Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1881-06-09

PICKETT'S CHARGE.

PICKETT'S CHARGE.
The Last Grand and Awful Charge of the
Rebel General Pickets Command at the
Battle of Gettysburg.
Capt H. T. Owen in Phil. Times.
The command now came along the line,
"Front, forward" and the column resumed
its direction straight down upon the centre
of the enemy's position. The destruction
Of life in the ranks of this advancing host
was fearful beyond precedent, officers going
down by dozens, and the men by scores
and fifties. Kemper has gone down terri
bly, mangled, but Garnett still lowered un-
hurt and rode up and down the front line
saying in strong calm voice: Faster,
men! faster! Close up and step out faster.
but don't double quick!" -.......
The stone fence was carried without a
struggle, The infantry and the skirmish line
swept away before the division like trash
before the broom. Two-thirds of the dis
tance was behind and the one hundred can
mons in the rear were dumb and did not re-
ply to the hotly worked guns in our front.
We were now four hundred yards from the
foot Of Cemetery Hill, when away off to the
|
the open field line of men at right angles
bite, and coming down at double quick"
upon the unprotected right flank of Pick
ett's met1 With their muskets upon the
right shoulder shift, stheit battle flags dane
ing and futtering in the breeze created by
their own rapid motion, and their FURNISHED
bayonets glistening above their heads like
forest tWigs covered with sheets of spark
ling ice when shaken by blast Garnett
ga1ioped along the line saying: Faster,
men! faster!'' ard the front line broke for
ward into double dtiiefj when Garnett
called out: "Steady, men! steady! Don't
double quick. Save your wind and your am
munition for final CHARGE" and then went
down. among the dead, and his clarion
Voice was ne more heard above the roar of
bat.tS:. ,The. et1etny were now seen strength
ening tthissiirr tineF where the blow was ex-
peeted to strike by hanfErrSSfi8tt: tip reserves
from the right and left, the colunlnd, from
opposite directions passing each other
double along our front like the fingers of
.naas hands locking together. The dis
tance fsa seetn shortened and officers in
the enemy's line COMA Bs DISTINGUISHED by
their uniforms from the pri7stss'- Then
was heard behind that heavy thud OF a
muff1ed tread of armed men that roar and
rush of trampling feet, as Armistead's col
t1mn from the rear closed up behind the
froht line and he (the last brigadier) took
coiHmard, stspped out in front with his
hat uplifted OH the point 1T kas sword and
led the division, now four ranks deep, ZAP
idly and grandly across that valley of death,
covered with clover as soft as q Turkish
carbet.
,Thsrs it was again! aid again! 4 sound
the % biast ST. through m Is IS ot, T { afy cedar Or
the whirllng sound made by ths sAddsn
fight of flock of quail. It was grape can
lister. and the column broke forward into
double t'iu.-k. and rushed toward the stone
wall where forty c.S*sf- sseres tbleching
forth grape and canister twice ais. t.,ttfss
minute hundred yards from the stone
wall the fanking party on the right, COM
lag down On heavy run, halted suddenly
withiii fifty yards and porsd deadly
stotta Of nrsEet balls Tito Piekett's men,
double quiohing asross their front, and
under this terrible cross fife tie nes fse1ed
and staggered between falli comrades
and the right came pressing down upon
the centre crowding the companies into
corfrs;er: But ell knew the purpose to
carry tho heigSts il front, and the mingled
mass, from fifteen to thifty deep, tashed
toward the stone wall, while few hundred
men, without orders, faced to the right and
fought the fanking party there, although
fifty to ohe, aid for time b ED them at bay.
Muskets wete seeH crossed, az seine mon
flied to the right and others to the front,
and the fehttng was tetrifc:7far beyond
all othef sSpeeistics e7ea of Pichett's men,
who for once raised no cheer, |hile the
welkin rang around them with the Union
tt.ple huzsa:" The old veterans saw the
fearful ODDS sssstitsa ssstiitssa Them and other hosts
gathering darker and deeper s11;
The time was too precious, too serious
for cheer; they buckled down to the
heavy task in silence, and fought with
feeling like despair. The enemy we're fall
ing back in 'front.' while officers were seen
among their breaking lines striving to
maintain their ground: Pickets men were
within few feet of the stone wall when
the artillery delivered their last fire from
guus siiotted to the iituzale--a,blaze fifty feet
LONG went through the charging, sureing
host With d eabink rent to, the rear, but the
survivors mGufited The Wall, then over and
Onward; rushed tip the hill; c15ss aftsr the
gunnerss; who waved their hammers IN the
face of Piskett's men and sent up cheer
after cheer whet tEey felt admiration for
the gallant charge. On swept The column
over ground covered with dead and diving
men, where the earth seemed to be on fire,
the dense smoke and suffocating
the sun shut out, flames blazing on every
side, friend could hardly be distinguished
from foe, but the division, in the shape of
With the point aattened, pushed for
ward, fighting, falling and melting away till
half way tip the hill they were met by a
| powerful body Of fresh troops charging
down upon them, and this remnant OF
about ], 900 men was hurled back out into
the clover field. Brave Armistead was down
among the enemy guns, mortally wounded
but was last seen leaning upon one elbow
slashing at the gunners to prevent them
from firing at his retreating men. Out Oh
the front of the breastworks the mer
showed disposition to reform for another
charge, and an officer looking at the frown
ing heights, with blood tfieklins down the
side of his face, inquired of another, "Wha
shall we do?" The answer was: IF we ge
reihforcernehts soon we can take that hill
yet." But no reinforcements came, non,
were in sight, and about Thousand me,
fed to the rear, over dead aftd wounded
mangled, groaning, dying men, scattered
thick, far and wide, while shot and shel
tore up the earth aud mimic balls flew
around them for more than a Thousand
yards. a..... .... .
The Maiden and the Grizzely.
| From the San Francisco Post.
There were party of four couples com
ing over on the Saucelito boat last Sunday
and the prettiest girl of the gushere looked
up at Mount Tamalpais and said: "Oh