. . • . . • . _ _ . ... . . . . . - . . , . . ..._ . . • ‘ .„-:•,., ." 7 , : „ - ... • •,- . . • . , •,_ • --• ..., ,-• -- I ,• - ; - ,1 1 f... ••,,..'" •,• :-.--7 . . . , . .. _ . . ...-.-..-- - , I , ..... - . : .7N : -.. ..' .t . ..,,, - - ). t ' ..-• 'i * - \ ....- ..) • . . . L:t . • . .. ,- 11...,'1:-.....,... - . . - -:•\,, , .. . .. .. •:-.: e• " • ' • ...31'.. . \.. . - - •---1• , ... I-'•••. ' - • I rl f- i• • . , • . . . . • • .-. ' ' _ -- . , . . . . - . /.„.. IMI FCLURE & STONFAL "tr.341:14 gktFo'Aiticivg. PHILIiDELPHIA Startlin Decision by the Supreme Court—Th g. e Conscription Act Declared Unconstitutional by Judges Lowrie, W oodward anti Thompson—Strong and Reed Aflira! It—The Secret His tory or this Judicial Vengeance Against Our Nationality—lts Early Correction Assured by the Late Elec tion.. • glitoriallilorrespowlenee of The Repository. PRILADELPUIA, NOv. 12„1863 The decision just rendered by a majority of the Supreme Court of PennsylVania in Pittsburg, whereby the ConZiotion-abt is &dared unconstitutional, has justly star tled_ the . loyal sentiment 'ot 'all parties throughouttbe State. It• has fallen with appalling solemnity upon men of every po . litical'persua[siono and has brought mingled shame and sorrow upon allot the Demnerat-, io faith,'save only the Reeds, -the Whar on*, the Ingerhdls and others. who are :saved from, open treason only by their cow ardice. • Hundreds of honest Democrats. who supported .Indge' Woodward at the late.eleetion, believing that he would mairr fain-the'right of the r Republic' to preserve its : owtilife against armed treason, openly congranlaie themselves and the country -that Gov. Curtin was chosen over him; and were - the vote to be taken tomorrow, would be beaten by treble the majority cast against him here in October last: . It is painfultO dwell upon the"narrow pre judices, the: petty• political uses, and the controlling_ disappointments to which the judicial tribunal of last resort in Pennsylva• nia has been dwarfed. I would gladly turn' from these' to vindidate its unwavering dis-_ pensation of justice ; its enlightened, liberal and faithful devotion to the government whose guardianslfip has been therein , en-. trusted. But tii4 spoiler has invaded the kiered sanctuary of the court, tempting its high priests with the dazzling bauble of ambition, and they have pro'ed themselves but mortals with no common share of infir- • mines s As soon as it was- officially announced that the draft would be. enforcedin- Penn. sykania to replenish the shattered ranks of our. heroic armies, it vas resolved, by a con .eltive of Democratic politicians in this city, - that it„s constitutionality should be tested in the Courts. It vas not to be done for the purpose of testing the correctness of the. law so much as to accomplish Certain polit-' ifa.l results. I do - not know that any of the Judges of the Supreme Court were in any 4 - rgtee, a party to the, movement Judge Woodward was then the Democratic nomi inee for the Gubernatorial . chair, and the -original intention of the ,proceedings was to proinote his election.. Politicians of widely different views of party policy united in it —one party insisting that Judge Wood ward should deliver the opinion of the Court - affirming the law, while others_hoped to,:have him pronounce it unconstitutional preparatory to the practical o'erthrow of the government after he should be elected Governor. It is not probable that he was consulted by these men who, as Chief Jus tice Lowrie says, sought to make the Union the sport of partizan struggreg;' ' but, they_ confidently relied upon a Democratic court, 'whose members' composed the entire Dem ocratic. State, ticket, to yield `no common degree of deference to the political necessi::' ties of the times, and to render a decision far or : against the law as policy might die utte. Accordingly a case was made up. Three conscripts were brought before Judge Woodward by petition, as soon as the draft had been made, and Geo. Wharton and One or two attorneys of like rebel pioelivi ties, appeared to defend the claims of the petitioners for an injunction to restrain the officers of the draft, on the ground that the law was unconstitutional. The govermiient did not appear by counsel, mainly, I pre ,sume, because the jurisdiction of the court was not cooceded by the United'States au thorities, and Woodward heard the