The Weekly Washington telegraph., 1871-08-09

"A hi'lbL'Nb lNCIDENI'-a NOhH
tributor to the Atlanta Intelligencer
concludes his Reminiscence of the war,
No. q" with the following incident of
the battle ofGettysburg:
When General Longstreet 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 bri-
gade) from the position, as well as
some other brigades on our right and
left. Again we charged and again we
were driven back. This was a critical
moment for US; nearly all of our gen.
eral officers were killed or wounded
Our heavy lines had crumbled to a
mere handful, and the flower of Long
streets corps lay weltering in blood.
We were slowly retreating, leaving
many Of our dead and wounded in the
hands Of the exulting foe. The hosts
Of the enemy came on like the mighty
tide of the ocean, and the loId peals Of
victory were already rising from their
naughty lips. Now, when we should
have been reinforced with eighty thou
sand troops, Gen. Lee had not man
to send us. Officers broke their swords
upon the rocks, and many of the men
wept. Oar dead and wounded COM
radcs lay around us by thousands. and
it seemed as if there was no hand to
save the remnent from destruction.
But aid did not come; a man, a solitary
man, threw himself before the Jug
gernaut 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
gray hair of the stranger. None knew
him, but all idolized him for his bra
very. He moved through the awful
storm with steady step, and his up.
lifted sword seemed to say to the ad-
vancing foe, "Thus far shalt thou
come and no farther" He said no>
thing, but his god like example made a
hero of every man who saw him. Sol
diers looked in the face of their COM
rades, and the question come simultane-
ously to their bl aekened lips, "Who is
he?" 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 for
got TO reload their pieces or conceal
themselves behind the rocks, but stood
stupefed with wonder. "Who is he?"
men groaned-"wh1 is he?" officers re-
peated, until the cry became strangely,
wildly fearful. General Lee" some
one shouted; and the word ran along
the line like an electric flash. "Gen
Lee forever!' rang loud above the
battles roar aud as one man our gal
liant soldiers rushed upon the astonish.
ed foe; "follow General Leel' criel
our wounded comrades as they lay up
on the trampled earth and tossed up
their bloody caps. No body of men
on the broad green earth could have
withstoo1 the terrible impetuosisy of
this onset. The Federal troops, though
they fought desperately, were compel
|, led 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? Alasl
"The paths of glory lead but to the
grave" The war is over now, and the
brave men 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, we would do jus
ticc to our lamented dead; and if, by
this imperferct sketch, can add one
flower to the chaplet of a fallen hero's
fame, l shall feel myself amply rewar'
ded. And that hero-"who is he?'
The answer comes up from the graves
of Gettysbnrg-Gen. Paul j. Semmos.