Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1880-03-25
doing it, he respoded. "You picked
it up where I left off. /
YES" she replied, putting out
the light, 81 picked it off the floor"
GEN. PICKETS DIVISION
AT the Great Battle of Gettysburg, ]

At the Great Battle of Gettysburg, Pa.
Written expressly for the Mexico Ledger by
IL. NJ. 5. Pinafore." a-
About noon on the Sd day of July,
1868, while the Southern troops were
idly lying along the lines in the full
blaze of the summers sun, they no.
ticed the artillerymen were posting
their caDnons in a long curving line
along the hills, and to all appear
ances meant business. But about
one O'Clock one single gun, long
black Whitworth, pealed out its
sharp ring battle-note. and in an in-
slant from two hundred and ten guns,
belched forth raging tempest of
lightning and thunder that fairly
shook the solid ground and made
every man leap to his feet in bewil-
dered excitement; but soon came
the reply from tire lines of General
Meade, where the white powder
smoke, tinged with lurid fashings,
putfed from the blazing muzzles of
two hundred and seventy cannon,
and the great battle of Gettysburg
was fairly joined. .t. II
For a space of two hours a can
nonade, whose volume had not yet
been equaled in the war, thundered
in the little valley dividing the two
armies. The Confederate columns
of attack were formed in the edge of
| the woods. Picket's division TO lead
the van, with one brigade Of Hills
corps, commanded by Wilcox, on
his right, and Heath's division, COM
manded by Gen. Pettigrew, on his
left. There was an intervening
space Of nearly a mile, over not more
than one-half of which the Confeder-
ate artillery could protect the devot-
ed troops. As they descended the
hill and emerged into plain, they
received the fire of the Federal ar
tlllery; but through shot and shell,
Picket carried his hostile from COM
pact and magnificent order. "With
a steady advance" says Mr.. Pollard,
''that awed the enemy" the Virginia
troops came within musketry range.
The artillery had ploughed their ranks
in vain, and the lines of Federal in
fantry, with breathless expectation,
braced themselves to receives the
impact. Butfeting the severe volleys
that met it, rushing up the crest of
Cemetry Ridge, thrusting itself with
in the line of the enemy, the solitary
division of Picket carried the long
contested heights, and crowned the
stone-wall, from which had leaped
E so many messengers of death, with
the battle flags Of Dixie. But under
the quick desperate volleys of the
enemy's musketry, and as the last
fringe Of fire blazed along the stone
, wall, Pettigrew's division had falter-
ed, and was now in retreat. Viii
j, cox's command had failed to attack
, in time and Plcket's division remain
, ed alone, "a solid lance-head of Vir-
, ginia troops tempered in the fire of
battle" 1t only remained to con-
suit safety, where moment before it
, had won success and to withdraw
from what were now desperate straits,
+ which might have been the breach of
a decisive victory. As the shattered
column of Picket returned to its lines
1 on Seminary Ridge, Gen. Lee saw
:, the day was lost. He had watched
4 the battle from a hill in the rear OF
q Gen. Hills position, and when he
witnessed the fatal recoil, he saw, al
h once, the necessity of providing
against counter attack of the enc
my and displaying, in these terrible
# moments, the confidence and self.
n possession, by which alone he could
now hope to save his army. Never
% was he more sublime, more forgetfu
Of self, more perfect in temper, as il
= this one hour of great misfortune ant
n terrible danger. Among the throns
" of disrupted troops he rode quite
# alone, calm in manner, kind in voice
comforting the wounded and encour
# aging the officers despiIited by the
revenge. He exclaimed repeatedly
It ''Its all my fault His presence
q his generous words. kindled new
= inspiration,- and as successive de
tachments were formed in the wood
m and placed in position, to resist tn,
attack, which all considered imminent
a. the men were ordered to lie dow
ID in the woods and receive the attack
,e Presently prolonged cheer aros
o. from the Federal lines. 1t wa
thought to be the painful signal Q
,t another battle, but it proved to b
n only the greeting awarded Genera
q Meade by his troops, as he role alon
the lines in full sense and satisfaction
ne of the victory he had won. Picket
III division did not exceed six thousan
en- muskets. Every brigadier fell, an
bo a long catalogue of colnnals end osi
" er viiicers. Three days after th
40 battle only fifteen hundred men r.
,d ported for duty.
ok Without meaning to desparage an
q, officer or division, it is indeed a hig
honor to have belonged to Picket
division, and to have fought unde
that gallant commander.
March Is, 1880.
ay1 From the Centralia Guard.
ny The Mexico LEDGER says that Il
gu hanging by suicide of Rasman, an
the hanging of Kilgore, are the onl
ou cases of hanging that have ever o.
curred in Audrain conntv .This