The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-10-29

10 the ap0SItlG1 iEon y uIN.. - II /,
launched 'tlpons the enemy's VOTE anu 4
IormeGl 10 like just sehind SEMINARY Maas
IA the, cottage Of the oak forest thstgroHs
TONG ia crest. from the snnisEh of this
rhipe the Gong grin line OF semiaaFy Rtages |
Iass opposite, ,iocned up, Id esesr profile
against the snmmer sky, bris.liDg with the
artillery aud iilfsutry lines Of the sfoeS and
All during the not hours Of morning and
noon ts,e nlensptcked .soE the assault 'eontem-
platee the frowutng, heights .agsinzs which
they were 10 be buried. Greet fel6s decked
forth In all The rich gsrniture OF fertile sum.
hese aud there separated By stone
Ya,Is aud yfences, filed the Intervening
spsee--a sscee down, then q valley, end then
q slope ass;n right up TO TIC batteries and
figes CHARGED with death In every form. That
lesd, nncs iron, and steel can be wrought oy
tue destructive genius OF man. ~ /
,,ssss $50, TR. cAsN0A6Ds. -
Upon she crest OF Seminary Ridge General
Ice had planted ABOUT one hundred ana
City guEs, covering the front OF bis stormipg
COLUMN. Right opposite, about ninety guns
faeesf them. and ON either h,nk from Gene
fery iHdli and Round Top other batteries,
.coanosistng two hundred more guns, were
ranged TO Join In chorus. To prepare enc
view. cur batteries were first 20 canuonsde
the enems 81 lines, and as they closed the in-
fantrp we're to move out and pierce with
their bayonets the Federal left centre. AT
Ii O'clock slueie gun Drokethe Sabbath''ike
stillaess that had bsooded for hours over the
Geld. then another single gun-sae precon-
carried sigpal-and then all Seminary Ridge
burst forth with flames as over one hundred
a,ir,s poured forth their iron charges upon
the Federal lines. Gun answered gun, and
then for two hours the two armies were
wrapt In the smoke OF the most tremendous
cannonade that ever in the open field dark.
seped the sky of the western world; shell
srea med, rushing through the cir like devils
on wings Of ere; through murky, sulphurons
,csouds the sun giared I" with bloodshot eye";
the earth itself was tremulous, as il Internal
,commotion shook its foundations; and so
rapid were the discharges of cannon that
the sound of no particular gun could be dis
tinguished no more than the roar of single
wave when angry ocean losses its pillows
mouutain.high In 11idwinter storm. Nor
was this, as is generally the case with artil.
ilery duels, mere sound and fury, signifying
nothing" Our Infantry were for the most,
part sheltered, but on the Federal side. says
the historian Of Gettysburg. " notwithstand-
Ing every precaution was taken to shelter the
Union troops the destruction was terrible.
Men were torn limb from limb and blown to
ssoms by the villainous shells horses were
atsembowelled and thrown PROSTATE to
writhe 10 death-agonies; caissons filled with
ammunition were exploded {; cannon rent;
aud steel.banded gun.carriages Knocked into
shapeless masses" t sa -.at .
,.ae... TEE CHARGE. lGs g
At the end Of two hours the FIRE slack
eDed then closed like some grand orchestral
chorus announcing. the curtains rise as
tragedy itself steps forth upon the stage.
As silence once more reigued over the sUok
ing heights, from behind the sable curtain
that shH hung over Seminary Ridge there.
emerged the long double lines Of the Con!
,federate ,iafaotry in none Of the pomp and
circumstance of war, bat clad IN sombre
bomespup, brewn and gray, with nothing
bright about them save the blo0d-red
battle g igS twinkiing in their midst and
the glittering sheen OF cold steel.
Old Yirgiuis had the post of honor that day.
In the centre Of the assaulting line moved
Pfcket.'s men in batble's magui6cently stern
array, Kemper on the right connecting with
Wilcox; Garrett on the left connecting with
PettigreW; Armistead behind them Vir.
ginians ali. Down The slope from Seminary
Ridge they moved forth to the assault, not
itmpetuousiy, says Mr.. SWinton, Sat the run
or douhle-qnick, as has been represented ia.
the over-coiored descriptions ia which the
famous charge has been 80 often painted, but
With disciplined steddineSs--a quality
noticed by all who saw this advance--as
its characteristic feature.o Mounted. on
his familiar iron.gray war.horse Traveller,
General Lee, from the summit Of Seminary
Ridge, watched his veterans as they advanced
to this supreme endeavor, as did Napoleon
from the slope Of La Belle Alliance watch the
advance Of the Old Guard upon the allied
centre of Waterloo. Scarcely bad they de.
bouched into the field before once more Semi,
nary Ridge, in their front, was friDged with
fire, aud into their faces came the Kissing shot
and Shell. And, unfortunately for us. oar oscn
batteries, having nsGrty exhausted their am.
munition "a fact unknown to General Lee
when the assault eommenced}, were unable to
renlr. ,.r.-.E..
Our left, under Trimble, staggered at the
start, but soon regained- their step; and
while she'll burst overhead and solid shot
opened frishtful gaps the lines closed up
and moved on. Half way over this death.
devoured field Pickett's men paused and
re8-rauged their lines, and then moved
obliou IL to the left, so a' to strike the
highest point and apparent centre of the
enemy" Now it happened that Wilcox
did not close on to Pickett's right. thus
leaving gap open upon bis flank; and now,
at close range, the enemy from bis shotted
guns poured canister right into their DO.
SONS; but still they pressed right on. And
now from behind stone walls and trenches
l. A. ~,1,t 0f ~
| fire of musketry fl lshed into their faces.
Kemper and Garnet had fallen, but the
| men faltered not, and with bold forward
rush they Glove the ederal line. Brave
Armistead, leading his men afoot, sprung
upon the epemy's works, while ali around
him clustered the resolute soldiers Of the
Virginia Division 8" who had chsrged an
army while all the world wondered"
With cilm countenance but he1rt elate-
General Lee, from his post. with his field
glass fixed upea this point, no " saw the bat
tle.flags waving over the smoke that wreathed
the crest of Seminary Ridge like cluster of
blood.r mountain blossoms amidst thick
foliage and for the while Pickett's men
stood conQuerors on this blood-woR summit,
while all along their front the Federal
troops, tlismayed by their astonishing intre.
pidiiy, I'd the Geld. leaving their batteries
in their victors' hands. 5.fls..Is ss...stf
But, alas! they stood alone. For at least
twenty minutes--I am told by Captain John
Holmes Smith. of the Lynchburg Home
Guard, WHO, though wounded. climbed that
periloas height-the few WIS got there bed
undsputed possession of the field. But
whore were-their supportsp Pettigrew's
and Trimbl's men had broken before the
tornado of canister in their front, aCd, had
disappeared. And now, upon their right, the
gap LETT by Wilcox wa, being flled by Fed.
erai troops; and marshalling in their front
the TederA reserve, summonea from every