State

North Carolina at Gettysburg II. The Hills at Evening By MAINLY WADE WELLMAN Confederate Skirmishes at Gettysburg. The sun of July I. 1S63, had set over middle Pennsylvania in a rosy glory that seemed to foretell victory for Robert E. Lee and the Confed¬ eracy. Meade's advance elements of the Army of the Potomac had been driven out of Gettysburg and from the top of Seminary Ridge, and seven brigades of North Carolinians had done an important part of the driving. Those seven brigades, though dam¬ aged. now shared the army's assur¬ ance of triumph. In the morning they'd finish what they had begun. It would be like Manassas. Chancellorsville. Fredericksburg — only more so. The Yankees would take their licking in ' their own front yard. From the main street of Gettysburg, the blue infantry could be seen on Cemetery Hill, south of town and cast of Seminary Ridge. Two more hills stood close by. East Cemetery and I Culp's. Southward from these natural battle towers ran a ridge, and at its lower end were two more eminences, called Little Round Top and Big Round Top. Here, it was plain. Meade's Yankees prepared to defend themselves. Ewell had halted with his Second Corps that first evening. It was 4 o'clock or not far past, and the long summer day promised more than three hours of sunlight. Ewell’s junior of¬ ficers wanted to continue the attack from the town — that was what Stone¬ wall Jackson would have done — but Ewell refused. Lee. he said, did not want a decisive action until Long- street's First Corps came up. Both Build Strength Longstrcct was coming, but so were more Fcderals. Meade concentrated his full strength during the night of July 1. There was a conference of Lee's generals, a discussion and dis¬ approval of several plans, and at dawn Lee and Longstrcct mounted Senti¬ nary Ridge. From that vantage point they saw evidences of heavy enemy concentration on the heights oppo¬ site. All the Yankees in the world must be gathering. Longstrcct still wanted to wait, to THE STATE. Fcdr uary 21. 1953 make the Fcderals attack and be driv¬ en down Seminary Ridge again. But Lee could not agree. They were in hostile territory, with limited supplies of food and ammunition and no as¬ surance of more to come. He mus¬ tered his forces for battle. Along the southern extent of Sem¬ inary Ridge. Longstrect arranged his fine divisions, that had not yet fought. Above these, at the southwest corner of town, A. P. Hill's Corps was drawn up. As Lee rode through on his way to headquarters, the 43rd North Caro¬ lina in Daniel's Brigade, saw his familiar figure like a grand living equestrian statue — gray uniform, gray beard, gray horse. They had been or¬ dered not to cheer, but every man peeled his shabby hat from his head and stood at attention. Lee held up a hand, in greeting or benediction or both. Ready for Battle With Hill were Pettigrew’s North Carolina brigade, and near them two more brigades under Dorsey Pender. Just below town, in Rodcs’ and Early's divisions of Ewell’s Corps, were more Tar Heels. All of these outfits had tasted victory yesterday. Their appe¬ tites were whetted for more as the sun rose and showed them the foe. But arranging the battle line took time. Longstrcct was delaying today, as Ewell had delayed yesterday. His¬ torians agree that this bulky chief lieu¬ tenant of Lee was pouting because his own plans for battle were overruled. His troops were to strike the Union left in an effort to sieze the Round lops, while Ewell's and Hill's Corps, including all of the North Carolina infantry, would assail Culp's Hill. Once these two points were taken. Lee could bring artillery to them and rake the enemy on Cemetery Ridge between. It was past noon when Longstreet was ready to move, and his artillery opened. Not until past 4 p.m. did lie propose to send infantry across and against the Round Tops. Ewell, facing southward from Gettysburg toward Culp's Hill, waited for Longstrect to begin. Of the North Carolina brigades. Hoke’s was in Ewell’s first line of battle with Early at the south of town. Toward the west and below, at an angle. Pender's and Rodes' Divisions of Hill's Corps were drawn up ready — the rather shaken commands of 5