The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-13 00:00:00

forward for nearly a mile, driving the enemy before him
and up to his very guns, over and beyond his batteries, seve-
ral guns of which he captured, and nearly up to th, summit
of the hill, Wright had swept over the valley under a ter-
rific fire from the enemy's batteries, posted up( n M'Pher-
son's heights, had encountered the enem dvance line,
and had driven him across the Emmetsburzh like to a posi-
tion behind a stone wall or fence which runs parallel with
the pike, and about 60 or 80 yards in front of the batteries
on the heights and immediately under them. Here this
gallant brigade had a most desperate engagement for 15 or
20 minutes ; but charging rapidly up the almost perpendi-
cular side of the mountain, they rushed upon the enemy's
infantry behind the stone wall, and drove them from it
at the point of the bayonet. Now concentrating their
fire upon the heavy batteries (20 guns) of the enemy on the
crest of the heights, they soon silenced them, and rushing
forward with a shout, soon gained the summit of the heights,
capturing all the enemy's guns, and driving their infantry
in great disorder and confusion into the woods beyond.
We now had the key to the enemy's stronghold, and ap-
parently the victory was won. 111'Laws and Hood had
pushed their line well up the slope on the right; Wilcox
had kept well up on his portion of the line; Wright had
pierced the enemy's main line on the summit of M'Pher-
son's Heights, capturing his heavy batteries, thus breaking
the connection between his right and left wings. I said
that, apparently, we had won the victory. It remains co
be stated why our successes were not crowned with the
important results which should have followed such heroic,
daring, and indomitable bravery. Although the order was
peremptory that all of Anderson's division should moveinto
action simultaneously, Brigadier-General PoseY
ing a Mississippi brigade, and Brigadier-Generalcommand-
Mahone,,bis
commanding a 'Virginian brigade, failed to advance.i
as I
failure of these two brigades to advanceen Fender's is assigned,e division, of
learn upon inquiry, as the reason why rd
Hill's corps, did not advance—the order being that the
ad-
vance was to commence from the right and be taken up
al
remain
advance caused
caused
the Here
ondgivoiusi our whole
on his line.ie Fender's
we have two whole divisions, and two brigades of another,
standing idle spectators of one of the most desperate and
t et he 're - failure
ure
important assaults that has ever been made on this conti-
nent-15,000 or 20,000 armed men resting on their arms,
in plain view of a terrible battle, witnessing the mighty
efforts of two little brigades (Wright's and Wilcox's, for
Perry had fallen back overpowered) contending with the
heavy masses of Yankee infantry, and subjected to a most
cloadiy fire from the enemy's heavy artillery, without asingle
effort to aid them in the assault or to assist them when the
heights were carried. Perry's brigade, which was between
Wilcox and 'Wright, soon after its first advance was pressed
so heavily as to be forced to retire. This left an interval
in the line between Wright and Wilcox, and which the
enemy perceiving, he threw a heavy column in the gap then
made, deploying a portion of it in Wilcox's left flank,while
a large force was thrown in rear of Wright's right flank.
The failure of Posey and Mahone to advance upon Wright's
left enabled the enemy to throw forward a strong force on
that flank, and to push it well to his rear along the E mmets-
burg pike. It was now apparent that the day was lost—
lost after it was won—lost, not because our army fought
badly, but because a large portion did not fight at all.
My narrative left Wright's little brigade of Georgians in
the enemy's entrenchments upon the heights. Let us re-
turn to this little Spartan band, who this day covered them-
selves with glory—alas, how vainly I Perceiving, after
getting possession of the enemy's works, that they were cer-
tainly isolated—more than a mile from support—that Perry's
brigade had been driven back on their right; that no advance
had been made on their left, and just then seeing the
enemy's flanking columns on their right and left flanks
rapidly converging in their rear, these noble Georgians
faced about, abandoning all the guns they had captured,
and prepared to cut their way through the enemy who had
now almost entirely surrounded them. Springing with
alacrity down the hill to the stone fence, they were halted,
and delivered a well-directed fire upon the enemy then
passing along the pike road. Following this discharge by
a charge over the stone wall and through the enemy's ranks,
they soon gained the foot of the slope, when the lately aban-
doned guns upon the heights opened a most destructive fire
of grape and canister upon them. Here their loss was very
severe. But although more than one-half their number
had fallen—although every field officer but one had been
killed or wounded—with their comrades falling in heaps
on every side, this little handful of choice spirits retired
in tolerable order until they reached the bottom of the
second slope, where they were halted, faced to the front
and reformed, to await the approach of the enemy, now
seen advancing about three hundred yards distant. The
Yankees, perceiving that our men had reformed for a fight,
prudently withdrew without firing a gun. During this
time Wilcox, who had driven the enemy well up the side of
the mountain, capturing several of his guns, found his left
exposed by the flank movement of the enemy, heretofore
mentioned, and was compelled to retire, abandoning his
captured guns. On our right M'Laws and Hood continued
to press the enemy until night set in and ended
the sanguinary conflict. The enemy's loss during this
day's fight was very heavy, particularly on that portion of
the field where Beninn's brigade (of Hock's division),
Barksdale's and Wofford's (of M'Laws'), and Wilcox's and
`Wright' R (of ArulPrson'e division) were engaged. Our own
loss was slight, except in Wright's and Wilcox's brigades,
in both of which it was very heavy, amounting to more
than half of the forces engaged.
