The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1875-09-02

without feeling admiration for the SOL
diership of the troops who made it.
When shell tore gaps in the ranks the
men quietly closed up, and the hostile
front advanced in the same ominous 81
fenced toward the slope where the real
struggle, all felt, would soon begin.
They were within few hundred yards
of the hill when suddenly rapid cannon
fire thundered on their right, and shell
and canister from fifty pieces of artillery
swept the Southern line, enfilading it,
and, for an instant, throwing the right
into some disorder. This disappeared at
once, however. The column closed and
continued to advance unmoved towards
the height.
At last the moment came. The steady
common time" step had become "quick
time," this had changed to "double-qick;"
then the column rushed headlong at the
enemy's breastworks on the slope of the
hill. As they did so the real thunder be-
gan. A fearful muskctry fire burst forth
and struck them in the face, and this
hurricane shattered the raw troops of
Pettigrew as leaves are scattered by
wind. That whole portion OF the line
gave way in disorder and fled from the
field, which was strewed with their dead;
and, as Wilcox had not moved so as to
keep up, the Virginians under Pickett
were left alone to breast the tempest
which had new burst upon them in all its
fury.
They returned the fire from the breast
works in their front with a heavy volley,
and then, with loud cheers, dashed at the
enemy's work, which they reached,
stormed and took possession of at the
point of the bayonet. The loss, however,
was frightful. General Garnett was kill
ed. General Armstead fell, mortally
wounded, as he leaped on the breast
works, cheering and waving his hat;
General Kemper was shot and disabled,
and the ranks of the Virginians were
thinned to handful. The men did not,
however, pause.
The enemy had partly rctrcated from
their first line of breastworks to second
and stronger one, about sixty yards be-
yond, and near the crest; and here the
Federal reserve, as Northern writer's
state was up 'four deep" This line,
bristling with bayonets and cannon, the
Virginians now charged, in the desperate
attempt to storm it with the bayonet and
pierce, in decisive manner, the centre
of the Federal army But the work was
too great for their powers. As they made
their brave rush they were met by a con-
centrated fire full in their faces, and on
both Aanks at the same moment.
This fire did not so much as cause them
to lose heart, as literally to hurl them back.
Before it the whole charging column
seemed to melt and disappear. The
bravest saw now that further fighting was
useless-that the works in front could not
be stormed-and, with the 1righttul fire
of the enemy still tearing their lines to
pieces, the poor remnants of the brave
division retreated from the hill. AS they
fell brck, sullen, like bulldogs from
whom their prey had been snatched just
as it was in their grasp, the enemy pur-
sued them with obstructive fire both OF
cannon and musketry, which moved
down large numbers, if large numbers,
indeed, can be said to have been left.
The command had been nearly annihi-
lated Three Generals, fourteen field Of
fcers, and threc-fourths of the men were
dead, wounded or prisoners. The Vir-
ginians had done all that could be done
by soldiers. They had advanced undis-
mayed into the focus of fire unsurpassed,
perhaps in the annals of war; had fought
bayonet to bayonet; had left the ground
strewn with their dead; and the small
remnant who survived were now sullenly
retiring, unsubdued; and, if repulsed,
not whipped"
Such was the last charge at Gettysburg.
Lee had concentrated in it all his availa-
Bile strength it seemed. When it failed
the battle and the campaign failed with
it.-lloJiAe Register.