on the petition and ex parte argumduts against the law ; but 'when the time arrived fbr a deobion, he became afraid to raffle for so huge a political elephant lest he should.lose his stake or win his deadliest foe in the an imal. . I do not colijecturd when I say that the question 'of Judge Woodward deciding for or against the law, or not deciding at all - until after the election, was the subject of repeated and grave consultations by the political leaders of his party; and that ear - nest and confflicting suggestions Were Made to him on the subject by those /caders, _is not a matter of doubt. How far he deferr ed to xhetn, if it all, I cannot say; but his timidity_ disappointed all parties when he resolved to postpone the issue and compel his associates to take their share of the re sponsibility, Thus was the decision post-: poned until after the election ; and now it would seem that the defeated members of that court had aimed, withNsurious yen -panne, at the government of the people wb a bad discarded them. his not the purpose of this letter to at tempt to discuss the legal questions raised 'end.decided in this case. But a glance aft- the 'circumstances surrounding it; the causes which combined to produce this un timely, deformed and still-born legal birth; the men who must stand before the world stantped with the blot of its paternity, and the r'esults hoped, to be attained by it, is merit ed alike by the gravity ethe issue, and the fearful subordination of, judicial fidelity/to political .prejUdice, intensified by a distaste ful popular verdict. , Chief Justice Lowrie -was nominee of his • party for re.electiih, - and his Union competitor was chosen. -Re is a man of mo derate abilities ;. of eminent pity of char acter, and had he been able as measured himself, would have been \ above t - cruel follies which come from little *nds in the day of politkal misfortanei: 4. seceder from the Whig faith, he nituTallitook on the extreme opposite view of: tipliticaiquestions, and had he not been reSiplned by the .judi cial mantle, he would dot;btless long since have been side by side :with Reed, Whar ton:and other renegade:Oti-slavery As it was, he imagined liimself a very re spectable conservative,- tiAd, has just crop ped out a deadly but :iniPotent foe of the Republic.. He perhapOioes not believe that his decision is a very hunible and abor tive imitation of one of old, who pulled the pillars of the temple doWn with him to give his enemies a common grave with himself ; but it is nevertheless the 'truth. It is due to him to say_that he has not performed his intended . wprkof death with out.some hesitation. and 4fa decent show of ciyfei•ence to the claims of an imperiled Na- Lion and the:well matured opinions se men abler thanhimself. He4mits that he has not "an entire 'conviction of the truth of my (his) conclusions" as Would like to have, and follows with an a'polOky to the effect that the injunction he granted "is only preliminary to the final hearing," but upon the whole he concludes that the con scription actinvades the rights ofthe States and must therefore be void. He of course refers to the provisions of the Con stitntion which authorize - Congress, "to raise and support armies . ;" "to provide for calling- forth the militia to execute the laws of the Union, suppress insurrection and rebel, invasion ;" admits that it is expressly empoWered to " pass all laws which shall be necessary and proper" for the purpose ; And with much more candor than strength to his argument; hecencedes that President. Washington and Gen. Knox, his Secretary of War, in 1790, and President Madison, with Monroe as Secretary of War, in 1814, " reconiMended plans ofreerniting the army hiete-cere very sicraita ail- one,'hut he dismisses the opinions 1)1 .