Early next morning—Friday, the 3d—preparations were
made for a general attack along the enemy's whole line,
while a large force was to be concentrated against his centre,
with the view of retaking the heights captured and aban-
doned the day before by Wright. Lieutenant General
Longstreet massed a large number of long range guns-55
in number—upon the crest of a slight eminence just in
front of Perry's and Wilcox's brigades, and a little to the
left of the heights, upon which they were to open, Lieu-
tenant-General Hill massed some 60 guns along the hill
in front of Posey's and Mahone's brigades, and almost
immediately in front of the heights. At twelve o'clock
the signal gun was fired, and the cannonading com-
menced. The fire of the guns was concentrated upon the
enemy's line on the heights stormed on the day before by
Wright's brigade. Our fire drew a most terrific one
from the enemy's batteries, posted along the heights from
a point near Cemetery Hill to the point in their line op-
posite to the position of Wilcox. I have never yet heard
such tremendous artillery tiring. The enemy must
have had over 100 guns, which, in addition to our 115,
made the air hideous with most discordant noise. The
very earth shook beneath our feet, and the hills and
rocks seem to reel like a drunken man. For one hour and
a half this most terrific fire was continued, during which
time the shrieking of shells, the crash of falling timber, the
fragments of rock flying through the air shattered from the
cliffs by solid shot, the heavy mutterings from the valley
between the opposing armies, the splash of bursting shrap-
nel, and the fierce neighing of wounded artillery horses,
made a picture terribly grand and sublime, but which my
pen utterly fails to describe. After the firing had continued
for little more than an hour the enemy's gun began to
slacken, and finally all were silenced save some six or eight,
which were in a clump of woods a little to the left of the
stone fence.

Now the storming party was moved up, Pickett's division
in advance, supported on the right by Wilcox's brigade and
on the left by Heth's division, commanded by Pettigrew.
The left of Pickett's division occupied the same ground over
which Wright had passed the day before. I stood upon an
eminence and watched this advance with great interest. I
had seen brave men pass over that fated valley the day be-
fore ; I had witnessed their death struggle with the foe on
the opposite heights ; I had observed their return with shat-
tered ranks, a bleeding mass, but with unstained banners.
Now I saw their valiant comrades prepare for the same
bloody trial, and already felt that their efforts would be
vain unless their supports should be as true as steel and
brave as lions. Now they move forward ; with steady,
measured tread they advance upon the foe. Their
banners float defiantly in the breeze, as onward in
beautiful order they press across the plain. I have
never seen since the war began (and I have been in all the
great fights of this army) troops enter a fight in such
splendid order as did this splendid division of Pickett's.
Now Pettigrew's command emerge from the woods upon
and sweep down the elope of the hill to the
and some 200 or 300 yards in rear of
vPai
lelke
ye t tb' se
nl
ee
af tt,h
Pickett. I saw by the wavering of this line as they entered
the conflict that they wanted the firmness of nerve and
steadiness of trad which so characterised Pickett's men,
and I felt that these men would not, could not, stand the
tremendous ordeal to which they would be soon subjected.
These were mostly raw troops, which had been recently
brought from the South, and who had, perhaps, never been
under fire—who certainly had never been in any very severe
fight—and I trembled for their conduct. Just as Pickett
was getting well under the enemy's fire our batteries ceased
firing. This was a fearful moment for Pickett and his
brave command. Why do }lot our guns reopen their fire is
the inquiry that rises upon every lip. Still our batteries
are silent as death. But on press Pickett's brave Virginians.
And now the enemy open upon them from more than 50
'guns a terrible fire of grape, shell, and canister. On, on
they move in unbroken line, delivering a deadly fire as they
advance. Now they have reached the Emroetsburg road,
and here they meet a severe fire from the heavy masses of
the enemy's infantry, posted behind the stone fence, while
their artillery, now lice from the annoyance of our artillery,
stone
turn their whole fire upon this devoted band. Still they
fence ; the Yank
remain
firm. Nowagaines f y
they.
Thead veannecrae
y; theye
batteries storm
are,the
one by one, silenced in e
quick.
succession as Pickett's men
deliver their fire at the
gunners and drive them from their
the enemy's works. Perl and Armstead plant their banner in
Let us now look after Prettth- their glad shout of victory.
they now? While the victorious
division. Where are
shout of the gallant Vir-
ginians is still ringing in my leesusr
Their
line
is
breckonfusion is scattered
and there all over the plain in utereietsutra my
eyes to the left,
this strong division.
, and is
apparently panic-stricken, to the rear, einlothey are
flying'
gallant Petti-
grew is wounded ; but he still retains Co
vainly striving to rally his men. Still themmrsanovd•
rush pell-mell to the rear, and Pickett is left sierTgt masson
tend with the hordes of the enemy now pouring file epo--
him on every side. Garnet falls, killed by a Minieuhalnl
and Kemper, the brave and chivalrous, reels under a
mortal wound, and is taken to the rear. Now the
enemy moved around strong flanking bodies of infan-