On the morning of the 29th under the im pression that all of Lee's army was along the Susquehanna, Meade marched by three diverg ent roads in that direction and on the night of the 30th his forces were thus distributed. Buford, with two brigades of cavalry, was in advance at Gettysburg; Reynolds' First corps on Marsh Creek, five miles southwest of Gettys burg; Sickles' Third Corps at Taneytown, and Howard's Eleventh corps at Emmitsburg. These three corps, constituting the left wing of the army, were under command of General Reynolds. Hancock's Second corps was at Uniontown; Syke's Fifth corps at Union Mills; Sedgwick's Sixth corps at Manchester; and Slocum's Twelfth corps at Littlestown. Gregg's cavalry division was at Westminster. Kil patrick's division, after a spirited fight with Stuart's cavalry at Hanover, bivouacked near that place. When Buford reached Gettysburg he went into camp just beyond the western limits of the town and threw out skirmishers three miles west and north.
The First Day's Heth's division, the advance of Hill's corps, moved from Cash town at 5 o'clock on the morning of 1 July, coming in sight of Buford's skirmishers about 9 o'clock, at which hour Buford fired his first gun as a signal for his skirmishers to open fire, and the battle of Gettysburg began. Heth ad vanced and Buford was slowly driven back, con testing every foot of ground, until Reynolds came up with Wadsworth's division, which be came immediately and desperately engaged. During this encounter Reynolds was killed. Doubleday, succeeding to the command of the first corps, continued the contest. The other two divisions of the corps came up at 11 o'clock, followed at 12.45 by Howard's corps, one divi sion of which was placed in reserve on Ceme tery Hill, the other two forming on Doubleday's right along Seminary Ridge. Meanwhile Hill had arrived with the remainder of his corps, and Ewell, arriving at 2.30 P.M. with Rodes' and Early's divisions, formed on Hill's left. Hill made successive assaults on Doubleday from the west, and Ewell upon Howard from the north, which were repulsed; but finally, after desperate fighting and great losses on both sides, Early struck Howard in flank, causing him to give way, and the entire Union line was driven back through the town to Cemetery Hill, about half a mile south, which had been chosen by Howard as a rallying point for the two corps, and upon which he had placed one of his own divisions. When Meade heard that Lee's advance had reached Gettysburg, and that Reynolds had been killed, he was at Taneytown, 14 miles away, preparing to take up'a defensive line along Pipe Creek. He ordered Hancock to ride forward and take command at Gettys burg. Hancock arrived as the Union troops were retreating through the town. He was struck with the advantages presented by Ceme tery Ridge for a defensive battle and he de termined to hold it and so notified Meade. He sent one of Doubleday's small brigades to hold Culp's Hill, on the right, and made an ostentatious display of Buford's cavalry on the extreme left. This show of force, and the great loss — over 7,000—sustained by the Con federates during the day, caused Lee to defer operations. Two divisions of Sickles' corps came up at dark; Slocum's corps came about the same time, and Slocum, as ranking officer, assumed command of the field, Hancock riding back to report to Meade that Gettysburg— to which point Meade had already ordered the concentration of his army — was the proper place to fight a battle. Hill's and Ewell's Con
federate corps were all up by night, and Long street bivouacked four miles in rear of Hill.
The Second General Meade arrived on the field at 1 o'clock on the morning of the 2d. All his troops except the Sixth corps were up by noon. The Sixth corps, having 34 miles to march from Manchester, did not come up until between 2 and 4 o'clock in the after noon. The position on which Meade disposed his army was in the shape of a fishhook. As finally posted, the Twelfth corps was on the right at Culp's Hill, facing east; Wadsworth's division on its left, facing north; the Eleventh corps on Cemetery Hill, on the left of Wads worth, its right facing northeast, its centre and left facing northwest, with Robinson's division of the First corps on its left, Doubleday's division in reserve. The Second corps, facing west, was on the left of Robinson; the Third corps on the left of the Second, with the Fifth, later in the day, on the extreme left. The Sixth corps was in rear of Round Top, on the left, as a reserve. Sickles, not satisfied with the position assigned the Third corps, moved, to the front about three-fourths of a mile, from where Meade would have recalled him, but it was too late to do so in presence of a vigilant enemy.
The main part of Lee's army was on Semi nary Ridge, a short mile west of Meade's left and centre; Longstreet on the right, with Hill on his left. Ewell's corps on the left held the town, and was at right angles to Hill and Longstreet. Pickett's division of Longstreet's corps had not come up. Skirmishing began in the morning. At 4 o'clock in the afternoon the battle opened by Longstreet's advance. He attacked Sickles with great fury and, although reinforced by Caldwell s division of the Second corps, and Barnes' and Ayres' divisions of the Fifth, after heavy fighting and great losses the Third corps and its supports were driven back beyond the main line. Longstreet followed, but was checked by a charge of Crawford's division of the Fifth corps and the firm and solid appearance of the Sixth corps. On Long street's right Hood's division advanced to seize Round Top, but was repulsed by Vincent's and Weed's brigades of the Fifth corps. Vin cent and Weed were killed, and Hood wounded. During the latter part of Longstreet's engage ment with Sickles two of Hill's brigades as sailed Hancock's line and broke it, but were soon driven back. At about the same time Hays' and Hoke's brigades of Early's division assaulted Howard's line on Cemetery Hill, but were driven back with the assistance of two regiments and Carroll's brigade of Hancock's corps. Still further on the Confederate left Johnson's division of Ewell's corps assaulted Culp's Hill, then held by Wadsworth's division of the First corps and Green's small brigade of the Twelfth corps, the rest of the corps having been withdrawn and sent to the assistance of the left. Johnson's right, continuing the fight until late in the night, was repulsed, but his left entered, unopposed, the strong works thrown up by the Twelfth corps, and was per ilously near the practically unguarded reserve artillery and ammunition train of the Army of the Potomac. Upon the return of the Twelfth corps during the night to its former position, finding it occupied, it waited until daylight be fore attempting to retake it. Meanwhile John son was being reinforced by three brigades, that he might hold his ground and renew his fight.