bring up any troops they met to fill this blank. Major [Henry E.] Tremain, of his staff, fell in with General Zook, at the head of his brigade {Second Corps
, and this gallant officer instantly volunteered to take Barnes' place. When they reached the ground, Barnes' disordered troops impeded the advance of the brigade. "If you can't get out of the way, " cried Zook, "lie down, and I will march over you. " Barnes ordered his men to lie down, and the chivalric Zook and his splendid brigade, under the personal direction of General Birney, did march over them and right into the breach. Alas! poor Zook soon fell, mortally wounded, and half of his brigade perished with him. It was about this time-near 7 p. m. - that Sickels was struck by a cannon-ball that tore off his right leg, and he was borne from the field. It was now pretty clear that General Meade had awakened to the fact which he treated with such indifference when pressed on him by Sickles in the morning-that our left was the assailable point, if not the key to our position, for he began to pour in re-enforcement whose presence in the beginning of the action would have saved thousands of lives. "Perceiving great exertions on the part of the enemy, " says Meade's report, " the Sixth Corps {Sedgwick's
and part of the First Corps {Newton's
, Lockwood's Maryland brigade, together with detachments from the Second Corps, were all brought up at different periods, and succeeded, together with the gallant resistance of the Fifth Corps, in checking and finally repulsing the assault of the enemy, who retired in confusion and disorder about sunset, and ceased any further effort. " If this remarkable concentration of troops was necessary, at last, to save the left of our army, it is almost incredible that the single corps of General Sickles was able to withstand the impetuous onset of Longstreet's legions for nearly an hour before any succor reached it. On Friday, July 3, the enemy renewed their effort to carry out the original design of Lee by overthrowing our left wing, and Longstreet was re-enforced by Pickett's three brigades, and further supported by one division and two brigades from Hill's corps. In addition to this heavy mass of infantry, the entire artillery of the rebel army was concentrated against our left. After his oversight of the day before, it may be supposed that General Meade was better prepared to defend his left, and had made adequate preparations. About 1 p. m. the enemy opened a furious cannonade upon our left and left center, which continued some two hours, with occasional responses from us. At about 3 p. m. the enemy moved forward in column, and once more essayed to carry our position on the left. It was during this conflict that General Hancock, commander of the Second Corps, a gallant soldier and accomplished office, was wounded by a musket-ball and obliged to retire. He contributed greatly by his energy and valor to the success of the day. Meanwhile our artillery opened with vigor, and inflicted great damage. After a severe and prolonged struggle, the enemy at length fell back, and abandoned the contest. "Owing to the strength of the enemy's position, " says Lee's report, "and the reduction of our ammunition, a renewal of the engagement could not be hazarded. " Hence it is plain that our good fortune in preserving our position on the left gave us the victory at Gettysburg; and yet General Meade, no having sufficiently examined the ground before the battle, disregarded the repeated warnings of that sagacious officer, General Sickles, as well as the report