Phillies 100 Year Ago: Mistakes On Mistakes

July 23, 1915

Phillies vs. Cincinnati Reds

Athletics @ Cleveland Indians

The one-year anniversary of the climax of what would be known as the July Crisis occurred 100 years ago today.  After a little less than a month of investigation, diplomatic conversations, and other preparations, Austria-Hungary issued ten ultimatums to Serbia in response to the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.  To sum up the demands, Serbia was told to eliminate all anti-Austro-Hungarian elements in the entire nation, bring to trial the architects of the assassination plot, and end military mobilization…all within 48 hours.  They were designed to be almost impossible to comply with, which would result in a declaration of war.  Faced with little support from the rest of Europe, Serbia accepted all of the demands except they refused to allow Austro-Hungarian police to operate in Serbia.  Well, I guess that means they didn’t accept the demands.  War was soon declared, but one has to wonder if Austria-Hungary regretted issuing the ultimatums now that they had seen the destruction their decision caused in the past year.

Phillies 100 Years Ago: A Double Chance To Do-In Cincinnati

July 22, 1915

Phillies vs. Cincinnati Reds

Phillies vs. Cincinnati Reds

The United States sent a third diplomatic note to the German government concerning the latter’s use of submarines against commercial steamers.  As you may remember, a week or so ago the Germans declared that they would continue to use submarines in the North Sea as a matter of preservation against the British blockade, but agreed to spare ships coming from the US that wore neutral insignia and reported their presence beforehand.  It took between two and three hours to fully telegraph the U.S.'s 1200 word note to Copenhagen, where it would then be forwarded to an ambassador in Berlin for translation and delivery to German authorities.  While the State Department kept the contents of the note a secret, insiders in Washington believed the US once again urged Germany to accept responsibility for the deaths of those on board the Lusitania and affirmed its citizens’ right to travel when and where they wished while also forgoing threat of war should these demands not be met.  A delay in response from Germany was expected now that the Central Powers’ armies were making a push to take the city of Warsaw.  For the record, the Lusitania sunk more than two months ago and the two nations have had a grand total of three communications on the subject.[1]

Phillies 100 Years Ago: Alexander Redeems His Loss As Phillies Keep On Rolling

July 21, 1915

Phillies vs. Chicago Cubs

Athletics @ Detroit Tigers

Remember the strike that happened yesterday Bayonne?  There was a clash between strikers and policemen that got very violent.  Well more details were made public today about just how deadly the riot was.  Reports stated that the strikers became enraged and tried to break down the fence that separated them from the Standard Oil plant’s main buildings.  Police filed in to stop the potential destruction of property, but soon rifle shots rang out from both sides.  For almost 10 minutes the two sides battled in front of the plant.  When it finally subsided there were two dead, three mortally wounded, and 10 other seriously injured, including a little girl and boy.  Sadly, the girl was standing two blocks away when she was struck in the shoulder by an errant bullet.  State police were called into the melee but were too late to stop five fires from being set to the plant.  Even though the fires were put out and the riot hushed, strikers insisted that they were not going to back down from their demand of a raise in salary due to the recent increase in production from aiding the Allies in the European War.  It appeared this fight was not quite over after the first day of destruction.[1]

Phillies 100 Years Ago: Phillies Proving Kings Of The Late Game Rally

July 20, 1915

Phillies vs. Chicago Cubs

Athletics @ Detroit Tigers

There was a strikebreaking riot in Bayonne, New Jersey 100 years ago today.  The Constable Hook plant of the Standard Oil Company was the such biggest plant in the world and shipped a large amount of petroleum and gasoline to the Allies in Europe to keep the armies moving.  With the recent increase in production, the almost 5,000 workers felt they deserved a 15% raise on their wages and picked today to walk off the job and demonstrate for this cause.  The strike threatened to delay six steamships that were docked and ready to take a fresh supply of fuel to Europe.  About 50 police showed up and “attacked 1200 of the strikers” with “revolvers and clubs.”  There was no mention of whether the police tactics were successfully in breaking the strike, but the paper wanted you to know that the Police Inspector was hit in the head with a rock and “most of the employes [sic] are foreigners.”  What a day!  A strike for higher wages, a riot, and a pinch of nativism to boot![1]

Phillies 100 Years Ago: A Doubleheader Shortened By Rain Leaves the Phillies In First Place

