All the way from McPherson's Woods back to Cemetery Hill lay the Federal
soldiers, who had contested every foot of that retreat until nightfall.
The Confederates were massing so rapidly from the west and north that
there was scant time to bring off the wounded and none for attention to
the dead. There on the field lay the shoes so much needed by the
Confederates, and the grim task of gathering them began. The dead were
stripped of arms, ammunition, caps, and accoutrements as well--in fact, of
everything that would be of the slightest use in enabling Lee's poorly
equipped army to continue the internecine strife. It was one of war's
awful expedients.
[Illustration: SEMINARY RIDGE, BEYOND GETTYSBURG]
Along this road the Federals retreated toward Cemetery Hill in the late
afternoon of July 1st. The success of McPherson's Woods was but temporary,
for the Confederates under Hill were coming up in overpowering numbers,
and now Ewell's forces appeared from the north. The first Corps, under
Doubleday, "broken and defeated but not dismayed," fell back, pausing now
and again to fire a volley at the pursuing Confederates. It finally joined
the Eleventh Corps, which had also been driven back to Cemetery Hill. Lee
was on the field in time to watch the retreat of the Federals, and advised
Ewell to follow them up, but Ewell (who had lost 3,000 men) decided upon
discretion. Night fell with the beaten Federals, reinforced by the Twelfth
Corps and part of the Third, facing nearly the whole of Lee's army.
[Illustration: IN THE DEVIL'S DEN