Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1865-12-14
TOWANDA, BRADFORD COUNTY, PA. DECEMBER IA, 1865

Col. Chamberlain, afterwards one of Sheri
dams heroes of the Five Forks. Firing
away their last cartridge, Chamberlain or
dercd his regiment to charge down thu
hill, and succeeded III clearing its sides
with the hayonet. The remarkable lcdg,
OF rocks known as the Devils Den" di
rectly opposite Round Top, was occupied
by the enemy's sharpshooters, one of whom
had safe position within the cleft ant
picked off our men with fatal accuracy
! The face Of the boulder behind which he
| lay is covered with marks Of the minnies
sent at him. One even went for him
clean through the crevice, but missed He
was finally dislodged by charge, and es
capped through an opening to the rear
Seven muskets, it is said, were found in his
hiding place. There is room enough fo1
.ffty. On the slope in front of this den lie
bleaching the bones of rebel dead, washed
out by the rains. The scene Of Crawford'e
charge, with our superb Pennsylvania Re
serves, was to the right and in front O
Little Round Top. Brigadier Gen. Zook
and Colonel Jeflards the latter Of the 4tf
| Michigan-were Killed in the field beyond
Col. ,Jeffards was killed by bayonet
thrust, while gallantly holding up with his
own hands the colors of his regiment Neal
that ploughed field, charging at the head
of his brave " Bucktails," fell our Chester
county neighbor, Col Frederick Taylor
No death in the whole army was more sin
cerely mourned.
MANY the ways that lead to death, but few
Grandly; and one alone is glory's gate,
Standing wherever free men dare their fate,
Determined, as HOu ge,t, to de-or do"
We now proceed along the line held by
US on Friday, Col. B. politely acting as
guide. In that little grove, close to our
lines, fell the rebel General Barksdale on
Thursday This violent, brawling rebel
started in search of "hiS rights" and this
little pile of stones here marks the spot
where he is presumed to have found them
/ 1t is said he was drunk when he started on
the charge, and this may account for his
headlong, reckless bravery. True or not
the story's still extant" Here in the
thickest of the fight, exposing himself like
common soldier, the gallant Hancock re-
ceived his wound. That advanced line OF
works was held by the Vermont brigade
1t was commanded by Gen. Stannard, who
subsequently gave an arm to the cause on
the James \ pile of knapsacks, just as
they were unslung, still lie mouldering
here--on one the inscription " 10th Yer
mont is still visible. Even now the debris
of battle-hats, shoes, cartridge-boxes,
bayonet scabbards, Canteens, &c.lie scat
tered all over the field. Next we come to
the position held by the " Philadelphia
Brigade" composed of the 69th-"Paddy
Owens regulars :" the 72d, Baxter's Zou-
aves, and that splendid fighting regiment,
the list, or California, commanded origin
ally by the lamented Baker, and subse-
quently by our gallant fellow-townsmen,
Colonels John Markoe and K. Penn Smith.
This brigade veteran fighters, every man
of them-was led upon this occasion by a
gallant New Yorker, Brigadier Gen. Webb,
and nobly was the honor of both cities sus-
tanned Would that | had it in my power
to particularize all the organizations con-
spicous for courage and conduct in this
great battle, but that would be to mention
almost every regiment, battery and squad
ron engaged. From here we have an ex-
cellent view of Seminary Ridge, the line of
woods whence the rebels issued, and the
beautiful level fields over which they swept
in their grand charge. This certainly is
the most magnificent battlefield in the
world The heights of La Belle Alliance
and Mount Saint Jean in some respects re-
semble our Cemetery and Seminary Ridges,
with the same gentle, undulating valley in
tervening but at Waterloo the principal
road runs at right angles, while here, par
alel with the position. Speaking of the
bombardment which preceded the charge,
that experienced soldier, Gen. Hancock,
says % 1t was the most terrific cannOmade
| ever witnessed, and the most prolonged" !"
A rebel eyewitness describing it, says :
a have never yet heard such tremendous
artillery firing. The very earth shook be-
meath our feet, and the hills and rocks
seemed to reel like drunken man. For
one hour and half this most terrific firing
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 val
ley between the opposing armies, the
splash Of bursting shrapnel, and the fierce
neighing of wounded artillery horses, made
a picture terribly grand and sublime" At
ter this came the charge. Our eighty guns,
planted on the crest from Cemetery Hill to
Round Top, "volleyed and thundered," and,
when the infantry joined in the chorus, 50
terrible was the fire that tore through them
that the rebel columns presented the extra
ordinary spectacle of ten thousand men
playing at " "leap-frog !" In spite of every
effort, the flower of Lees veterans, directed
by tried leaders such as Garnett Armstead,
Kemper, Wright, Posey and Malone, failed
in carrying our position, although at one
or two points they charged up to, and even
over it. What other than Southern troops
would have made that charge ?" Ay, sir,
but what other than Northern troops would
have met and repulsed it? Northern en-
durance, upon this occasion was too much
for Southern impetuosity and dash. There
swung the pine against the palna" In the
bloody ruck hundreds of their best officers
went down. 1t was the turning point of
the grand drama, and with the sun on that
Sd day of July, went down the sun of ''the
Confederacy" forever! Although known
as ''Pickett's charge" Gen. Graham, whom
met here yesterday, informs me thGt Pick
EFT himself was not in it. He describes
him as a coarse, brutal fellow, and says he
treated him with the greatest inhumanity
after the battle, whilst wounded, and a
prisoner in his hands The rebel corps
commanders either did not expose them
Il, 4