Nothing But Glory Gained by Robert C. Cheeks On a hot July afternoon, 12,000 Southern soldiers started across an airless valley toward bristling enemy lines a mile away. For a moment, time stood still. The fate of two nations hung in the balance. Then the shooting began. Just before 3 o'clock on the morning of July 3, 1863, Robert E. Lee rose by starlight, ate a spartan breakfast with his staff, and mounted his famous gray horse, Traveller, for the ride up Seminary Ridge at Gettysburg. He went in search of his "Old War Horse," Lieutenant General James Longstreet, commander of I Corps, Army of Northern Virginia. After two days of fighting in the summer-lush Pennsylvania countryside, the largest battle of the Civil War still hung in the balance. With Longstreet's help, Lee intended to tip the scales. As Traveller carried the hope of the Confederacy eastward on his broad, strong back, the pre-dawn stillness was shattered by the boom of cannon fire Lee halted, looked to the northeast, and saw muzzle flashes dance across the horizon. He had no way of knowing if the staff officer he had sent in search of Lt. Gen. Richard Ewell had reached the II Corps commander with Lee s instructions to renew the attack on the Confederate left, or if -- instead -- the Federal Army was assaulting his lines. To read the rest of the story … [URL 'might' be 2-lines] www.thehistorynet.com/acw/blglorygained/ Sally Rolls Pavia Sun City, AZ [email protected] List Owner: [email protected] "Hunting season is all year long in genealogy." All incoming and outgoing email checked by Norton Anti-Virus 2002