Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1866-03-23
NO H..
1 rhriilirg incident.

Inrli!iES Enci0ent.
A contributor to The Atlanta IafCLigencer
concludes his "reminiscences, of the War,
No. e." with the following incident of the
battle of Gettysburg
When Gen. LongStrect advanced upon the
Federal left, its first line was carried. But
the enemy being heavily reinforced, rallied,
and. in turn, drove our portion Of the line
(Anderson's brigade from the position, as
we'll as other brlgades on our right and left.
Again we charged, and again We're 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 Long
streets corps lay wetering in blood. We
were slowly retreating, leaving many of our
nGsa f5 Sn 4h e hosts Of the enemy came on
like the mighty tides OF the ocean, and the
loud peals of victory were already rising from
their naughty lips. The blue hills in their
rear were bristling with bayonets, and pour
ing torrents of reinforcements down their
winding slope Now, when we should have
been reinforced with 80 900 troops, zen.
Lee had not a 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 it seemed
as if there was no hand to save the shattered
remnant from destruction. But aid did not
come-a man-a solitary man, threw him.
self before the iuggernaut Of Federal power,
and alone and unaided, sought to stay its
onward progress. [ remember, as if it were
but yesterday, the zouave cap and iron grey
beard of the stranger None knew him, but
all idolzed him for his bravery. He moved
through the awful storm with Il steady step,
and his uplifed sword seemed to say to the
advancing foe, ''thus far shalt thou come and
no farther"
He said nothing, but his godllke example
made hero of every man who saw HIM
Soldiers looked in the face Of their comrade,
and the question came simultaneously to their
blaokened lips, "Who is ho?' echoed right
and left, far up and down the line The
enemy came on like a tornado, and the proud
hero stood enveloped in the smoke Of their
muskets, like lion at bay. Men forgot to
reload their pieces or conceal themselves be-
hind the rocks, but stood stupeGcd with won
UGF - W lO Is nc iLiSL = t'lLS>t- WIN 10
he 2 officers repeated, until the cry became
strangely wild and fearful. General Lee
some one shouted, and the word rang along
the line like an electric fash. General Lee
forever Y rang loud above the battles roar,
and as one man our gallant soldiers rushed
like thunderbolt upon the astonished foe,
follow General Lee!" cried our wounled
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 wound
ed in our hands.
But where was the stranger?" Alas. THE
path Of glory leads 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 dotract one
ray from the crown Of military glory that
adorns each Of their heroes, but would do
Justice to our lamented dead and if, by this
imperfect sketch, can add one flower to the
chapct Of a fallen hero's fame, shall feel
myself amply rewarded. And that hero
'swho is he p The answer comes up from
the graves of Gettysburg-General Paul J.
Semmes.