Elizabeth daily monitor. [volume] (Elizabeth, N.J.) 1868-1880, 1873-09-10
[coNrrNurp ON FOURTH PAGE. ]

swept with his myriad of infantry
across the plain, expecting to sever oul
lines and sweep the Union army from
the field. Ellis column was received
with fearful hurricane of missiles
solid shot, shrapnel, spherical case,
shell, canister and every invention
known to modern warfare. Still on il
came, up to the very works behind
which lay the Union troops. The
Union line was broken at the 'copse Of
trees, forced back over the ridge, and
for q moment of terrible suspense vic.
tory hung trembling in the balance
Halls brigade on General Webb's left,
rushed to his assistance and Hays divi
sion rose from the stone wall and deliv.
cred a perfect sheet of fame" Wood
RIFFS battery was run forward, and
made to sweep the whole valley with
canister. The Eighth Ohioand Stan.
nard's brigade joined in the fight, and
Webb's first line united with his re-
serve, and all opened converging fire
Of musketry, and the rebel repulse was
complete four thousand five hundred
men threw down their arms and came
in as prisoners. This has been termed
the "highwater mark of this battle and
of the war;" Here the engagement
virtually ended, though McCandless
brigade, Kilpatrick's cavalry and
General Gregg's troops had encounters
later in the day with detachments of
rebel troops.
At the battle of Gettysburg, as in all
modern battles, there was but little
"hand- to-hand" fighting. Colonel JET
fers, Of the Fourth Michigan volunteers,
was MORALLY wounded with a bayonet
on the afternoon of July 2, and General
Wade Hampton received sabre cut in
fight with Gregg's cavalry. But on
East Cemetery hill, directly across the
road from the cemetery, occurred on the
night of the I'd, one of the fercest hand
to-hand, rough and-tumble encounters
of the whole war. The combatants
fought with cannon, muskets, pistols,
hand pixies, hammers, clubs, stones, any,
thing, indeed, they could lay hands on.
Here we counted some sixteen redoubts
thrown up by our artillery, and here a
large number of our best batteries were
placed. The hill on which our cannon
were mounted commanded the slope
and valley below, and at the time we
refer firing at Johnson's division of in
fantry, which could be seen hundreds
of yards below, passing the opening be-
tween Benner's and Culp's hills, as it
advanced to attack the position of our
Twelfth corps.
The enemy, of course, did not relish
our terrible cannonading, and Hayes
and Hoke's brigades Of Early's division
were detached to capture and silence
our batteries. The Union line, Bar
lows division, under the command of
General Ames, however, lay along the
stone wall at the base of the hill.
Suddenly" Colonel Bachelor in
e forms us in his account of the battle,
the skirmishers came rushing in, firing
as they retreated, and reported an i'm
mediate attack upon this point and
soon long line of battle, stretching
through the valley and across the ridge,
came sweeping in upon them with the
impetuosity of the whirlwind. The
guns were depressed as quickly as pos
sible, but not in time to be as effective
as a more level surface would have made
them. The Union infantry lines were
broken and scattered like chaff from the
summer threshing floor, as the wild as
sailants followed their beaten adyersar-
les, through showers of canister, into
the very batteries were we stand, seiz-
ing guns, spiking others, and for mo
ment holding this important position in
their possession.
Officers dashed hither and thither,
their voices ringing high above the din
and clang of battle. Men raved, i'm
plored, swore and cried by turns, in the
mad excitement Of the moment. Here,
at the south Of the wall, at Ricketts,
left gun, confederate lieutenant dash.
ed boldly up and seized the battery's
guidon. Private Riggin, its bearer,
drew his revolver and shot him dead.
AT the same moment mimic ball sever.
ed the staff and Riggin fell corpse
with that of his adversary. Lieutenant
Worcester, Seventh Louisiana, charged
into the battery, and, laying his hand
on gun, demanded its surrender, buI
was instantly Drained by blow with g
hankspike in the hands of one of the
gunners. Here, at the third gun from
the wall, confederate sergeant, muskeI
in hand, sprang upon Sergeant Stafford
and demanded his surrender. He wa,
answered by Lieutenant Brockway, O.
the battery, who, coming quickly be
hind, with a stone he had seized, felleG
him to the ground Stafford caught
the musket and fired, wounding hin
severely, and, in the fury of the mo
ment, dubbed the gun, and, but for the
interposition of Captain Ricketts,, would
have killed him on the spot. These are
but few Of the startling incidents OF
that fearful struggle"
The enemy was soon repulsed bu
no one who stands on that COMMANDING
eminence can deny that the assault
though finally unsuccessful, was one o
the most daring and memorable record
ed in military annals. The Louisiani
Tigers headed the assailing column, ant
were almost decimated They mus
have faced the iron hall from forty can
non.
In one of the desperate and sangui
nary fights at Little Round Top, and il
front of it, General Weed, of the Uniol
forces, was stricken down by sharp
shooters bullet, and while receiving hi
dying message Lieutenant Haslett re
ceived fatal shot, and fell across th,
body of his fallen chief, On this occa
sion, "as General Humphrey and hi
officers were using every exertion K
hold the troops steady, he saw Captain
Chester, of his staff, spring with con
yulsive start-turning to his command
H.. i ~ a.,