Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1877-11-14

opinion thatno $4,000 men ever ar
rayed for battlecan take that position, y.
pointing to Cemetery Hill. Gen. Lee
lnreply to this ordered me to prepare
Pickett's division for the attack. i
should not have been SO urgent had /
not forseen the lhopelessness of the pro-
posed assault. felt that l must say
word against the sacrifice of my men :;
and then felt that my record was such
that Gen. Lee would or could not mis-
construe my motives. L said no more
however, but turned away, The most
of the smorning was consumed in wait
ing for Pickett's men and getting into
position. The plan of assault was as
follows: Our artillery was to be massed
in a wood from which Pickett was to
charge, and it was to pour continuous
fire upon the cemetery Under cover
Of this freand supported by it Pickett
was to charge. a ss..... iaa
p. Our artillery was in charge ofGeneral
| E. z. Alexander, brave and gifted Of
fcer. Colonel Walton was my chief OF
artillery, but Alexander being at the
head,of the column, and being first in
position, and being besides an officer Of
unusual promptness, sagacity and intel
| 1igence, was given charge OF the artillc-
Try. The arrangements were completed
about one O'Clock. General Alexander
had arranged that battery ofseven IL
pound howitzers, with fresh horses and
full caissons, were to charge with Pick
4 ett, at the head of his line, but General
/ Pendleton, from whom the guns had
been borrowed, recalled them Just be-
fore the charge was made, and thus de-
ranged this wise plan. Never was |
$50 depressed as upon that
day. l felt that my men were to
fbe sacrificed, and that | should have to
order them to make a hopeless charge.
I had instructed General Alexander,
I being unwilling to trust myself with the
entire responsibility, to carefully observe
the effect of the fire upon the enemy,
and when it began to notify Pickett to
begin the assault. I was so much i'm
pressed with hopelessness Of the charge
t.that 1 wrote the following note to Cen
/ erai Alexander: IF the artillery fire
does not have the effect to drive OFF the
enemy or greatly demoralize him, SO as|
to make our efforts pretty certain, I
would prefer that Won should not. adj
wise General Pickett to make the charge.
| l shall rely great deal on yoHr iudg
ment to determine the matter and shall
expect you to let Pickett know when
! the moment offers"
4 M PICKETT's CHARGE.
+ To my note the general replied as
/ follows "I-WiIl only be able to Judge
! the effect ofour FIRE, upon the enemy by
his return fire, for his infantry IS but
llittle exposed to view, and smoke viii
obscure the whole field, Il. is | infer
from your note, there,is an alternative
to this attack it should be carefully con
sidered before opening our fire, for it
will take all the artillery ammunition
we have left to test tins one thoroughly.
and if the result is unfavorablc we viii
have none left for another effort. and
even if this is entirely successful it can
only be so at very bloody cost'' l still
desired to save my men, and felt that
if the artillery did not produco the de-
sired effect would be justified in hold
inc Pickett off. 7 wrote fills notn to
Colonel Walton at exactly 1.JP. M..
"Let the batteries omen. Order great
precision in firing. II the batteries at
/ the neach orchard cannot he used
against the point we intend attacking
LET them oDen on the enemy at Rocky
Hill" The cannonading which opened
aIonu both lines was GRAND. Tn = few
moments a courier brought a note to
general Pickett. who was standing near
he. from Alexander: which. after read
inc. he handed to me. 1t was follows:
sIf YOU are coming at all Won must come
at once. or | cannot give YOU proper
support: but the enemy's fire has not.
slackened at all; at least eighteen guns
are still firing from the cemetcyT it.
selfn
I After | had read the note Pickett said
I to me: general. shall I advances" Ny
FEELINGS had so overcome. me that |
! would not speak for fear Of betraving
nv want ofconfidenco to him. I bow
ed affirmative and turned to mount my
horse. Pickett immediately said, Il
shall lead nv division forward. sir"
I spurred my horse. to the wood where
Alexander was stationed with artillery.
When / reached him he told me Of the
7 disappearance of the seven Guns which
were to have led the charge With Pick
EFT. and that his ammunition was SO
low that he could not properly support
the charge. / at once ordered him to stop
Pickett until the ammunition had been
replenished. He informed me that he
plenlsh' | then saw there was no he!p
1 under his orders. He swept past our
=. artillery III splendid style, and the men
/ marched steadily and compactIy down