The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1877-12-04

encountered during thai three hhnr'
Of bloody work not less than $4,000 Of
The FcacralS, and yet, their charge was
not checked nor their Inc broken unti!
we ordered them to withdraw. | found
that night that 1929 Of my men, more
than ono third of the total number, had
Lecn l,li on the f'M. History records
no parallel to the f:tt b. these two d.
visions On the ID Of Jr'y at Gettys-
burg.
EwELLS INACTloy.
1t may be imagined ihs' | was aston
ished at the fact thai We received no
support after We had 'dgvea the Fedrr-
ais from the peach orchard aud 1909
yards beyond Ii General Ewell had
engaged the army in the front at that
time (say o'cloek) he wouIJ have pre-
vented their rla-slng their whole army
in my front. and while he and | kept
their two wings engaged General Hill
would have found their centre weak,
and would Laro threatened it While |
hrcke through their left ard disip1-cd
them. Having failed to move at four
clock, while Tie enemy was in lis
font it vas still more Surprising that he
d:l not advance at FIVE O'Clock with
yi.or AMI ir,mp;ntss when i''c trenches
in from! Of him were vacated, or rather
held by one single brigade, (as General
lIcade's testimony before The commit
tee on th,' conAact Of tie war statc'0
Had he taken these trenches aud seat
ter.d the brigade tls, bell item, te
would have found him self in ihr Fed.
erals fank aud rear. His attack III the
rear must have disiodacd tie Frderal',
as il would have been totally uncxp"ct-
ed-it brng believed that hc was III
front Of me. Hill charging upon the
centre ut the SAME time woald have la
creased their disorder, aud We should
have won the field.
GEN. LEES DETERMINATION.
] did not Sc, Gen. lee th,t night.
On the next morning Ec came to See
r,c. and fearing that he was still in his
disposition to attack, tried to antici-
pate him by saying: "Genefa', ! have
had ms scouts out all night, and fad
that you still have an exc lIent orpor-
tuni;y to movc arrrn3 to the right o.
Meade's army. and manGuvrc him into
I attacking US 4" He replied pointing
with his At at Cemetery Hill: : " Tie
cncmy is there, AID ! ain ing 20 strike
him." | fri, then ,ha, it was nv duty
to express my convictions. sail :
"Gcncral, 1 have been a soldier all nay
life. l nave been with soldiers in fights
by couples, by squads, COMPANIES r"s'.
ment., divisions and armies. and should
know a, well as avg ona what soldiers
can de- II * MY opinion l!:. no I'll.
teen thousand mcn ever arrayei for
battle can take that position" Point.
ing to Cemetery Hi. General Lee, in
reply to this. ordered me- to prepare
PicSctt's Gi,iaioG for TIC attack. |
should not have been So Urgent
had not iorcsacn the hop'Ie~snrss ui'
tie proposed assault. ! felt that /
must say a word aSainsi the sacr'iice OF
my mca and then itii ti:at my re.
cord was suca that Gen. Ice woaid or
could rot n.;.ccnsnnc ny motircs. !
said no more, however, bat turned
away. The most Of lha morning was
consumed ia waiting for ii"hetts nen
and ccttin. int" position. The rlan Of
assault was as follows; Oar artillery
was to be mlSsed il Woo4 from which
Pickett was t3 charge, aud it was to
pour continuous fire upon the Cenie-
icry. Under cover Of lhis fire, aud
supported by it, Pickett w1a to chargc.
Oar artillery was in chaTse OF Gen
eral f. p. Alexander, brave and gllred
aficer. ! Mad instructed General Alex
audcr. being INV Hug % t:ust nlyscii
with ,hc cmiire responsibility, TO care
fu.ly observe the effect of the fire upon
tie enemy, aud when 1t began to tel
to notify Pickett 10 begin the assault.
ricKElT's CHARGE.
The cannonading Which op'ne1 a',"g
bn,h liucs VA, grand. ln Il few mo-
acnts courier brongh; = note to Gen.
Pickett, VITO was standing near nae,
from A!ezanicr, which alleg reading ~
handed to nv. 1t was rs follows : " If
yar are coa'ing at MI, y"u mu-t come
AT once, or | cannot give you proper
support but The encmy's FIRE has hot
slackencj at all. 4, least eighteen guns
are still friug from the Cemetery itsc!i.
After lad read the. note, Pickett
said to me: General, slaIi advance
Ny feelings had 50 overcome ne that |
would pot speak. for tecr Of brtrayins
my wart Of confidence il hin. bowed
affirmation and turned to mount nay
horse. Pickett Immediately said: 81
shall lead my divsioa i'rward. sir" L
spurrcd my horse to the wood where
Alexander WAS stationed with the arti!-
lcrv. When reached him h. tod NE
Of the disappearance Of seven guns
which were to have led the charge with
Pickett. and that lis ammunition was
50 low that lie could not property sup
port the charge. ! at once ordered him
10 stop Pickett until tie ammunition had
been reI!cni~hca. Ilr informed me
that hc Lad no AZ uii;iou from which to
lcIlcn;,h. III u law that there WIS
no help FIR it, and that Pickett must
1 l -. -.-.. IL s,,:.. Z