July 19, 1915

Phillies vs. Chicago Cubs

Athletics @ Detroit Tigers

“The revolution in child life in Pennsylvania which began with the passage of the child labor law had its first perceptible manifestation today at 12^th and Locust streets.”  Around this time in the history of our nation many of the rights we now enjoy as workers (and maybe take for granted) were fought for and won.  Minimum wages, safe working conditions, eight-hour workdays, weekends, and many others were hashed out about 100 years ago.  Some of the biggest improvements to workers’ lives were child labor laws, and it looks like Pennsylvania passed a big bill based on this post’s opening quote from the Evening Ledger.  It was, in fact, a momentous occasion even though the meat of the bill may sound a bit thin to a modern reader.  The bill passed in Pennsylvania made it so that all children between 14 and 16 had to have at least eight hours of schooling a week.  That’s it.  But think about what that meant.  It was the first time the city mandated that it was a child’s right to learn.  It also provided a way to reduce the amount of hours a child worked each week so they were not strapped to their job.  This bill also shows that progress is progressive; providing time for a child to learn at a school was a big deal in 1915 and a first step towards programs that ensured safety in otherwise potentially abusive jobs.  Today eight hours a week of schooling, tomorrow no children under ten allowed operating dangerous machinery.  There were 23,000 children affected by this bill in Philadelphia alone.[1] 

The Phillies and Cubs set out today to play two, but Mother Nature came in to ruin that chance.  The first game was completed with the pall of thunderclouds overhead.  Erskine Mayer was still looking to regain his early season form that slipped away over his previous three starts.  His opponent was Bert Humphries.  Over the course of May and June, Humphries pitched in a ten games and kept his ERA below 1.00.  It was an astonishing display of skill that, sadly for him, did not last.  His last four games resulted in a 3.38 ERA and 1.21 WHIP, which was much closer to his career average.  Both pitchers, their teammates, and the 18,000 people that filled the stadium on a Monday afternoon knew the importance of this game in the clash for first place.

The offenses of both clubs were ready to go as soon as the umpire yelled “Play Ball!”  Chicago took the lead in the second by plating two.  Mayer had to be totally frustrated with his inability to keep his opponents off the bases to start the game.  During the middle innings he was totally fine, but the early stages proved to fluster Mayer.  Luckily for him the Phillies brought their lumber to the bottom half of the inning and cut the lead to one.  Humphries appeared rattled on the mound as the Phillies knocked him around a bit over the subsequent innings, but to his credit he pitched well enough to escape the jams.  Despite many hits from both teams, the middle-third of the game was scoreless.    

Over the final third of the game Mayer and Humphries showed signs of tiring.   Luckily for Philadelphia, Humphries lost his way first.  Between the sixth and seventh innings the Phillies piled on three runs to take the lead.  In the eighth, Pete Standridge came on in relief but could not keep the Phillies off the board.  During the three-inning rally, both Dave Bancroft and Gavvy Cravath hit solo home runs.  Bancroft’s didn’t actually make it out of the park, per se; it went through an open door that led to the scoreboard supplies in deep center field.  Technically it was a home run because left the field on a bounce, and while no one argued the ruling at the moment, you can be sure Cubs manager Roger Bresnahan will have something to say about it later.  Anyway, just as it looked like the Phillies had a clear path to victory, Mayer began to tire.  In the eighth he let up a run that brought the score to 4-3.  He seemed okay to finish the game and got two outs in the ninth, but that third out was elusive and before he knew what to do to stop the bleeding, the Cubs again cut the lead to one and had a runner on third.  Phillies manager Pat Moran didn’t like the matchup of the exhausted Mayer against the breakout-slugger Cy Williams, so he did what any manager would do and went to his best pitcher to close out the game.  But isn’t the Phillies best pitcher Grover Cleveland Alexander and didn’t he pitch two days ago?  Yes and yes.  Alexander was called in to close out the Cubs and did so using only four pitches, three of which were strikes.  Erskine Mayer was off the losing streak, Alexander picked up a save, and the Phillies owned sole possession of first place. 

