Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1866-03-31
A Thrilling Incident.

A contributor 10 the Atlanta lnlellgen'
Ger concludes his "reminiscences OF sshe
war, No. g" with the following incident
of the battle OF Getty sburg:
Wien Gen. Longslreet advanced upon
the Federal left. lis frs, line was carried
Bu, the enemy, being heavily reinforced
rallied, and, in turn, drove our portion oil
the line (Anderson's brgade) from the
position, as well ss other brigades on our
.rlgh, and left. Again We charged, and
again were driven back. This was a
crl,csl moment Tor US nearly all of ouI
general officers were killed or wounded.
Onr heavy line had crumbled 10 mere
handful, aud the flower of Longslree:'s
corps lay welIering in tlood. We were
slowly retreaiiog, leaving many of our
dead and wounded in the hands OF onr
exuItipg foe. The hosts of the enemy
came Oh like the mighty tides Of the
ocean, and The loud pesls Of victory were
already rising from their naughty lips.
The blue hills in the rear were brlstling
with bsyonets, and pouring torrents OF re-
Inducements down their winding slope.
Now. when we should have been rein
forced with 10000 troops, Gen. Lee had
no, man to send us. Officers broke
their swords Upon the rocks, and many
of the men wep,. Our dead and wound
ed comrades lay around US by thousands,
and il seemed as if there was no hand 10
save The shattered remnant from des'ruc'
tion. But aid cid come-a mana soil.
lary man, threw himself fore The Jug
gernaul OF Federal power, and, alone aud
uuaided. sought TO stay lis onward prog
ress. remember, as if il were put yes
lerday, the zousve cap and iIon.grey
beard of,he Stranger. None knew him
bu, all idolzed him for his bravery. He
moved through The awful storm With
steady step, and his uplilied sword seem
ed to say To- the advancing foe, "shus fal
shalt thou come, and no farther"
He said nothing, but his goclke ex'
ample made hero OF every man who
saw him. Soldiers looked into the faces
of their comrades. and the question came
simultaneously TO their backened lips,
..Who is he p echoed righ. and left, far
up and down the line. The enemy came
on like a tornado. end the proud hero
stood ervelnped 10 the smoke of their
muskels, like a lion a, bay. Men lorgot
10 reload their pieces or conceal them
selves behind ,he rocks. but stood slupe-
fed with wonder. "Who is he = men
grosned-"w no is he ," officers repeated
unIl the cry became strangely wild and
fearful. General LEE!' some one
lshou,ed, and the word rang along the line
like an electric 9ash. General LEE for.
ever !" rang loud above the battles roar,
and. as one man, our gallant soldiers
rushed like lhunderool. upon the aston
ished foe. Follow General LEE y
cried our wounded comrades. as they lay
upon the usmpled earth and tossed ny
their bloody caps. No body Of men on
the broad green earth could have with
stood the terrible impeiuosi,y of this on
set. The Federal troops. though they
Tough, desperately, were compelled &c
give back and at last TO retreat in con
fusion TO the heights, leaving their dsat
and wounded in our possession.
Bot where was the stranger Alas
1.-The path of glory leads but 10 the
grave y The war is over now, and the
brave men whom we met tha. day a.
deadly enemies. we now meet as friends
We would not de,ract one ray from the
crown of military glory that adorns each
Of their heroes. but would do justice tt
our lsmented dead ; and if, by this i'm
perrec. sketch. can add one flower tc
The chsplet Of a fallen heros fame, | shal
feel myself amply rewarded. And tha
hero-"who is her' The answer
comes up from the graves of Gettysburg
I-General Paul J. Semmes.