THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LIBRARY From the collection of James Collins, Drumcondra, Ireland. Purchased, 1918. _Xr^o Return this book on or beto the Latest Date stamped below, ctogi is made on all overdue ON THE BATTLE FIELa \ Solemi) at|d Thrilliqg Scerie at Gettysburg. The death recently took place in thej States of the Very Rev William Corby, the Irish American priest, who acted as chaplainj to Meagher’s Brigade during the great Civil; War, and whose vivid description of chej scene before tiie battle of Gettysburg in his “ Memoirs of Chaplain Life” was one of thel most strikinj» literary records of the Titanic; struggle between North and South. Father Corley wrote — | Our march is not yet at an end. July j 1, 1863, 1 o’clock p m, found us at Tany town,| Pa, where our corps was massed, and where! General Meade established his headquartersJ Suddenly a courier came up at break -neck| speed, his horse panting and covered with| foam. He announced that fighting was| going on at Gettysburg. Accompanied byj bis excellent staff, Hancock dashed off, and was soon on the ground restoring order, exa-| mining the grounds, and forming plans for! a general engagement next day. Next morn-f Jiug, July 2, a memorable day, Hancock posted us on Cemetery Ridge. Opposite and ‘ about a mile from us on Seminary Ridge we could see distinctly the lines of the Confe- derates. Much of the day passed in the disposition of troops on either side. And now the twoj great armies are confronting each other.j Lee had eighty to a hundred thousand meni and over two hundred cannon. Meade had even more men and over three hundred can-| non, but he could not use them all at once on account of the broken nature of the country. Gettysburg, the countyj seat of Adams County, is a small town! of about 8,000 inhabitants, and is located! in a basin ;or valley. W e can scarcely; imagine the trepidation of these poor people! — men, women, and children— in their de-! fenceless, quiet homes, surrounded by such armies as were there from the 1st to me 4fch4 of July, 1863. Many firvent prayers were said and holy vows pronounced no doubt, especially on the nightsf of the 1st and 2nd. At about four o^clock ^mo Confederates com- menced tiring, and oq<^ hundred Sjid twrenty cannon from their side belched forth from > their fiery throats missiles of death into our 1 lilies. The Third Corps were pres^d back, and at tliia critical moment I pro^aed to give a general absolution to our men, 9A they had had absolutely no chance to practise their religious duties during the past two or three weeks, being constantly on the march. Here 1 will quote the account of Major- General. St Clair Mulholland, then a colonel I in the Irish Brigade, a Christian gentleman and as brave a soldier as any in the Army of the Potomac, to which his wounds and his army record will testify — /S ow, as the Third Corps is being pressed back, help is called for, and Hancock tells Caldwell to have his men ready. ^ Fall in ’ and the men run to their places. ‘ Take arms !’ and the four brigades of Zook, Cross, Brook, and Kelly are ready for the fray. There are yet a few minutes to spare before starting, and the time is occupied by one of the most impressive reli- gious ceremonies 1 have ^ver wit- nessed. The Irish Brigade, which had been i commanded formerly^ jby General Thomas ( Meaghei, and whose green flag had been un- furled in every battle in which the Army of the Potomac had been engaged from the first Bull Run to Oppomattox,^fiid was now com- manded by Colonel Patrick Kelly, of the Eighty-eighth New ^ork, formed a part of I this division. The brigade stood in column i of regiments closed in mas^. “ Father Corby stcod^on a large rock in front of the Brigade. Addressing the men, he explained he was about to do, say- ing that each one ^%ld receive the benefit j ^ the^absulution by in king a sincere Act of ! Contritibir and’^rmly'‘"r^^ emprace , the first opportunity of conxessing his sins, i urging tliem to do their duty, and remiii^ng them of the higli and sacred nature of xheir trust as soldiers and the noble object for which tliey fought. * , , The Brigade was standing at ‘ Order Arms I’ As he closed his address, every man, Catholic and non-CathoIic, fell on his k^ees with his head bowed down. Then,^st retching his right hand toward the Brigade, Father Corby pronounced the words of the Absolution. ‘• The sc'ene was more tlian impressive, it was awe-inspiring. Near by stood a brilliant throng of officers who had gathered to wit- ness this very unusual occurrence, and while there was profound silence in the ranks of the Second Corps, yet over to the left, out by the peach orchard and Little Round Top, where Weed and* Vincent and ^azlitt were dying^'^Mie roar of the battle rose and swelled j anStejre^hoed through the woods, making t musi^^ore sublime than ever sounded through cathedral aisle. The act. seemed to be iri“ ha||pofc with the surroundings. 1 do think