sunk to rest, well-nigh exhausted with the bloody carnage of the weary
day. But Stuart, who had hoped to break in upon our flank and rear, and
to pounce upon our trains, was not only foiled in his endeavor by the
gallant Kilpatrick, but also driven back upon his infantry supports, and
badly beaten.

In the night, Kilpatrick, after leaving a sufficient force to prevent
Stuart from doing any special damage on our right, swung around with the
rest of his troopers to the left of our line, near Round Top, and was
there prepared for any work which might be assigned him.

THE LAST EFFORT.

_Friday, July 3._--The sun rose bright and warm, and looked down upon
the blackened corpses of the dead, which were strewn over the bloody
earth; upon the wounded who had not been cared for, and upon long
glistening lines of armed men, ready to renew the conflict. Each
antagonist, rousing every slumbering element of power, seemed to be
resolved upon victory or death. The fight commenced early by an attack
of General Slocum's men, who, determined to regain the rifle-pits they
had lost the evening before, descended like an avalanche upon the foe.
The attack met with a prompt response from General Ewell. But after
several hours of desperate fighting, victory perched upon the Union
banners, and with great loss and slaughter the Rebels were driven out of
the breastworks, and fell back upon their main lines near Benner's Hill.

This successful move on the part of our boys in blue was followed by
ominous lull or quiet, which continued about three hours. Meanwhile the
silence was fitfully broken by an occasional spit of fire, while every
preparation was being made for a last, supreme effort, which, it was
expected, would decide the mighty contest. The scales were being poised
for the last time, and upon the one side or the other was soon to be
written the "_Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin_." Hearts either trembled or
waxed strong in the awful presence of this responsibility.

At length one o'clock arrived; a signal-gun was fired, and then at least
one hundred and twenty-five guns from Hill and Longstreet concentrated
and crossed their fires upon Cemetery Hill, the centre and key of our
position. Just behind this crest, though much exposed, were General
Meade's headquarters. For nearly two hours this hill was ploughed and
torn by solid shot and bursting shell, while about one hundred guns on
our side, mainly from this crest and Round Top, made sh