After the game in which his club lost by one run, Bresnahan inquired about why, exactly, Bancroft’s home run was allowed to stand.  He apparently argued the rule for 10 to 15 minutes, knowing full well that rain was in the forecast and they had another game to play.  Whether he did it purposefully or not is unknown, but obviously his protest fell on deaf ears and the results stayed, but the argument lasted long enough to affect the second game.  The Cubs were up to bat in the fourth inning when the rain finally washed the game out.  At the time, the score was 3-1 in the Phillies favor.  Had they played one more inning it would have been an official game and the Phillies would have won.  Based on the previous game, an inning took about 12 minutes, or approximately the amount of time Bresnahan argued in vain.  Obviously there are too many “what-ifs” in this scenario, but it is an interesting tidbit none-the-less.[2] [3]

As I mentioned earlier, the Phillies took sole possession of first place with today’s win.  The loss was not the only bad news the Cubs got today; the Brooklyn Dodgers caught them in second place.  Brooklyn was the stuff the Cubs’ nightmares were made of.  Before playing the Giants and Phillies, the Cubs were swept by Brooklyn in four games.  Since the start of that series and the eastern road trip, the Cubs were 3-8 and in full collapse.  Now the air had to have been sucked out of the Cubs clubhouse with the news that they slipped again in the standings.  The Giants, also buoyed a bit by winning three recent games against the Cubs, were beating the Cardinals all over the Polo Grounds.  Three straight wins pulled New York from sixth place in the National League up to fourth, hopping over St. Louis and threatened to eclipse Chicago.  What a crazy amount of shuffling going on in the NL pennant race!  The Phillies played their third game against Chicago tomorrow afternoon and knew that another win would go a long way in keeping them out of the quagmire in the middle of the standings.  Newly minted star Eppa Rixey was the one tasked to lead the Phillies over the Cubs and Jimmy Lavender.  

---

[1] “Child Labor Law Has Its First Actual Test,” Evening Ledger, July 19, 1915, accessed July 16, 2015, http://1.usa.gov/1HAIhlX.

[2] “Strength Of Phillies On Road Basis For Strong Pennant Hopes,” Evening Ledger, July 20, 1915, accessed July 16, 2015, http://1.usa.gov/1SpDid5.

[3] “Alexander Saves The Day,” The Sun, July 20, 1915, accessed July 16, 2015, http://1.usa.gov/1e2TbIC.

Phillies 100 Years Ago: Cubs and Phillies Battle For First Place On Alexander Day

July 17, 1915

Phillies vs. Chicago Cubs

Athletics @ Detroit Tigers

Pennant Fever gripped the Delaware Valley 100 years ago today!  The Evening Ledger declared that no other team in the National League showed the tenacity and skill that is needed to overtake the Phillies.  This is quite a different interpretation than what was bestowed on this club in years past, or even in May of this season.  But this group of players was different from previous seasons and had seemed to fix the troubles that plagued them early on.  While the Ledger fully admitted, “There are a few rough spots in the Philly play that need polishing,” the fact that they had three legitimate star pitchers in Grover Cleveland Alexander, Erskine Mayer, and Eppa Rixey made every game winnable.  Manager Pat Moran and the players weren’t quite as ready to declare themselves the inevitable winners of the league yet, but they were also not ignorant that the sudden rise in their offense made them the most complete team in the circuit.  Reports of the pre-game practice yesterday (before the game was rained out) said the club showed “not the slightest sign of nervousness or strain.  The players were carefree and confident,” but not to the point of self-defeating cockiness. 

Phillies 100 Year Ago: Another Comeback Keeps the Phillies Hot

July 15, 1915

Phillies vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Athletics @ Chicago White Sox

It sure is hot in Philadelphia!  When the populous arose to start their normal Thursday routines they were met with temperatures already approaching 80 degrees with an oppressive humidity.  Due to there being little relief from the omnipresent heat, citizens went down in fainted heaps all day long.  The newspaper called these spells “prostrations,” and today the number of prostrations was “abnormally high.”  The high today was 87 degrees, which to us modern people sounds like a rather reasonable and expected temperature for the middle of July, but we are blessed to have air conditioning in almost every place we venture.  A heat wave for us is an inconvenience, a time where must be sure to drink water more frequently.  In 1915 a heat wave like this killed people regularly.  And if “Weatherman Bliss” is to be believed, Philadelphia was in for a day or more of the dangerous heat until a thunderstorm sweeps with its sweet sweet relief.[1]

Phillies 100 Years Ago: Phillies Comeback Against Cardinals As Cubs Collapse In NYC

