills,
which, though quite lofty, are generally well cultivated. The general
found the borough very quiet, and passed through; but he had not
proceeded far beyond before he met the van of the Rebel army under
General Heth, of Hill's Corps. The dauntless troopers charged furiously
the invading hordes, and drove them back upon their supports, where our
boys were driven back in their turn before overwhelming numbers. As
Providence would have it, our infantry advance, under General James S.
Wadsworth, marching from the village of Emmitsburg, hearing the familiar
sound of battle, went into a double-quick, and, hastening through
Gettysburg, struck the advancing Rebel column just in time to seize and
occupy the range of hills that overlooks the place from the north-west,
in the direction of Chambersburg.

General John F. Reynolds, a true Pennsylvanian, was in command of our
entire advance, which consisted of the First and Eleventh Corps, about
twenty-two thousand strong. As General Wadsworth was placing his
division in position, General Reynolds went forward quite alone to
reconnoitre, when he discovered a heavy force of the enemy in a grove
not far distant. Dismounting quickly he crouched down by a fence through
which he sought to survey the force and its position by means of his
field-glass, when a whistling ball from a sharpshooter's musket struck
him in the neck. He fell on his face and baptized with his life-blood
the soil which had given him birth. His untimely fall, especially at
this crisis and almost in sight of his childhood's home, was generally
lamented. His lifeless form was borne away to the rear just as the
Rebels in heavy force advanced upon not more than one-third their
number.

General Abner Doubleday had to assume command of our forces under thi