The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-04-15
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[raoM osR own CONSEQUENTLY
Army OF NORTHERN vIRsrNIA, /,
April 1st, 1864.

ARMY OF Nog rHRRN VIRGINIA,
April 1st, 1864.
NV last letter closed with the fall Of night OF
July the second. Two aays Of terrible car,ns
aud unsurpassed gal'antfy had been spent, and s'i
tlIe enemy held lho.c fasaed, aad TO US, ilfa,ea
| heights af Gettysburg. Iu'ins the night Of ih'
second Of July. bath sides were anrcmit,ipg:y &C
/ tive. In our camps council OF war was held -
Future history will perhaps nm the veil from thi.
consultation, and do Justice 10 all whO participated
In II. For the present will merely mention thai
| it was the purpose of Lfsat Gen. Longstrest ts'
| have passed around the heights occupied by the
enemy's left wing, and TO have mlde bold effor;
TO carry IL by reverse attack. This plan however
was overra'ed by the Co.ha''nding Genera!
whether wisely or uuwlseiy, history and posteritv
will decide. Oa the morning gf the third Gen. lee
gave orders that tue enemy s,.o.,id be attacked on
our front, IN their position on Gem,
! heights The coinmn ofatiaek consisted of KEN
pers, Garneit's and Arn,steads bri.aies, ta,I Viz
ginisns,) of Pickstt's division, {'orses brigade
was not In the Peansy;yaniA campa:gn) the d;vis-
ioa Of Maios Ger. Heih, ,xwhieh consisted of Ia
vis's Miss, Archcr's Tenn, Bsockcnhrough's va
and Pc,tigew's N. c. brgades, and L, L,nc a, d
aca,es's brigadcs, Of Pendcr's Old division, nev
Wicox's.
The attacking column was arranged in the fol
lowing Grder. Pickett was put in position as to
move directly on the enemy's frOwning line oj
wogks. Hrth's division, commanded by Pettigrew,
was 10 move on the same 'iGc Pickett, and al
tack the euemy's salient a. the same moment -
Pickett's division was arranged two brigades In
the front ine supported by the third brigade; vii
cox's Brigade of Andessons dlvI SION was To uoy,.
in the OF the right u Pickels division to pro
~fsp .,.Ir az
ioYuied in two lines, supported by Lanes an !.
Sca,es's hfigates. under The command az Mai
Gen TrInbie All of the artillery O! the third c.rpS
consisting Of AieXaGders, bearings, Cabelis aud
Iienry's battalions, and the Washington arlary
and part Of the artillery of the second corps the
whole under Tie command of that shiIlinl and ac-
| c0mpiished articfiat, then COiDRel, now General
Alexander, were placed in pos 0a will! all t,,..
guns bearing upon the en"my's lett. Cur artillery
was masscd on The stm,Dit of long, high ridge,
abont one mile frum. hut parale! to, the enemy,
vino pasted on like ridge, With his right resi-
ting Cemetery iii't, ani his ief. oa elevation
THAI rose 10 the proportions of Eiountain. Th.
two lines of battle were distant about mile, the
| intervening space being plain covered with fields
of tall grass and waving grain
This oecu.Cd The nl,rnin,, and save some pick
ct firing ani ,lesu..ory artillery ssfms.,ins, moth
| ing traiispired unii ahcui lsso c'clcck, VIII n
! at a concerted signal ear gnns opened iici'
Inur.eiOuS fire OF shot and shell upoa
l the eneniy's position. Thn guns of the
| rnrmy on the hi the left sooa
s,!cnced, but these on Cemetery heights replied
with srea, vigor. The terrific roar of tile atiery,
the bursting of she !5 and the 0f solid sint
from guns Of various cabre, mis- ged with The
sroans of the dy ng, made Up a scene and awaken
| "reminiscences that can never be 05iesated from
the memories of amy OF line surviving ieiO;s ia that
bloody drama After The artillery duel had listed
| for some two hours. the order came 10 advance
Pickett The right, ana Petisrew ON the iefi, ,
movpd forward In the two previous days bal
lies Pickett had not been engaged. ieth's Old di
vision had, however, borne Il memor,be part in
The first days struggle, where il lost over two
thirds OF its field and one halt 0 Its company 9th
GERS, ard Il large nGmber o. It's men ii killed anu
wounded. Lina and Seales's North Carolina hri
y.drs having be"n ordered by Lieut.. Gen. tlii IT,
report 10 Lieut.. Gen Longs rect, Oftisr.d bv
that officer {" form In the oi the right oi 'ci'
division aS a support 10 that division, which they
accordingly did
ricketi's troops advanced like men who uaaer
stood eir wa,k ami had resolved tp do ;he;g whole
duty fall the tisaf OF strife. As they sw1pi
On over that grand plain Intervening irtwren the
crest occupied by 1nr artillery and t,e held by
the enemy, and which was the priza Of battle, no
man who heheid their enea bravery aad uadaunied
herOism could refrain from dropping ish aud a
tear f,r the many brave ones vino NOM nentlfiy
falling before the terrible stream OF grape and
canister which The enen,y were hu:iing upon their
I advancing ranks from their many mouIhed cannon
and many prayer ascended heayenwasd In thai
| hour that the brave ti"ginians might wrest the
fruits of VictGry and Independence, 50 strongly
guarded on those irawniDg heights, now SD rapid;
u
ana noW The muskclry begins To mingie with the
notes OF .hc artillery, ana ihe work OF deah
/ is being accelerated. Now fickptts men, bein2
| IN convenient distance, hall foT moment, not 10
retreat, hat To deliver Their fire, aud Ibis done they
agaiu advance Oh the charge, aud SOON have pierced
tho cnemys lines, capturing his auGef works aud
some Of his batteries.