July 14, 1915

Phillies vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Athletics @ Chicago White Sox

There were two famous birthdays celebrated today in 1915.  First, Woody Guthrie turned three years old today.  Eventually he would become one of the most famous and popular folk singers in American history, acutely writing about his experiences living on the plains during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl, but today 100 years ago he was toddling around his parent’s farm in Oklahoma.  Another happy birthday goes out to Gerald Ford; the future president turned two today. But he was not Gerald Ford yet!  I didn’t know this, maybe because I was born a decade after he became president, but a quick scan of his Wikipedia page informs me that he was actually born Leslie Lynch King, Jr.  His mother received a divorce shortly after Ford’s birth because of his father’s domestic violence and continued threats to murder the entire family.  On February 1, 1916 she married Gerald Rudolff Ford, which is where young Leslie got his new name, though he was never legally adopted.  And just like that America was robbed of President Leslie King. 

Phillies 100 Years Ago: Alexander Day, Everybody!

July 13, 1915

Phillies vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Athletics @ Chicago White Sox

Did you ever have one of those days where you’re bored at work, just sitting at your desk thinking, “Man is it time to leave so I can get a drink yet?”  Well, if you happened to work at Carney’s Point du Pont powder mill in 1915, you wouldn’t even need to wait until work was over to imbibe!  Apparently many of the 12,000 employees at the plant near Pennsgrove, New Jersey had fallen into the routine of getting stone-cold drunk before taking their shifts at the plant that made black powder, nitrocellulose, and many other highly explosive materials.  There were five explosions in the past five days!  One man was killed and three seriously injured in the blasts.  Reports had it that on the last payday 52 employees were arrested at a near-by bar a few hours after their shift had ended.  That is a ton of people!  Concerned citizens surrounding the plant voiced their fear that the drunkards responsible for the explosives that could “demolish three cities” might not be the best people to man the plant.  After some careful consideration, du Pont announced that they would no longer allow anyone that smelled of alcohol to enter the premises.  Progress.[1] 

Phillies 100 Years Ago: Bucs Deliver Another Doubleheader Defeat To Phils

July 12, 1915

Phillies vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

Phillies vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

It was another doubleheader day for the Phillies, making this their third in a little more than a week.  Doubleheaders haven’t worked out in the Phillies favor this season; they are 3-7 after having split three and being swept in two; they have yet to take both games in a doubleheader.  Pittsburgh faired a little better, earning a 5-6 record and, conversely, have not yet been swept in both games.  Fred Clarke, manager of the Pirates, claimed that Philadelphia’s management was unfair to schedule this doubleheader for today since they knew Pittsburgh was going to be engaged in two more later this week. But Philadelphia had self-preservation to think of; what did they care if the Pirates had to overextend their pitching staff so long as Pat Moran could pitch his on a regular rotation?

Phillies 100 Year Ago: Cactus Cravath Rally Sparks Phillies to Victory

July 10, 1915

Phillies vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

Athletics @ St. Louis Browns

Remember the near panic caused yesterday when the German government declared that it would basically ignore President Woodrow Wilson’s appeal to restrict their submarine use against freight ships?  Remember how the papers were awaiting Wilson’s response and there was actual fear that this could be the beginning of the United States’ involvement in World War I?  Well, it turns out the media in the US received wrong information.  The actual press release from the German’s declared their respect for the United States (“Since the time when Frederick the Great negotiated with John Adams, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson the Treaty of Friendship and Commerce of September 9, 1785, between Prussia and the Republic of the West, German and American statesmen have, in fact, always stood together in the struggle for the freedom of the seas and for the protection of peaceable trade”).  They reiterated that submarine warfare was necessary because Britain had declared the North Sea a warzone and established a blockade that prevented any sea trade with Germany, an act that not only harms the armed forces but, more importantly, the German citizens.  Subs to the Germans are not just a weapon of war; they are needed for survival.  But the needs of safe passage of American freight ships was recognized as necessary as well, so Germany proposed that they would allow American passenger ships with an identifiable marking to pass unharmed so long as the US government announced the ships course beforehand and promised to not store war contraband on those ships.  Now that seems reasonable.  It’s funny to see that it took the German government almost two months to response to the United States.  Obviously international communication techniques weren’t even close to what we have today, but two months of wondering about a war is a long time to let imaginations run wild with anxiety.[1] 

