Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1866-04-09
A Thrilling Incident.

contributor to the Atlanta IHteliigencer, con-
cudes his "reminiscences of the War, No. ."
with the following incident of the battle of Gettys-
burg:
"when General Longstreet advanced upon the
Federal left its first line was carried But the enc
nv being heavily reinforced, rallied, and in turn
drove our position of the line, (Andersons brgade)
from the position, well as other brgades on our
night and left. Again we charged and were again
driven back. This was critical moment for US !.
nearly all of our general officers were killed or
wounded. Our heavy line had crumbled TO a mere
handful, and the flower of Longstreets corps lay
weltering in blood. We were slowly retreatlng
leaving many of our dead and wounded IN the hands
of the eXulting foe The hosts of the enemy came
like the mighty tides of the ocean, and the p9ans
Of victory were already rising from their naughty lips
The blue hills in their brstling with bayo
nets, and pouring torrents of reniorcements down
their winding slopes. Now, when should have
been reinforced with thirty thousand troops, General
Lee had not man TO send us. Officers broke their
swords upon the rocks, and many of them wept.-
Our dead and wounded comrades lay around us by
thousands, and it seemed if there was no hand to
save the shattered remnant from destruction. But
aid did not cOme-a mana solitary man threw
himself before the juggernaut of Federal power
and alone, unaided, sought to stay its onward pro-
gress / remember, as if it were but yesterday, the
zouave cap and iron gray beard OF the stran-
ger. None knew him, but all idolzed him
for his bravery. He moved through the
awful storm with a steady step, and his uplifted
sword seemed to say to the advancing foe thus far
shalt thou come and no farther" He said nothing,
but his godlike example made hero of every man
who saw him. Soldiers looked in the face OF their
comrades, and the question came simultaneously to
their blackened lips Who is he F' echoed right and
left far up and down the line. The enemy came on
like tornado, and the proud hero stood enveloped
in the smoke, of their muskets like lion at bay.
Men forgot to reload their pieces or concealed them
selves behind the rocks, but stood stupeied with
wonder "Who is he ~ men groaned -" who Is
he ?" officers repeated until the cry became fearful,
General Lee" some one shouted, and the word ran
along the line like an electric fash General Lee,
foreverm rang loud above the battles roar and as
one man our gallant soldiers rushed like thunder
bolt upon the astonished foe "fOllow General Lee "
cried our wounded comrades, as they lay upon the
trampled earth and tossed up their bloody caps.
No body of men on the broad green earth could have
withstood the terrible impetuOsity OF this onset.
The Federal troops, though they fought desperately
were compelled to give back, and at last to retreat
in confusion to the heights leaving their dead and
wounded in our hands,
| But where was the stranger! " Alas! The paths
| of glory lead but to the grave" The war is over
| now and the brave men whom we met that day as
| deadly enemies we now meet as friends. We would
not detract one ray from the crown of the military
glory that adorns each of their heroes but would do
Justice to our lamented dead and if by this imper-
feet sketch can add one flower to the chaplet of
fallen horO's fame, shall feel myself amplyreward
| ed And that hero-'who is he p The answer
comes up from the graves of Gettysburg-Gen. Paul
|