te impact was strongest. General Reynolds was killed.
Reinforcements were hurried up on both sides. General Howard, who
succeeded Reynolds, selected Cemetery Hill, south of the town of
Gettysburg, and there established the Union line.

General Meade arrived on the field on the afternoon of the first, and
the two armies were thrown rapidly into position. That of the Federals
extended in the form of a fishhook from Little Round Top by way of
Round Top and along Cemetery Ridge through the cemetery itself, by the
way of the gate, and then bending to the right, formed the bowl of the
hook, which extended around as far as Culp's Hill and Wolf Creek. The
ground was elevated and the convexity was toward the enemy.

By nightfall of the first, both armies were in state of readiness for
the conflict. The Union army was on the defensive. It was sufficient
that it should hold its ground and repel all assault. The Confederates
must advance and carry the Federal position in order to succeed. How
this should be done was not agreed on by the Confederate commanders.
General Lee formed a plan of direct assault; but General Longstreet
was of opinion that a movement of the army to the Union left flank
would be preferable, and that by that method the flank might be turned
and the position of Meade carried with less loss and much less hazard.

Longstreet, however, did not oppose the views of his commander to the
extent of thwarting his purpose or weakening the plan adopted. On the
second of July the battle began in earnest about noon. The
Confederates advanced against the Union centre and left, and at a
later hour a strenuous and partly successful attack was made on the
Federal right. But complete success was not attained by Lee in any
part of the field. About sundown the Confederates gained considerable
advantage against Slocum, who held the line along Wolf Hill and Rock
Creek; and on the Union left a terrible struggle occurred for the
possession of Great and Little Round Top. In this part of the field
the fighting continued until six o'clock in the evening; but the
critical positions still remained in the hands of the Federals.

In the centre the contest was waged for the mastery of Cemetery Hill,
which was the key to the Union position. Here were planted batteries
with an aggregate of eighty guns, and here, though the assaults of the
Confederates were desperate and long continued, the integrity of the
Federal line was preserved till nig