Phillies 100 Years Ago: Alexander Continues Greatness Against Pirates & the Mackmen's High Water Mark

July 9, 1915

Phillies vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

Athletics @ St. Louis Browns

Late last night the German government gave an official reply to President Woodrow Wilson’s request to end unrestricted submarine warfare.  Germany, possibly buoyed by resounding victories on the Eastern Front that allowed them to move corps to the west to assist in the invasion of France, did not budge on their position that submarines were necessary in order to balance the naval war against Great Britain.  Obviously the news was unsatisfactory to those in the United States, but an official response from Wilson would have to wait a few days until he returned from his summer home in New Hampshire and could meet with the cabinet.  We know with the benefit of hindsight that the US was still years away from sending troops to Europe, but in 1915 this news must have felt like the nation was on the precipice of war.

Phillies 100 Years Ago: Defense, Pirates Mamaux Combine to Sink Phillies

July 8, 1915

Phillies vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

Today the Phillies began a five-game series against their intrastate rivals, the Pittsburgh Pirates.  After starting the season 5-12, Pittsburgh looked like a team of washed-up stars and inexperienced youngsters that were not ready to compete for the first division.  The ERA of the entire pitching staff was over 4, but the hitting was truly pitiful, scoring one or fewer runs in 11 of the 17 games.  But somehow the Bucs of May and June pulled it all together, donned their picks and rope, and slowly began an ascent of the standings.  They reeled off 27 wins in their next 43 games and threw their names into the hat of club’s with potential to take home the pennant.  The reversal in fortunes was a direct result of the pitching staff subtracting a full run from its ERA.  By the time they visited the Baker Bowl for this series they mellowed out a bit, but still remained one of the top teams in National League.  They still had a great one-two starting pitcher punch in Bob Harmon and Al Mamaux leading the way.  The Phillies were about to become very familiar with these two stars.       

Phillies 100 Years Ago: Doubleheaders Abound, Phillies Split With New York, and Germany Moves War Focus West

July 7, 1915

Phillies vs. New York Giants

Phillies vs. New York Giants

Athletics @ New York Yankees

Athletics @ New York Yankees

It appeared that the Germans were planning a massive two-pronged assault on the Allied troops in the west.  Reports from Switzerland and France maintained that as many as 10 German corps shipped from battling the Russians in the east to the fronts near Calais and Alsace in France.  American military experts predicted that, now that the Central Powers had countered last year’s Russian advance and pushed the battlefronts back to a position similar to those at the onset of Russian mobilization, Germany would attempt to smash the French with a full force and leave the eastern front to the Austrians.  Not that the Allies were particularly fearful of the news; Germany tried the same tactics the previous year and was unable to break through the line.  Still, it looked like the fighting was about to get ramped up along a front that had already seen some of the worst devastation the world had ever known.[1] 

Phillies 100 Years Ago: Phillies Barely Show Up, Lose 5-1 To New York

July 6, 1915

Phillies vs. New York Giants

Athletics @ New York Yankees

Last night the Liberty Bell made a stop in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on its way to the west coast.  The Harrisburg Telegraph said that 15,000 people attended the showing.  A large parade was held, replete with representatives of the National Guard and the Daughters of the American Revolution, that went from Elizabethtown up to Second and Vine Streets in the state’s capital.  All along the route people threw jewelry and coins up on the car carrying the bell hoping they would be rubbed on the relic for luck.  Thousands of children were afforded the opportunity to kiss the bell as it went by, including the 6-year old John Bevan Pearson, the youngest descendent of the city’s founder John Harris.  The event was called “one of the most successful municipal celebrations ever held in this city.”  It was Liberty Bell mania!  But, sadly, all crazes over national symbols of freedom must come to an end and the residents of Harrisburg bid the bell farewell as it departed for Pittsburgh at 7:30 last night.  There were fears in Philadelphia that the jaunt would permanently damage the bell’s already fragile form, but so far they were unfounded and its presence provided a surge of pride for the nation amongst citizens that otherwise would not get the privilege to view it at Independence Hall.[1]

Phillies 100 Years Ago: Old Pete Up To His Old Tricks & Athletics Take Two In New York

