The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1881-04-06
PICKETT's CHARGE,
A Participants Description OF What
VIII Live In History as a
Great Event.


Capt. 4. II. Owen In the philadelphia Times.
The command now came along the
line, front, forward" and the column
resumed its direction straight down
upon the center of the enemy's position.
The destruction of life In the ranks Of
that advancing host was fearful beyond
precedent, officers going down by doz-
ems and the men by scores and hfties.
kemper has gone down terribly man
gled, but Garnett still lowered unhurt,
and rode up and down the front line,
saying in a strong, calm voice: "Faster,
menl fasterl Close up and step out
faster, but don't double quickl"
The stone fence was carried without
a struggle, the infantry and the skir-
mish line swept away before the divi-
sion like trash before the broom. Two
thirds of the distance was behind and
the one hundred cannon In the ear were
dumb and did not reply to the holly
worked guns in u front. We were
now four hundred yards from the foot
of Cemetery Hill, when away of to the
right, nearly half a mile, there appeared
In the open field a line OF men at right
angles with our own, a long, dark mass,
dressed in blue, and coming down at n
double quick" upon the unprotected
right flank of Pickett's men, with their
muskets upon the right shoulder
shift" their battle flags dancing and
flutterlng in the breeze created by their
own rapid motion, and their FURNISHED
bayonets glistening above their heads
like forest twigs covered with
sheets of sparkling ice when shaken by
a blast. Garrett galloped along the
line saying: Faster, meni fasteri"
and the front line broke forward into a
double quick, when Garnett called out:
STEADY, menl steady" Don't double
quick. Save your wind and your am
munition for the final charged" and
then went down among the dead, and
his clarion voice was no more heard
above the roar Of baltie. The enemy
were now seen strengthening their
lines where the blow was expected to
strike by hurrying up reserves from the
right and left, the columns from oppo
site directions passinp each other don.
BILE along our front like the fingers Of a
mans w hands locked together. Tho
distance had again shortened and om-
GERS in the lines conld be dis.
tinpuisbed nv their uniforms from tho
priyates. Then was heard behind that
heavy tbud of n mualed tread Of ARMED
men that roar and rush of tramplipp
feet as Armjstead,s column from the
rear closed nm behind tho front line and
he 1.-THE last brigadier) took command
stepned ont In front with b;s b,t nm.
lifted nm the point of bis sword and ,ed
the division. now four ranks deem ran.
idlv and prandIv across that vaIlav of
death. covered with clover ma soft M n
Turkish Garnet.
There II was apainl and ayaint A
sound filing The air ,hova be,ow
around ne like the blast tbropob tho
top of a dry cedar or the vbirrino
sound made bv the sudden aiobt ~ !
flock of ouail. II was Crane and can
lister and the column brote forwor ri
with n doub,e op;ck and rrshod tonar,
the stone wall where forty cannon vera
belchinp forth CRANE and car;s,or
twice and thrice n minpte A bnndred
wards from the stone wall tho
thanking marty on the ,ight comm,
down ON a heavy RIM balted and.
denly within fifty wards and poured a
deadly storm of musket halls into
Pickett's men. double ouickinp aeros,
their front. and under his terrible
cross fire the men eeled and staggered
between fallen comrades and the right
came pressing down mon the centre
crowding the companies into confusion
But all knew the nprnose n carry Tho