Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1866-04-20
! THRILLING INCIDENT.


A contributor to the Atlanta I,stsllt-
gencer, concludes his "Reminiscences
Of the War, No. 81 with the following
incident of the battle Of Gettysburg
When Gen. Longstreet advanced
upon the Federal left, its FIRST line was
carried But tho enemy being heavily
reinforced, rallied, and, in turn, drove
our portion of tho line (Anderson' 3
4 brigade) from the position. as well as
other brigades on our right and left.
/ Again we charged and again were driven
back. This was critical moment for
US; nearly all Of our general officers
were killed or wounded. Our heavy
line had crumbled to q mere handful,
and the flower of Longstreet's corps lay
weltering in blood We were slewly
retreating. leaving many of our dead
and wounded In the hands of our exult-
ing foe. The hosts Of tho enemy came
on like the mighty tides of the ocean,
and the loud peans of victory we're
already rising from their naughty lips.
i The blue hills in their rear were brist-i
ling with bayonets, and pouring torrents
of reinforcements down their winding
slope. Now, when We should have been
reinforced with eighty thousand troops,
! General Lee had not man TO send us.
| Officers broke their swords upon the
rocks, and many Of the men wept.
Our dead and wounded comrades lay
around us by thousands. and 1t seemed
as If there was no hand to save tho shat-
tered remnant from destruction. But
aid did not come-a man-n solitary
man, threw himself before the Jugger-
naut Of Federal power. and alone and
unaided, sought to stay its onward pro-
gress. / remember, as il ii were but
yesterday, the Zonave cap and iron grey
beard Of the stranger. None knew him,
but al idolized him for his bravery. He
moved through the awful storm with q
steady step, and his uplifted sword seem
ed to say to the advancing foe, " thus
far shalt thou come and no farther"
He said nothing, but bis Godlike ex.
ample made liero Of every man who saw
him. Soldiers looked in the face Of their
comrado, and the question came stimuli
| taneonsly to their blackened lips, "Who
is be-" echoed right and left, far up
i and down the line. The enemy came on
| like tornado, and the proud hero stood
developed in The smoke Of their lnuskcts.
like lion at bay Men forgot to reload
| their pieces or conceal themselves behind
the rocks, but stood stupefied with
wonder. . Who is he n men groaned---
who is he R" officers repeated, until
the cry became strangely, wildly fearful.
General Lee y some one shouted, and
the word ran along the line like an
electric fash, General Lee forever n
rang loud above the battles roar, and as
one man our gallant soldiers rushed like
a thunder bolt upon the nstonished foe,
z follow General Lee r cried our wound
ed comrades, rs they lay upon the
traniplcd 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 military fame that adorns each
Of their heroes, but would do justice to
our lamented dead; and If, by this i'm
perfect sketch, | can add one flower to
the chaplet Of q fallen llero's fame, /
shall feel myself amply rewarded And
that hero who is be 2" The answer
comes up from the graves Of Gettys.
burg General Paul j. Semmes.
1 SPRING BOWERS. A letter from Paris
reports that /" great increase has taken
place in the export Of millinery since the
beginning of the year, and the number
Of hands previously employed in IT. pre-
paration being now found insufficient,
they arc recruited from other quarters,
| SO that there are no unemployed hands. !,
A similar remark about the activity Of
the miIliners applies TO New York. The
new fashions are queer, and the hats
| themselves, which appear with the
| Easter festival, are "not much to speak
Of being 50 small as to be almost in
visible on the head. and affording no
protection whatever to the weareF but
light as they are they cost heavily, and
as 2 fashion dictates that they shall be
worn, there Is no more to be said.
Prices range from twenty-five to forty
and fifty dollars. and all the fashionable
makers are driven with work.
Gz- The Chicago Times says: a
late issue Of the New York Tribune has
a short political editorial in which The
words Gle and s'liar" occurred twenty
one times. This Abolition piece r. re-
sfsta,lce is garnished with such dressing
as willful,r " atrocious, thief,
i" burglar, " . assassin &C.. 10 IL is
the entife document Of the Abolition
49,. ~ k<s1SS N..p - .-m.x-.f.d