/ Ia the uieaniini. Hei's division, under the gal
liant Pc.tigrew, moved rapidly over ihe crest 0ccu
p-h by attiileri aud iato the plain or valley
| beiaw, aud Oh towards The eneE,y's works, with
| all the ffmnsss CHARACTERISTIC oi veterans. The
same deadly and continuous hfe Wh,ei greeted
Pickett was poured upou this gallant Division
slili they pressed gailan,iy on their ranks growin,
perceplibiy thinner ut each advancing step in the
charge, un II they reached The front line OF the
enemy, posted bei.ind siaae fence. Owing 10 th.
formation of the enemy's line archoT's brigade of
| Tcnncsseans hai shorter distance ID 90, and
| these having reached the stone icnee quickly
planted The Iag at the Conederacy On t'i, Yankee
breasiworas. The other brisaaes soon :;,cr reached
| tiie same I,ne. BH: they r'Gceelrd no iHrfcr.-
WHY they halted has been much discussed, aud
| much criticism has been bestowed; bnt Gniii c;n
| have light than Is ROW before me prefer To
withhold any Criticiss;t oi my Says gasian.
oiC er attached u the DIVISION in giving me In
| formation upbn this point: sin uur front were
double iines OF the enemy strongly posied on eu!
| hanks were overw heining forces To attempt To
| go further was mainsss.' And 50 t'ir division
give way and feircatej in considerable disorder -
The loss In Heth's division was very sieat IN
most Of the br;gltps not single field otiiser WAS
left and N many instances, after the hattlt', res
ments were commanded by t.!tuienahis. btiss-
dieI General Petligrcw was wo'lndrd snhicseniiy,
/ in tue Judgment o; his physician, 10 leave TIE
field, bu; declined To do
We mast 10; lose sight Of Trimb,e's command,
made up of Lanes and ;;eacs North Carolina bri-
glies aud So let Ms aoW look the pin II pore III
| the days work. The two b'igades with Ca.
ftin,bic al ti'er head advanced in cios" ;,ippod
| ing dfStanee of Gen petiigrew's iiae The the
| moved forward through the woods into me open
field about one mile, in full view at The enemy .
fortified pnsiiinn, exposed 10 murdefous artillery
| aud iHEinry fire in front, severe artillery fifs
from the right, and eafillds ire OF mhskctry
| fo0m the left The line moved handsomely and
| firmly forward. w ieR wthia Il few !iuadrtd yards
of the enenly's works their line oi batle- was
found 10 have entirely snac; the DIVISION moved
rapidly u, CONNECTING with the troops on the right
| Of P.ckett's column, who were sti'i stuahofhiy
c0ntestiLg the grO,tad with the sneny,) fesetvtns
their frs Until within easy range, wien they open
Ell ,vith sue, tliias efs.t 10 drive thn ;f;ier-
lists from their guns completely siieie'ng the bat
tefes aud .Teaking the line OF infant supports
| ofmed on the crest ai the hi'i. Ana now, As an
other question In dispute fiscs prefer 10 give
this division the heait OF the statement furnished
m. i,v unc of Il, brave AMI Int tsgsat officers Wia
took part In the bate, and ~ MS avn words. ca
| no, uyoueu the staten.ent This officer, however,
| assures me t,a, Should Gen Tftao.e I'VE to oc tx
changed that tn can su3siinti'.., i'' ~ stssc
ment Saws ,y Informant: ssAli the guns In fFoas
or the .livision were uow silaaced, ast the enc
my,s Infantry had fallen besiina t'iris second amt
third tines OF breastWoras, waeh tue oiVisioo, al
vamcing IN an obiiqae direction, the txtrfma fis'';
sf which had reached ihs wo!ss, was c""sPssfsa
zone exp.,siue the line very deadly hre from
that ilrection immediately on the right Hank, aui
| large column Of infantry aPpeanny ~ sMc 'c'.
that Hank also hecanse exposed the two clt reSt
snents OF Co.'s Avery ana nIy s,ae auav an,
III, hack ~ der direct orders In ths attack MAJ