Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-07-24
FRIDAY MORNING, JULY "a, 1868.

in my ears, turn my eyes to the left ant
there all over the plain, in utmost confusion
is scattered this strong division. Their lint
is broken; they are flying, apparently panic
stricken, to the rear. The gallant Pettigrev
is wounded but he still retains command, and
is vanly striving to rally his men. Still the
moving mass ruslles pell nell to the rear, and
Pickett is left alone to contend with the hor,les
of the enemy now pouring in upon him on
every side. Garnett falls, killed by minnie
ball; and kemper, the brave and chivalrous,
reels under q mortal wound and is taken to
the rear. Now the enemy move around strong
tanking bodies of infantry, and are rapidly
gaining Pickctt's rear. The order is given to
fall back, and our men commence the move.
mcnt, dogscdly contendinS for every inch OF
! ground. The enemy press heavily our retreat
| ing line, and many noble spirits who had pass
cd safely through the fiery ordeal of the ad-
vance and charge, now foil on the right and
on the left. Armistead is wounded and left in
the encmy's hands. At this critical moment
he shattered remnant Of Wright's Georgia
brigade is moved forward to cover their re-
treat, and the fight closes here.
Our loss in this charge was very severe, and
tho Yankee prisoners taken acknowledge that
theirs was immense. Anticipating that re-
noWal of the attack would bc made on this
point IN his line, Meade had concentrated a
very heavy force ofinfantry in support of his
batteries, and the fro of our artillery was said
to have been very destructive to them, lying,
us they wcre in heavy masses just in rear Of
their own guns.
have stated that ;just after Pickett com
! menccd the attack, our batteries ceased firing,
and upon inquiry, learn that they had cr-
hauStcd all their ammunition, and were thus
compelled to withdraw This is most remark
able, and would seem to demand investigation.
During the attack made by Pickett, Nc
Laws had been actively engaged on our right,
but with no decisive results. Ewcll also on
envy in his position on Cemetery Hill, but
these were mere trnts to cover and divert at
tention from our main attack upon the centre
You will see that f'cice we took the McPher-
son heights--the real key to the eneny's whole
position--once by a single Jrigals, on Thurs
day, and again bya single division on Friday,
and that in both INSTANCES we lost it by the
failure OF proper supports to the attacking
parties, On whom the blame rests for the
second failure. shall not attempt to say
The most careless reader will be at no loss to
discover tho responsible party. OF the failure
to send in support in the first assault ton
Thursday the conviction is general in this
army that Maj. Gen. Anderson should be held
responsible. 1t wasi portion Of his division
that ma de-thc assault, and successful charge
and tro of his strongest brigadcs, although on
the field, were not put in action. Why this
was so, presume and hope he will be able 10
explain when he comes to make his official re-
port.
Nothing further transpired during the af-
tcrnonn and night of Friday. On Saturday,
we were engaged with strong working parties
burying our dead and caring for the wounded.
1t was now apparent that tho encmy's posi-
ton was almost imprcgnable. 1t was further
made known that the three days fighting had
nearly exhausted our ammunition. There had
been indications the night before Friday that
the enemy were moving Of, but all Saturday
morning the atmosphere was so hazy that
nothing could be seen, and from noon until;
night the rain poured in. such torsenS as to
utterly preclude any accurate observations be-
ing made.
During the whole of the day our wounded.
at least such as were able to bear it, were be-
ing sent towards HagerStown, and late in the
afternoon our artillery and wagon trains also
commenced moving in the same direction At
dark, our whole army were put in motion;
taking the road to Fairfield, and crossing South
was orderly, and without loss of men or guns.
All our artillery was brought of, and very
few. if any, stragglcrs fell into the enemy's
hands.
Having crossed the mountain, we moved on
- IT
the 9th. Here we took position, and calmly
awaited the approach of the enemy. On
Tuesday his advance got rs near to us as
and ON Wednesday and Thursday, his whole
for him to commence the attack, and hourly
Saturday, Sunday and Monday. we lay face to
facc. but the enemy refused to accept our
wager of hattie.
On Monday night, finding that the enemy
had no idea of Offering us battle, Int had gone
Lee determined to recross the river: have
no doubt the continued and heavy rains. and
consequent rapid rising of the Potomac, had
some influence on this movement.
We arc now all on tho sacred soil Of old
Virginia, III ui'c sPiIitS anu Soo" Hf"i'i, "hu
fully prepared to meet the Yankee army when
ever it shall get ready TO move upon US.
No one in the army has had his confidence
in Gen. Lee in the slightest degree impaired
by the last months campaign. lie had diff
culties to contend with which impartial his
tory will duly record, and his fair fame will
not receive . single blot by this campaign.
shall at some future moment. when have
leisure. give you some more full particulars of
the campaign, and what we accomplished
Our loss in the three days fighting at Gettys-
burg, will fall below ten thousand, in killed,
wounded. and missing. The enemy's loss is
at least thirty thousand. killed and wounded
and ten thousand prisoners. Some of the
prisoners, indeed most of them. were raroled
in Pennsylvania the balance have been sent
on to Richmond A.