- those eminent military and civil functionaries, who helped to create the Constitution, by saying that Congress did not adopt or discuis the meas ure so as to " settle the question." TA this the Chief Justice has allowed - hiS zeal to get the better of his knowledge of history. The law proposed by Madison and Monroe in 1814; which was "very similar" to the one he declares void, was well matured in the Cabinet; was passed by both branches of Congress, and failed finally on a disagreement between the two houses on unimportant details.. On the main question, however— that of authorizing the President to call put and conscript the militia of the States, with or without. the consent of the State authorities, there was no difference between the two Houses, - both adopted it,—the Senate by a vote of-19 to 12, and the House' by 84 to 72 ; and the clause authorizing-the, : President to overslaugh such Executives as Judge Woodward would have made had he, not been second best at the late election, passed the. House 87 - to 42. This measure had the MA sanction of Madison, of Mon roe, of Giles, and of Callninn, the father of the ultra States Rights heresy; and it was left for two discomfited Judge's 'of Pennsyl vania to signalize their overthrow,-by irink ing deeper at the, very fountain from which has coursed gigantic treason, than did those • who opened up its'patilential stream: That Judge Woodward Should decide with Lowrie . ; or rather have Lowrie decide with him, is only natural. Eminently able; with prejudices rising high over himself; implacably bitter, and ever the child of po litical misfortnne, he goes at: the work of striking at the vitals of the Nation with a zest before which petty treason pales. While Lowrie hesitates; pretends some def erence to the fathers of the Republic who originated the measure, and approaches his cohclusion with a modest trembling,. Judge Woodward strikes out with a gallantry that would have made hini beloved and great had it been right instead of wrong—had-it been to preserve the government and not to destroy it—bad his keen blade,been at .treason instead of his own NationalitY. He defers to none—concedes to none, but! in relentlm vengeance hurls back upon the! people, whose highest office he sought fu vain, It parting broadside which, however harmless here, will make every despairing traitor glad. • It is fearfully manifest that- the decision rendered in Pittsburg was meant to embar=, ass the loyal power of the governMent. was rendered in the face of two decisions given in this city—where the cases decided • at Pittsburg, were initiated—by the'United CHAMBERSBURG, PA, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1863. States Court; anti also in the face of the conviction that in thirty days the same court would reverse itself, and declare for the exercise Of all the powers of the Repub lic to preserve its life. Judge Cadwallader, a life long Tlemoemt and one of Wood ward's supporters at the late election, has rendered tWo decisions in the United States _court here affirming the law ; and the last - , case presented covered every question con troverted before the Supreme Court of the. State, and :he. broadly sustained 'it. With, him sat Jiidge Grier of' the Supreme Court of the United States, when this ease was' beard and d'peided, and the decision of Cadwallader was rendered with the conear rence of Judge Grier. Neither of, these Judges would consent that our Union shall becothe "the sport of partizan struggles," lir did they hunt, for the whining sophis try, of Judge Lowrie nor the 'vengeance of Woodward to justfy - 'judicial suicide. The State court of last resort was hurled ,defl .antly against the United States Court, ap parently for no other purpose than to make. a record of a brief and petty conflict of au thority; and it was • done by two defeated candidates and one—Judge Thompson— more eminent for' political_ management than judicial learning.' For the mere satis faction ofreing an impotent blow aimed in the direction of the government; , --a blow that is paralzed by the coming of Judge .Agnen , in the place of Lowrie_ in a few days —three sore head politicianS who, in an evil hour kati s heen`made Judges, confront the anOrs -of the `constitution itself on constitutional - law, and \blot their own and their country-:.s ,history with an exhibition showing how ,meanly vextAkambitiGn dies. It has well been _written— \ ‘,` Swans sing before they T'were*ell'itome died before they sang." On theirStllonday of -Decemb next; Judge Agnew will take the place oie, and thus give the loyal , side of theta majority. Of course the decision will 'le speedily reversed. I had thoUght of reminding Gen, Clel lan of Woodward's decision—of his mom plifieatiOn of his " views" in favor, of a " vigorous prosecution of the war," Sm., but—Ni/ at's/ bontenz. Judge Strong has simply done his duty, but he deserves more than ordinary credit for it. Tie has defied the machinations of sore-heads and politicians, and