July 5, 1915

Phillies vs. New York Giants

Athletics @ New York Yankees

Athletics @ New York Yankees

Happy Independence Day a day late, everyone!  It was a bit of a slow news day in 1915.  The Liberty Bell departed Philadelphia for the final time on its jaunt to San Francisco for its special display at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition today.  Fingers crossed that it doesn’t crack any more and people don’t take chunks out of it for souvenirs.  There were 13 dead and 50 injured in New York due to accidents surrounding Fourth of July events, including firework mishaps and drownings.  From the New York Tribune: “One of the deaths and thirty-five of the injuries were caused by the premature explosion of fireworks or the reckless shooting off of firearms.  Williams Sexton, of 151 East Thirty-sixth Street, Manhattan, was burned to death while playing with a firework known as a ‘sparkler.’”  New York was promoting a “safe and sane” celebration of the Fourth, but it didn’t look like they achieved their goal.  Finally, Frank Holt, the man that tried to assassinate J.P. Morgan on July 3, told police that he didn’t intend to hurt the financial tycoon, only to show him how dangerous the weapons Morgan sold to the European belligerents could be.  “I went to the Morgan home in order to force him to use his great influence to stop the shipment of explosives.  That is why I took some explosives with me, in order to be able to demonstrate to him, ad oculis, what the use of machines of murder means, but I did not wish to hurt any one.  I wanted him to be in the same danger (him and his family) that we are imposing on Europe.”  Oh, okay.  He didn’t want to hurt Morgan, just put him and his family in the same peril as soldiers in the bloodiest war ever.  That’s easy enough to understand.  By the way, there was new evidence that Holt might actually be a man named Erich Muenter that disappeared from Harvard in 1906 following the mysterious poisoning of his wife.  I take it back; it was a juicy news day in 1915![1] [2]

Phillies 100 Years Ago: Prominent Banker Is Shot Twice While Phils And A's Play Two

July 3, 1915

Phillies vs. Boston Braves

Phillies vs. Boston Braves

Athletics @ Boston Red Sox

Athletics @ Boston Red Sox

Like I said the other day, the 52^nd anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg was commemorated in 1915 with many soldiers that fought in the battle.  After a day of defeat in the fighting of July 2, mostly in a weak assault on the Union’s right flank on Culp’s Hill and the much more celebrated attack from General James Longstreet’s Corp on the left in Devil’s Den and Little Round Top that was repulsed Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain’s 20^th Maine amongst others, Confederate General Robert E. Lee hoped to renew the same tactics as the day before to crush both ends of the Union line.  However, the Union’s XII Corps on Culp’s Hill unleashed an artillery bombardment that halted any attempt by the Confederate’s to take the heights.  After careful consideration, Lee opted a general assault at the Union’s center, an area he assumed would be weakened to due to reinforcement of the flanks.  Lee was wrong and the decision to attack there was the biggest mistake he made so far in the war, and arguably in his career. 

Phillies 100 Years Ago: Wacky Ninth Perfect For Gavvy's Crash

July 1, 1915

Phillies vs. Boston Braves

This morning, in 1863, Major General Henry Heth was ordered to move his division into the nearby town of Gettysburg, not, as the story often goes, to raid a supply of shoes for the Confederate army, but to perform a reconnaissance in force.  Southern forces bumped into what they thought was Pennsylvania militia the previous day but General Robert E. Lee, knowing that the Army of the Potomac was his general vicinity, wanted to make sure his army was not being snuck up on.  Heth’s orders were to determine the strength of the Union forces at Gettysburg but not to engage in a battle.  Well, Heth ran into a full division of Brigadier General John Buford’s dismounted cavalry on the outskirts of town, and before he knew it his division was engaged in the battle Lee hoped to avoid.  Buford’s men, vastly outnumber yet fighting from defenses made in preparation for an assault, held Heth’s division for most of the morning, allowing the I Corps time to reinforce his line.  All morning troops on both sides flooded to the fight and battled in an arch northwest of the town.  The undermanned Union line held on for most of the day, but the right flank proved untenable and broke under pressure from Major General Richard S. Ewell’s Corps.  The retreat through town was panicked, giving the Confederate troops the impression that they had once again routed the Union army, but, unbeknownst to anyone at the time, the fight was to last for two more days.  The fighting had ceased for the most part today and Union troops came into the line all night, forming the famous fishhook formation on Cemetery Ridge.  Today in 1915, Americans would have commemorated the 52^nd anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg with many of the troops that fought still alive.