The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1877-09-05
Pickett's Charge. !.
TERRIBLE ASSAULT UPON CEMETERY
HEIGHTS AND THE CRUSH
ING REPULSE.

The combat between the artillery
of the two armies must have been
two hours in duration. Throughout
all of it the officers and men of that
portion of the liue where was were
stretched flat upon the ground, With
their heads toward the firing. The
water in our canteens had long been
exhausted, and no more could be had
until the battle was over. Not a
breath Of air was in motion, aud the
sun shone down on US intensely hot.
The bursting of innumerable shells
added to the heat. My company,
numbering about fifty men present,
lost four killed and some fifteen
wounded while in this position
The enemy's shot hurled among us
and clipped off the clover heads by
our sides. The fire was so terrific
that when a man sang out wound
ed" the ambulance corps would not
60 to his relief. To have taken any
one TO the rear while that firing was
in progress would have been almost
certain death. At last the Federal
batteries began to slacken their fire,
and not long afterward they ceased
entirely. Soon the Confederate guns
ceased firing, too, and then all knew
that the supreme moment had come.
Each surviving commandant of a
company sprang to his feet and or
dered his men into line. All who
could got into line, but there were
many dead, and wounded, and sun
stricken poor fellows left upon the
ground. The order to 60 forward
was given, and obeyed with alacrity
and cheerfulness, for we believed
then that the battle was practically
over, and that we had nothing to do
but marched unopposed to Cemetery
Heights and occupy them. The as
cent to the crest of the hill, which
had hitherto concealed US from the
enemy's view, was made speedily
and in good order. While making
the ascent it was seen that the sup
ports to our right and left TANKS
were not coming forward, as we had
been told they would. Mounted Of
fcers were seen dashing frantically
up and down their line, apparently
endeavoring to get them to move for
ward, but we could see that they
would not move. Their failure to
support US was discouraging, but it
did not dishearten us. Some of our
men cursed them for being towards,
but still our charge was kept up, and
no man fell out. Soon we were past
the crest of the hill and out of sight
of them. Before US stood Cemetery
Heights, of which we could get occa-
sional glimpses through riffs in the
clouds of powder-smoke which en-.
veloped them. We could not see
whether or not there were troops
there to defend them against u.s.
Somewhat further on, perhaps hun.
dred and fifty yards beyond the crest
of the hill we had just passed, post
and-rail fence some five feet high
was encountered. This fence was
quickly mounted, and a little dis
lance beyond it my regiment, and l
suppose the whole line of battle, was
halted for the purpose of rectifying
the alignment. From the time the
charge began up to this moment not
a shot had been fired at us, nor had
we been able to see, because of the
density of the smoke which hung
over the battle field like pail, that
there was any enemy in front of US.
But directly afterward, just as the
line started forward again, shot,
fired from somewhere to our left,
struck the center company Of my
regiment, and, enflading it's right
wing as it did, killed and wounded a
large number Of men and officers
The smoke now lifted from our front.
and there right before US, scarcely
two hundred yards away, stood Gem
every Heights IN awful grandeur
At their base was double line of
Federal infantry and several pieces
of artillery posted behind stone
walls, and to the right and left of
them both artillery and infantry sup
ports were hurriedly coming up
We fully realized then that Pickett's
three little brigades, already greatly
reduced BY heavy casualties, was
making alone, and without possibili-
ty of succor, desperate charge
against the whole power of the Fed
oral army,