Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1878-04-27
,Con,;nued from first page.

for him, and lett me " -. Cor ma
by stirrups equally too sno' '', ~
AN ARTILLERY FIGHT
,,a General DISAPPEARED in the
,ronJ / turned my new stsed 10 the a'-
w. of General Lonsstreet: Inc
reo.,o 'hod beast at once ran off with Inc,
WIZ 40 not believe the war furnishes
o. N instance of an order carried with
sneb velocity. But the sight of it was
made more ludicrous than heroic. The
stirrups were of no use to me and / had
been happier on the horses bare back.
But away we went like shot, over
bushes and bitches and fallen trees and
dead horses, along the rear of Lees and
Crntchfelds artillery, amid bursting
shells, which made my brute more fran
tic aud my situation thereon more pre-
carious. The distance was soon done.
l found General Longstreet on the lett
and in front of his line watching the at
tack and making his dispositions. The
assault was entirely against Jackson s
Corps, and principally againsts Stark S
Division. When | delivered Jackson s
message: "Certainly," replied General
Longstreet; 'but before the division
can reach him that attack will be bro
ken with artillery" General Longstreet
saws be received similar message from
General Lee by courier. This must
have been after / delivered that Of Gen
eral Jackson. At any rate he hurried
off a staff officer for d. r. Jones DivlS-
ion. and just then two batteries came
salloping up the hill. He requested me,
while waiting for Jones Division, to di-
rect the firing of one of them.
The position taken by these batteries
being still more on the flank of the enc
any the artillery of Cru,chfcld and 5.
u. Lee, was a very favorable one. They
were soon at work ,hding a storm OF
shell through the thickets aud into the
front and flank of the assaul;lng col
u,nns. The diversion was most timely.
The charging Federals had rushed
through the destructive fire up to the
yery bank of the railway, from which
the decimated lines Of the old division
were pouring such fire upon them as
their scanty ammunition permitted, and
Stalks Louisianians, out of cartridges,
were hurting clubs and rocks upon their
assailants. But this demoralizing attack
of artillery did its work effectively. The
assauIting line halted, was thrown luto
confusion and then fled. In their place
came another line with the same disas
ferrous result. Aud then again, splen-
did column of attack, compactly formed,
came grandly on to their determined
work. BY this time Longstreets arlil-
lery well in position, with that OF Lee
aud Crutchheld awaited the angry OH
set. When the blue line was within
proper range, these hoarse hounds OF
war were unleashed and the destruction
was fearful. Deep rents were torn In
the ranks, colors went down, the charge
was utterly broken and the retreat
which followed was soon a wild rout.
The avenging shot and shell pursued
and overlook the heeing mass. scattered
them and added to the panic'of the
fight. The dead strewed the field, and
now the thin line of Jacksons Corps,
revived by their success. became the
pursuers and added their scattering but
careful fire TO the destruction made 10y
the artillery.
LoNGsrREET's ADVANCE.
As the enemy's line was broken
Jones Division arrived on the bill occu'
pied by General Longstreet, was
PROMPTLY thrown into iue and moved
against the retreating foe. had Joined
General Jackson as soon as | saw Gen
eral Jones Division would not be need
ed. General Ion9street advanced his
whole line to the attack, and little
while after staff officer came from him
10 General Jackson, cOngratulating him
upCn the result and offering troops.
Tell General Longstreet, he replied,
with smile, 81 am obliged to him, hut
/ don't need assistance; if he gets hard
pressed III send him reintorcements.
Where he would have found them Is
more than can tell The pursuit was
continued until long after dark aud the
enemy driven beyond Bull run.
prominent Confederates | have mention
ed in connection with this battle have
been placed on the death-rolls Jack
son. Hill, Stuart and Starke "died on
the field of honor Ewell Fingered ST.
perfuous on the stage" for while after
the war, enfeebled by his wounds, and
then Joined his comrades; General Lee,
our great commander, tarried long
enough to prove he was not only great
in arms, and then died without stain;
Trimble still lives, bat daily looks at his
wooden Jeg and calls over the names OF
his companions gone before him little
while; Longstreet wields the pen as
stou,ly as he did the sword, but against
different foes.
Much has been written for the Ueek-
IN Time, and elsewhere to fix the re-
sponsibility for our defeat at Gettys-
burg. Into this discussion / do not
propose to enter. Three different theo-
ries have been advanced aud maintained
as the true cause of our disaster: |.
That had General Ewell pursued the
advantage obtained the first day by ia
king possession of Cemetery Hill, We
would not have been compelled to
attack Meade in that strong position;
and in any other we would have beaten
him. 2. That General Lee erred by
making the attack when and where he
did He should have moved around
the position and have compelled Meade
20 abandon it and fight him elsewhere.