declared un qualifiedly for his country. Judge Reed of course was faithful to thelaigh trust reposed in A. it.. BRIEF WAR ITEMS. Thirty Paymasters have gone down to pay off the Army of the Pet°Mae. Gen:Burnside's resignation isaecepted, and Gen. F(ister will succeed him, in command of the army of Eait Tennessee. The secession papers of Canada admit the failure of the rebel plot to burn Buffalo and other towns, and release the prisoners at 'Sandusli v. Thomas Francis Meagher; has been rein stated in the rank of Brig. Gen., with per mission' to - recruit it to its compliment of his old Irish "Brigade. Jeff. Davis has recently sent commissions to the most notorious bushwhackers in At kansas for the purpose of raising men to c %rry on-the guerrilla warfare. A letter from Little Rock on the Gth caws that Price and Holmes are . still at Mar shal, Texas. There are very few confederate troops, except cavalry at present in the State of Arkansas. - • Gent Peck haY made reconnoissance of the Chowen river, North Carolina, to the mouth of the Blackwater. This point is 250 miles' from Newbern. The rebels are fearful of a movement on 'Weldon. The prisoners at Belle Isle, near Rich mond; are in a state of starvation, their sup plies Of food having been entirely cut off. This! is stated on the authority of a chaplin Who was exchanged last 'Wednesday. - A Union prisoner in Richmond has man aged to send to liVtOington that the rebel uthdrities, having fully determined to starve , pll their prisoners to death, have stopped the meat'rations to those in the Libby prison. Gov. Bramtette has issued his•procl:una ,tion- seconding the President's call for troops. It is business-like and iiatrkiiie; His appeal to Itenfueltians to come forward and fill the rams of their thin regiments in the field is elo4uent A few days since a party of rebel guerillas, uncle. the command of Capt. Beale, landed on he eastern shore of Virginia, near, Drum mondtown. Before they hiid time to makes thieving expedition - into the interior they were all captured. Gen. Averill's victory at Droop Mountain was most decisive. The rebels acknowledge that out of a force of 4000 they lost over 800 in killed and wounded. Avcrill took over 100 prisoners, one flag, three guns' and a large quantity, of small arms, wagons,, &c. It is officially stated that 4,000 refugees from northern Alabama and Georgia have arrived in Nashville since last August, and been variously provided for by the Govern ment. Most of them have been 'sent North. They werein a deplorably destitute condi tion, having her robbed of everything by the rebeii. . The town of Arkadelphia was, taken by a Union force ottthe,l2Bth ult. Subsequently the salt works .at that place were destroyed. Tirig. Gen: Garfield recently tendered his resignation to the P:Tesi dent, for the, purpoie of taking his sent in Congress, to which he has been electe4 - The only reply he received was a conimissiOtTior him as - Major General of volunteers, fo7 gallant services at thd, bat- Ile of Chickamauga. Gen. Meade .bias sent to Washington his official account Hof the late l engagernents on the Rappahannock. The only new point in this report is, that Gen. Sedgwick captured 4 gtins,. 8 hattlitnags and over 1500 prisoners; French took orke 400 prisoners ; Sedgwick's loss -about= - 806 - :killed and wounded, and French's aboatlo. • At lestoyeAm':ve the details of,the'reported disaster ti) "piift-l s ' Burnside. It ap•Faiara that it ocenred at'ltOgersville, HaWkins-eountY, Tenn., about Afteen miles from Knoxville, and at the-tir*ation of a branch railroad. The rebels I 4gtired six hundred fbur earuUM.:Vo mention is Made ottlie number of killfand wounded. :The main body is iii an i4pregnable position, :where it WAS when Roans wits attacked. THE BAT'i; OF OETTYSBURG. ,~ Official Report of Gen. Meade. - , , A Summary 01 the Results of the Battle. 1. . _ Headquaiteq- Arniy of the Potomac, Oct. L—To Gen. Thilleck.