Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1878-08-13
Picketts : Di,islon


In the invasion of Pennsylvania
Pickett's Division was detached, 10y
order OF General Lee. 10 guard the
rear Of the army, aud on the night ui
The 3Dth of June. 1868, bivOuackej iu
n body of woods about TWO miles lie
low Chambersburg. ia April 4 part
Of ihe division Was around GreeuvIlle
and Washington fEnrth Cardinal,
Ihen at Suffolk. and now went into
Cnmp from almost continuous march
Of more than five hundred miles.
The men were foot sore and WeaTied,
their faces were tanned by winters
storms and sulhmer's heat aud cover
Ell over with unkept beard. Boys who
enlisted i'm their teens were changed
by the weather and 10y the hardships
uE war into men of middle life. The
bright uniforms and braided caps of
earlier days were gone and had given
place to the siOuche1 hat the faded
and threadbare jacket and patched
pantloons. Their tents werO burned
early in the war and their baggage had
been reduced from time to time, until
the men marched for weeks and
months together without a change OF
raiment, climbed mountains, waded
rivers, slept upon the bleak snow clad
hills under q single blanket AMI the
cold bare heavens for "A covering, shiY-
cred in the chilly blasts upon the out
post or tramped barefoot the stony
turnPikes and tangled swAmps; ; often
the van I'm battle the rear IN retreat,
they breasted alike the storms of the
weather and OF war, and, though
thinly clad and poorly fed. fought
long and well 70: the Lost Cause u
The missiles OF war had pluughed
their ranks and fallen comTades had
been left upon every field, whose
bleaching bones marked the track of
the division and must tell as q monu-
ment where the contest ragged fiefcesi
Disease, too, that fell destroyed of ar
mics, had followed in the wake of
the sword and the angel OF Death had
fiarped bis broad, sable wing over the
camp and the hospital as we'll as the
field and erected new burial grounds
for each campaign.
Various recent details, made upon
the march i'm 9ddition to heavy de-
tachments left behind, had reduced
the division to less than one half its
former strength, but, though its num-
bers were reduced, its prestige was
still uubroken, the Unsuitable vampire
disease had been outstripped upon the
long rapid march, the weak aud fee
bile had fallen by the way and were
LETT behind, while those now swer-
ing 10 the roll call were the strong on
tue march and the stout in battle to
whom scenes of peral aud of carnage
had grown familiar.
The three brigSdes present. in camp
near Chambershurg, wee composed
entirely of Nirginians. and nearly ev-
cry family of honorable mention, In
the brief tut brilliant annals of the
commonwealth, had its representa-
tives here. either among the officers or
among the privates marching in the
ranks of this celebrated body of SOL
djers. There marched i'm the line
presidents, professors and students
from universities of learning, gradu.
ates of law and OF medicine, editors
and divines. men of learning, of repu-
tatiou. of wealth, and refinement
and these men actuated by personal or
family pride often displayed upon the
field of battle the loftiest heroism in
the charge against superior numbers,
were held firmly in front of holly
worked batteries, decimatiug their
ranks or fell back slowly and sullenly
GisputinE every inch of ground, for
with them the fear of ridicule aud dis
grace was stronger than the fesr of
death and nerved them TO look on the
surrounding dangers WITH an indiffer-
euce akin TO contempt.
There was smother class of yolun
tevrs present that followed iu tLs