Night brought an end to the bloody combat at East Cemetery Hill, but
this was not the time for rest. What would Meade do? Would the Union
Army remain in its established position and hold its lines at all costs?
At midnight Meade sought the advice of his Council of War in the east
room of his headquarters. The corps commanders—Gibbon, Williams, Sykes,
Newton, Howard, Hancock, Sedgwick, and Slocum—without exception advised
holding the positions established. Meade, approving, turned to the
officer whose division held the Union center, and said, “Gibbon, if Lee
attacks me tomorrow it will be on your front.”
Meade on the following morning began to fortify Cemetery Ridge by
shifting all units that could be spared from the line at Culp’s Hill,
and those in reserve at the Round Tops and on Cemetery Hill. General
Hunt, Chief of Artillery, brought up reserve batteries to hold in
readiness for replacement of front line guns. Throughout the forenoon of
the third day, Meade not only developed a strong front at the stone
walls on the crest of the ridge, but he also strengthened his reserve
power to an extent which rendered the Union center almost impregnable.
[Illustration: _Interior of breastworks on Little Round Top._ (Brady
photograph.)]
Meanwhile, important movements were occurring elsewhere on the field.
Ruger’s division and Lockwood’s brigade, which had been called from
their lines on the south slope of Culp’s Hill the previous evening to
help defend Sickles’ position at the Peach Orchard, were now
countermarching, under cover of darkness, to reoccupy their ground.
Geary, who had misunderstood orders and had marched down the Baltimore
Pike, was also returning to his works. Ruger’s men, upon reaching the
Pike, learned from scouts that their entrenchments south of Culp’s Hill
and at Spangler’s Spring had been occupied by the Confederates. Ruger,
resolving upon an attack at daybreak, organized his forces along the
Pike. Powerful artillery units under Muhlenberg were brought into place
along the road; Rigby’s Maryland battery was stationed on Power’s Hill,
a prominent knoll a half mile to the south; and another battery was
emplaced on McAllister Hill.
[Illustration: _Lt. Gen. James Longstreet._ Courtesy National
Archives.]
[Illustration: _Col. Edward Porter Alexander._ Courtesy National
Archives.]
As dawn broke on July 3, Union guns on the Baltimore Pike opened with a
heavy cannonade on Johnson’s Confederates at Spangler’s Spring. The
heavily wooded area about the Confederate lines prevented them from
bringing guns into position to return the fire. Union skirmishers began
streaming across the field toward the Confederate entrenchments. The
full force of Ruger’s and Geary’s brigades followed closely. Throughout
the forenoon the Union troops struck again and again.
It was about 10 o’clock that Ruger, believing that a flank attack might
break the resistance of Johnson’s men, ordered Col. Silas Colgrove to
strike the Confederate left flank near the spring. The troops of the 2d
Massachusetts and the 19th Indiana regiments started across the swale
from the cover of the woods on the little hill south of the spring. A
withering fire slowed their pace, but they charged on, only to have
their ranks decimated by the Confederates in strong positions back of a
stone wall. Colonel Mudge, inspiring leader of the Massachusetts
regiment, fell mortally wounded. Forced to fall back, the men soon
learned their efforts had not been in vain. On Ruger’s and Geary’s front
the Confederates were now giving way and soon had retired across Rock
Creek, out of striking range. By 11 o’clock, the Union troops were again
in possession of their earthworks; again they could quench their thirst
in the cooling waters of the spring.