Around 4 a.m. Wednesday morning on July 1st, orders from George G. Meade arrives for John Reynolds at Moritz Tavern. When these orders came, he and his staff rode to Gettysburg by way of the Emmitsburg road. Meanwhile, the commander for the 1st Division, James Wadsworth, got the division up and ready for the march north. When General Reynolds got closer to Gettysburg, he received a message from his cavalry commander, General Buford, that one of his soldiers from the 8th Illinois cavalry fired the first volley of shots towards the advancing Confederates.
According to Charles Veil, who was an orderly assigned on Reynolds staff, everyone stopped near the George George house for directions from a few citizens. This house is just past the intersection of South Washington Street and Steinwehr Avenue. General Reynolds and his aides continued towards the Eagle Hotel near the street intersection of Washington and Chambersburg in downtown Gettysburg. This hotel was the headquarters for the Cavalry. However, General Buford was not at the headquarters, and that’s when General Reynolds heard gunfire and cannon blasts. Again, he and his aides rode as fast as they could towards the Lutheran Seminary that overshadowed the town to the west.
Reynolds staff arrived at the Lutheran Seminary to converse with General Buford around 10:00 a.m. Their view upon the Seminary was the western portions of the Gettysburg farmland with rising dust as Confederates approached. These soldiers were from Heth’s Division in line of column down the Chambersburg Pike. Reynolds arrives and sees Buford in the cupola of the Seminary. Reynolds yells: What’s the matter, John? General Buford responds, “The Devil’s to pay!”
Along the ridge, Reynolds and Buford viewed the approach of the Confederates. Reynolds ordered one of his staff members, Stephen Weld, to ride to Taneytown to alert General Meade and order the entire Union army to come here at great speed. Reynolds also sent an aide back to the Emmitsburg Road to the 1st Division to double-quick northward and support the cavalry.
Staff officers broke down the fences along Emmitsburg Road. On the right, there is a map, and let’s explore it.
- First Division moving northward = “1” Icon
- Emmitsburg Road House icon = Codori Farm
- West Confederate Ave. House Icon = McMillan Farm
- Gettysburg House Icon = Eagle Hotel
- Star Icon = 1st Brigade = Iron Brigade (1st Division)
- Flag Icon = 2nd Brigade = Cutler’s Brigade
- Red Flag Icon = Confederate = Archer’s Brigade
The first division organized into battle columns and marched across the field near the Codori House. They did this to avoid traveling through the roads of Gettysburg. Within the first division, there were two brigades. The 2nd Brigade under BG Lysander Cutler marched ahead of the rest of the 1st Corps and is directed to move across the Chambersburg Pike and take position along the un-finished railroad cut.
The next brigade to advance was the Iron Brigade, commanded by Solomon Meredith. These soldiers marched behind the Lutheran Seminary and across the fields towards Willoughby Run and Herbst Woods. As the Iron Brigade arrived near the woods, General Reynolds rallied the solders and charged with the 2nd Wisconsin towards the advancing Confederate brigade commanded by General James Archer.