Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 33.djvu/151

 General Lee at Gettysburg. 147

of "rocky ridge and rugged hills. The lower convex curve of the hook was the Cemetery hill opposite the town. To the northeast the ridge curved back to the barb of the hook, the rocky sides of Gulp's hill, and to the south and east the long shank lay across the country for several miles to find its head in the double Round Top. Two main roads from the east came within the hook on their way to Gettysburg, the Baltimore and the Tarrytown roads, and along them Meade's rapidly arriving corps found ways prepared. They occupied at once the concave curved lines; and were near, each to the other, for support in any time of need. Meade on the defense had both the natural position and the inner lines, while Lee on the offensive had the open field and steep and rugged slopes, and the longer outside lines. Lee was compelled to make a larger fish- hook, and extend a thin line from the left, before Gulp's hill, by the town and away off to the head of the hook at Round Top.

THE SECOND DAY.

There can be no question that General Lee intended to attack very early in the morning of the second day, July 2nd. He said so to Ewell and his generals the night before on the Carlisle road. He said so to Longstreet a little while later, near the Cemetery Hill. General Pendleton, his Chief of Artillery, an Episcopal clergyman, says that General Lee told him that night that he "had ordered General Longstreet to attack on the flank at sunrise next morning." General Long, ol General Lee's staff, writes that in his opinion "orders were issued for the movement to begin on the enemy's left as early as practicable."

Longstreet' s leading brigade, Kershaw's, was in bivouac only two miles from Gettysburg. McLaws, about six miles back, was ordered to move at 4 A. M., and, singularly, this order was changed during the night to read "early in the morning." General Lee was him- self in the saddle before the day dawned. He looked eagerly for the arrival of Anderson of Hill's corps, and for McLaws and Hood, of Longstreet' s corps. But it was seven o'clock before Anderson began to move; it was nine o'clock before Hill's divisions were formed along Seminary Ridge, and " Longstreet' s men consumed more than three hours of sunlight in making a journey of from two to four miles." (Dr. H. A. White, p. 201.)

It was Lee's purpose to turn the enemy's left flank with Long- street's command, while the other corps were to make demonstra-