-:=General: I have the honor to submit herewith a report of the operations of this army during the month of July, includintdetails of the battle of Get tysburg; whichihave been delayed by failure to receive the -reports of the several Corps and Division Gommanders, who were severe ly wounded in tattle. On the 28th of June' 1 received Orders from the President placing me in command of the Army >f the Potomac. The situationUf affairs was briefly as follows: The Confederate - army, which was coin mended by Gen. R. E. Lee, was estimated at over one hundiedthousand strong. - All that Lamy had crossed ,the Potomac river and ad need up the Cumberland Valley. Reliable, in lligence' placed his advance thils :—Ew-.: ell's corps on the Susquehanna, Harrisburg and lumbia.. Longstreet's corps at Chain-. bersbu ar,. and Hill's corps between that place and Oasltown.". The 28i ofjune misspent in ascertaining the position and strength of the different corps of the a MY, kit' principally in 44ring lug up the env ry which had been covering - the rear of the - : rray in its passage,over the Potoriaac, and to - ich a large increase had: just been mado fro , the force previously at tached to thedcfense.4\of Washington. Orders wire A ctiven on this day,to -Major Gen:FrenA,- .Urdranclitio. at Hinper's Yin-, yy, to move with seven thousand men to 9c- cupy Frederick and theline of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, with 'the balance of his force, estimated iit four thousand, to remove ' and escort public property to Washingtop. On the 29th the army was put in motion, and on the eVenin. ,, of that day it was in po sition, the left atiEMmettsburg, and the right at. New Windsor. Buford's division of Ca valry was on the left flank, with his advance at Gettysburg. "1 Kilputrick'S divisi m was in ths front at Hanover, where The - eric untered this day Gen. Stuart's Confidelate:enc. al ry, w h ich had cross ed the Potom c=at Seal ea creek, and passing ) our right flan ,Iwas tilting its way towards ) Carlisle, hay ng eseaped , Gregg's diviAon, which wai-Alayed in taking position on the right flank, by the occupation of - the roads by a column of infantry. - . _ On the 30th the right flank of the' army, was moved up to Manchester, the left still being at Emmettsburg, or in that vicinity, ut which ulace three- corps, First, Eleventh and Third, were collected under the orders of Major Gen. Reynolds. Gen. Buford hav ing reported from Gettysburg the appearance of the enemy on the Cashtown road in some force, („Te' rt. Reynolds was directed to occupy Gettysburg. On reaching that place on the Ist of July, Gen. Reynolds found Buford's Cavalry warm ly engaged with the enemy, who had de bouehed his intently through the mountains on CashtoWn, but \vat; -being held ,in cheek in the most gallant manner y, Buford's Ca, valrY. Major Gen. Revnolds immediately moved around the town "lii Gettysburg, and, advanced on-the Cashtown road. and without a moment's hesitation deployed his advance division, and attacked the enemy, a the same time sending orders for the . ..:,leventh Corps, - Gen. Howard, to adVan - etr-as promp,ly as, possible. . Noon - after making his dispoSition for ate tack, Major Gen., Reynolds fell mortally . wounded; the coniMand of the First Corps devolving on Major Gen. Doubleday, and the command of the field, on „Major Gen. How ard, who arrived about this time (11:30 A. M.) with the Eleventh ,Corpls`th en.command ed by Major. Gen. Schurz. Major , General Howard pushed forward two divisions•of the Eleventh Corps, to support the First Corps, now warmly engaged with the enemy, on a _ridge to the north of the town, and posted his Third Division; with three batteries Of artillery, on the cemetery ridge, on the south side of the town. , . ~ Up tothis time the battle had been with., the forces of the enemy debouching frtmi the mountain on the Cashtown road, kn 3wn to bci - Hill's corps- In the, early part of the action the success was on the enemy's side. Wads worth's division of. the First corps having driven the enemy back some distance, cap tured numerous prisoners, among them Gen. Archer, of the Confederate army. The arrival of reinforcementt to the enemy on the Cashtown road, and the junction of Ewell's Corps coming in on the York. and Harris' u7g roads, which' occurre d between one and two o'clock P. M., enabled the ep erny to bring vastly superior forces against bath the First and Eleventh Corps, outflank ing our line of battle and presstng it so se verely that about 4 o'clock F. M. Maj. Gen. Howard deemed it prudent to withdraw" these two corps to the Cemetery ridge, on the south side of thelown, which operation.was successfully accomplished ; not, however, - without considerablelossin prisc,tsers, aris ing from the confusion incident to portions of both corps passing tbrougli the town, and the men getting; confused in the streets.