The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1863-07-24
Incidents Of the Battle.


Among the diaerate accounts Of the fna
charge Of the rebels at the battle Of Gettys
burg on Friday, we select the following from
the New York Times:
Then there was lull. and We knew that
tho rebel infantry was charging. Andsplen'
didly they did this work-tho highest and
seyerest test of the stuff that soldiers art
made of. Hills division, In one line Of bat
tic, camo first on the double-quick.-Their
muskets at the fright shoulder-shift." Long
streets camo as the support, at the usual
distance, with war cries and savage inso
lence as yet unturtored by defeat. They
rushed in perfect order across the open field
up to the very muzzle Of tho guns, which
tore lanes through them as they came. But
they met men who were their equalsin spirit
and their supsriors in tenacity. There never
was better fighting since ThermopylW than
was done yesterday by our infantry and Or.
tillery. The rebels were over our defences
They had cleared cannoniers and horses from
one Of the guns, and were whirlingit around
to use upon US. The bayonet drove them
back. But 90 hard pressed was this brave
infantry that at one time, from tho exaustion
OF their ammunition, every battery upon the
principle crest Of attack was silent except
Cowens. His service Of grape and canister
was awful. Itenabled our line, outnumber.
cd !wo toone, first to beat back Longstreet,
then to charge upon him, and take o grea.
number of his men. Strange sight! So
terrible was our musketry and artillery fire,
that when Armstead's brigade was checked
In its charge, and stood reeling, oil ofits men
dropped their muskets and crawled on their
hands and knees underneath the stream oi
shot till close to our troops, whero they made
signs of surrcndering. They passed through
our ranks scarcely noticed, and slowly went
down the slope to the road IN the rear.
Before they got there the grand charge oil
Ewell solemnly sworn to and carefully pre-
pared had failed.
Capt. Cushing, Company A. Fourth Reg.
ular artillery, was killed, and his battery
suffered severely. The gallantry of this off
Ger is beyond praise. Severely wounded ear
ly in the afternoon, he refused to leave his
post beside his guns, but continued to pour
grape and canister into the advancing col.
umns of tho rebels until they had reached
the very muzzles of his pieces, and sure Of
their capture, were attempting to turn them
upon our forces, when they wcro driven OF
by our infantry. At this moment Capt.
Gushing received his death wound, and fell
lifeless to the earth. Heaps Of corpscs and
wounded in front of his battery this morning
told terrible tale Of the effectiveness OF its
fro.
None OF tho company wcrc taken prisoners
by the rebels. After tho battle but ono gun
OF this battery remained uninjurcd-tho rest
having bceu dismounted or destroyed by tho
terrible FIRE of tho enemy, which for the timc
was concentrated upon tho batteries on this
part of the field. In front of this position
icl dead the rebel Gen. Dick Garnet, who
was courageously leading his men in the
charge upon our batteries on Crow Hill
The rebel Gen. Arlnstead was also wounded
here while advancing ut the head Of hisbrig.
ado.
About fifty yards in front OF our batteries
was stone wall. running from our centre in
n southwcstcrly direction, behind which laid
several OF our regiments, picking off tho ene-
my as they advanced up tho slope Of tho hill.
Notwithstanding the terrible FIRE poured into
their ranks by our guns, 80 impetuous was
the charge of the rebels that they drove our
men from their position, and were advancing
upon our batteries, several Of which they
captured, but the capture was only temper.
ary. Gen. Gibbons division, composed Of
Gems. Wcbb's, Harrcll's and Halls brigades,
at the point of the bayonet. drove them back
over the stone wall into tho plain below.
Corp. Hyden, Of tho First Minnesota was
captured-escaped, seized musket and seiz-
cd rare opportunity, and actually made
ten rebels surrender. While marching them
to Gen. Gibson's quarters, rebel behind n
tree on tho way drew bead on him with his
rife. Hyden saw him in time to bring his
rifle to level, and cry out surrender. -
The fellow actually throw down his gun and
joined the cavalcade, and Hayden camo in
with eleven captives.
Wounded prisoners taken in Gettysburg
this morning report that Gen. Bradley l..
johnson, Of Maryland, was killed in Thurs
days attack on our right. He was struck
by q shell while charging our lines at the
head of his division. Gen. Hood is also re-
ported to have had his leg shot of, and from
tho effects of which he has since died.
Rebel officers with whom have convcrsed
frankly admit that the result of tho last two
days has been moet disastrous to their cause,
which depended, they say, upon the success
of Lees attempt to transfer the scat Of war
from Virginia to the Northern Border States.
A wounded rebel Colonel told mo that, in
the first and second days fight, tho rebel
losses were between ten and eleven thousand.
Yesterday they have greater still. In one
part Of the field, In space not moro than
twenty feet in circumference in front of Gen.
Gibbons division, counted seven dead reb.
els, three Of whom were piled on TOP Of each
other. And close by in q spot not more
than fifteen feet square lay fifteen sgrsy-
backs" stretched in death. Those wero the
adventurous spirit, who in tho face Of the
horrible stream OF canister, shell and musko-
try, scaled the fence wall in their attempt
upon our batteries. Very largo numbers ol
wounded were also strewn around, not to
mention moro who had crawlcd away OF been
taken away. The field In front Of tho stone
wall was literally covered with dead and
wounded. largo proportion Of whom wcro
rebels. Where our musketry and artillery
took effect they lay in swaths ms ifmown down
lby a scythc. This field presented o horrible
sight-such as has never yet been witnessed
during tho war. Not less than one thousand
dead and wounded laid in space of less
than four acrOs in extent, and that, too, af.
ter numbers had crawlod away to places Of
shelter. c.lI.0fa e.. .ss. 70 -. -
My pen is heavy. Oh. you dead, who at
Gettysburg have baptized with your blood
tho second birth Of Freedom in America,
how you are TO bo envied ! rise from agnvo
whose wet clay have passionately kissed,