— About , the time of the withdrawal, Major Gen. Hancock .arrived, whom had des patched to 'represent me on the field, on hear 'mg of the-death-of Gen.. Reynolds.. In conjunction with Major Gen. Howard, Gen. Hancock .proceeded :to post the -troops on Cemetery Ridge and to repel an attack that the enemy made on our right flank.— This attack was not, however, very vigor ous, the enemy seeing the strength of; the position occupied, seemed to be satisfied with the success he had accomplished, desisting from any further attack this day. About 7 o'clock P. M., Major Gens. Slo cum and Slater, with-the Twelfth Corps and part of the Third, reached the ground, an&took post on the right and left of the troops previously posted. Being satisfied, from reports reel:Ilya:I from - the'field, that it was the intention of the enemy to support, with his whole army. the attack already made, and reports from Major Gens, Han copleand Howard on the character of the per eition being favorable, I determined to:give battle at this point, and early in the evening rst issued oljeks to :till corps to concentrate at dettysbursllllllrecting all,trains to be sent to the rear at Westminster, at I.IP. M. first. Lbroke "up - my head-quarters, which till then had been at Taneytown, and proceeded to the field, arriving . there atl,A. M. of-the second. So soon as it was light I proceeded, to inspect the position occupied and to Make arrangements' for 'posting several corps ins thex. should reach the ground. By 7 A.M. -the Second and: Fifth Corps, with the-rest of the Third, had reached the ground, and Were posted as follows;—The Eleventh Corps retained its position onVem etery Ridge, just opposite to the town; the' First Corps was posted on the right; the Eleventh oh an elevated knoll connecting with the ridge and extending to the south and ; east, 'on which the Twelfth Corpi. was, placed,,the right of the Twelfth Corps rest ing on a small streani at a point where it crossed the, Baltimore pike, and' which form- ed'on the right flank of the Twelfth some thing of an obstacle. Cemetery Ridge extended in a westerly and southerly - direetiOn, gradually diminish ing in elevation thl it carne to a very prom inent ridge ."Round Top," running east and West. Tlie.Second and Third Corps were directed to . occupy the continuation of Cemetery Ridge. on "the left.of the- Eleventh Corps, and Fifth Corps, pending the arri val the Sixth Corps, was held in reserve.— While these dispositions were being made the enemy was,massing his troops on an ex terior ridge, distant from , the, line occupied by us from a mile to a mile'and a half.. At 2 P.M. the,Sixth Corps arrived, after a march of thirty-two miles, which wits ac complished fron 9 P. .3(f. of the. day previous. On its arrival being reportil immediately directed the Fifth Corps to moveover to our extreme left and the Sixth to occupy its place as a reserve for the fight. About 3 P. M. I rodeouttotbeextregieleft to await the arrival of the Fifth Corps and post it, when I fOund that Mak-Gen. Sickles, commanding . the Third-Corp, not fully ap prehending,my instthetions in regard to the ,position to be ocCitpied, had ,advaneed,,,_or rather was ; in the act of advancing. his corps some half mile or three quarters of a mile in the front of the line of the Second Corps on a prolongation which it was designed his corps shoulerest. , Having found - Maj. Gen. Bicklei, I was explaining to him that he was too far in the advance, and discussing with himthe propri ety of withdrawing, when the enemy. opened upon him with several batteries in his front and his flank, and immediately brought for ward columns of infantry, and.made a vigor ous assault. The Third Corps sustained the shock most heroically. Troops from the Second Corps were immediately sent by Maj. Gen. Hancock to cover the right flank of the _Third Corps, and soon after the assault com menced. -The Fifth Corps most fortunately arrived, and took a position on the left of the Third, -Maj . . Gen. Sykes,'commanding,, immediately sending a force to occupy "Round Top" ridge where a most furious contest was maintained, the enemy making dPsperate but unsuccess- , ful efforts to secure it. Notwithstanding the stubborn resistance of the Third Corps, under Maj. Gen. Riiney (11111 j. Gen. Sickles having been wounded.early 'in -the action,) superior ity in numbers of corps of the enemy enab ling him to outflank its advanced position, Gen. Birne was counseled' to fall back and reform, behind the line originally desired to be held, In the meantime, perceiving the great exertions of the enemy, the Sixth Corpr, Maj. Gen. Sedgwick, and 'part of the First Corps, to which I had assigned Maj. Gen. Newton s •particularly. Lodmood's Maryland Brigade, together ,' detachments from the Second Corps, .were all brought up at differ ent periods, and succeeded, together with a gallant resistance of the ;Fifth Corps, in checking, und, finally, repulsing the assault of the enemy, .who retired in confusion and disorder about sunset,. and ceased any further efforts on our: extreme left. An assault was, , however, made ship - tit BP. M., on the Eleventh Corps, from the left of the town, which 'was repelled with th'e ussis tanee of troops from the Second and-First Corps. During the heavy assault upon our extreme left, portions off` the Twelfth Corps were sent: as reinforcements.' • • During their absence the line on the extreme right was held by a very much reduced force. This was taken advantage of by' the enemy, who, du'ring the absence of Geary's Division of the' Twelfth Corps,i' advanced and occupied part of the line. • • On the morning ile.the third, Gen. Geary, having returned durink the night,, attacked at early dawn the (Manly and succeeded in driving him back and reoccupying his former position. A spirited Ontest was maintained all the morning . along thisspart of'the line. bell. Geary, reinforced by WheittOn's Brig ade of the Sixth Corps,4-rnaintained his posi tion and inflicted ver . y , severe losses on the enemy. With this exeaption our lines remained undisturbed till 1 P. M. on the 3d, when. the enemy opened from over 125 guns, 'playing a i l= our centre and left. _This `Cannonade continued for over two hours,-when, our guns failing to make any reply, the enemy ceased firing, and soon his masses ofinfantry became visible, forming for an assault on our left and left centre. ' _ An assault was made With g,reatAirmned, directed in.incipaily againet the pOint-occu pied by the Second Corps, and was repelled VOL. 70 . , ! .4110LE ,NO, 3,6:11;:.: 'with equal-firmness by the, troops, of thair corps, supported by Doubleday's Division mut Stannard's Brigade of the. First Corps., Di ing this assault both Maj. Gen. Hancock, commanding the left centre, and Brig. Gen:" Gibson, commanding the Second C c orpa, werii • severely wounded. This terminated the battle, the enemy.ro-,„ tiring to his lines, leaving the field strewed' : , with his dead and wounded. and nuttier** prisoners in our hands. Buford's division . cavalry after its arduous service at Get burg, on the first, was, on the second, sent t 6. Westminster to refit and gliircl'our train*. Division,fthit on the 29th, 80th., and_ lst had been successfully 'engaging enemy's cavalry, was, on the a'sent nn orir extreme left, on the Emmettsburg- road s , where gOod service was rendered in 'assaUlt ing the enemy's, line and occupying his -fix tention. At the same time Gen. Gregg was engktess, with - tlie, enemy on our extreine . p used ec eels the Baltimore pike and Bonaugh town reads, and boldly attacked the enemy* left and rear. On the morning,- of the .40. r the reconnoisances developed that the enenvt, , , had drawn' back his left flank, but maintaitt. ; , ed his position in front of our left, apparently, assuming a new line parallel to the mountains On the morning of the sth it was ascertain-=_ ed that the enemy was in full retreat by the Fairfield and Cashtown roads., The tiiith Corps was immediately sent in pursuit .on the Fairfield road, and the cavalry on the:Cash--; town 'road, and by Ernmettsburg and Mona:: terey passes. The sth and 6tb of Auly were f employed in succoring the 'wounded • • burying the dead. ' Major Gen. Sedgwiek,- commanding llor Sixth Corps, having pushed on in pursuitet the euerriv as far as. the Fairfieldpass the;' . mountains, and reportitig that Pass as 'veer, strong, and one in - which a small force of the ; enemy could hold- in check and delay eon: • siderable time any pursuing force, I.4leter-, -mined to folloW the enemy by a fiank move ment, and aceordingly, leaving Mjntosles Brigade of Cavalry and Neill's Brigade of . Infantry tp continue harrassin,g the enemy ; put the army in motion for Middletown, 1114 ! ()Niers were immediittelY sent to Major Gen. French, at Frederick, to reoccupy Harn• per's Ferry, and 'to send a force to • occupy , Turner's pass, in South Mountain. I subae quently ascertained that Major Gen. French-:; had not only anticipated these orders in part; but had pushed his cavalry forcefo,Wifliame port and Falling Waters, where they destroy, : ed the enemy's pontoon bridge and captured - its guard. Buford was at'the same time amid( to Williamsport and Hagerstown. The duty above assigned to the cavalry was - most successfully l accomplished, the enetety. .being greatly harrassed, his trains destroyed' and many captures, in guns and prisoner made. _After halting a day. at. Middletown - - to prociire necessary supplies and-to bridg trains, the army moved through South. Moms:- - Min, and 'by the 12th - of July was in front 0f .. ; the enemy, who occupied a strong positioni on the heightlis of Marsh Bun, inadvanc of , Williamsport. " On taking this position several skirmish and aflairs had been had with the enerrix. principally by cavalry, from the Eleventh, and Sixth Corps; The 13th was occupied Irv, making reconnoissances of the enemy's poet tion and preparations for _attack, but on adt,,,;, Nancirig,on the "morning-.of-'the 19th "it wor • ascertained he had retired the night previonil by a bridge at Falling Waters and a ford at, NVilliamsport. . The cavalry in pursuit overtook the rear guard at Falling Waters capturing two gun& - and numerous prisoners. Previous to the retreat of the enemy Gregg's Division of out • valfy had crossed at 4arper's Ferry, and coming up with the rear • of the enemy ** Charlestown and '• Shepherdstown, had at . spirited contest, in which the enemy Were driven to Martinsburg and Winchester, and: . , preasedmid harassed m his retreat: Puriuit was resumed by a flank movement . of-the army, crossing the Potomac at Berlin, , and moving down Loudon Valley. . Cavalry were immediately pushed into several , . of the Blue Ridge, and having learned frotn scouts :I of the withdrawal of the Confederate. :army from the lower valley of the-Shenim doah, the Third Corps,' Major Gen. l Frefich r ] inadvanee, was moved into :Manama Oa", in the hope of being able to intercept a por tion of the enemy. . , The possession of the Gap was disputod successfully as to enable the rear-guard ti withdraw by way of Strasburg, the Cenfed erate army retiring to the Rapidan. Pad.; tion was taken with this army on,theline pf the Rappabenriock, and the campaign Writ& nated aboutpie close of July, - The fesult pf the campaign may be briefly; stated, in the of the enemy at Gett* burg, - their com&lsory evacuation of Penn. sylvania and: Maryland, and withdraw's.' - fromthe upper valley of the Shenandoah, and•-". -the capture of 3 gips, 41 standard and 13,621, prisoners, 24,978 'small arms were collecte4;, on the battle-field. Our own losses were very wrier% amount:" ing, as will be seen by the accompanying • turn, to 2834 killed, 13,709 wounded and f 44- missing, in all 28,180. qt • It is impossible, 'in a report of this Justin*, to enumerate all' the instances of gallantry ; • and good conduct - which distinguished our ,e :success on the hard-fought geld of Gettyp. - , -burg. The reports of corps commanders and their subordinates, herewith submitted, witl• furnish all infbrination upon this subject. I mill only add my tribute to the heroin., bravery of the 'whole army, officers and m4a, , which, under the blessing of Diyins deuce, enabled the crowning victory to'lts obtained, which I feel .confident the count 7, will never eeasc-to bear in grateful remeih-. brance. • It is my duty, as well as my pleasure, Pw, call attention to the earnest (dor% and c - operation on, the part of lied. Gen. D. 3*., Couch, commanding the Department or the Susquehanna, and particularly to histulyaurs. of four thousand men under ,Brig. Gen. . ' F. Smith, who joined me at:Boo*Ore,,: just prior to the withdrawal of the - Conti:dor... ate army. In conclusion I desire to' return ail thanks to my staf, general and personal, to each and all of whom I was indebted Air - 1 i i nrs quitting activity andraost efficient asst.: 7 • `l. Very respectfully, your obedientaorvarg,' GY.O. G. Mainz, 31,ai. Gen. Commanding: Brig. Gen. L. 4'nomAs,,Adjt. Gen. U. 8.,A, Washington„ D. C. Gen. Yoster.has left Washingtrin •to tat" Gen.;llturside's command . . - EN ME 111