The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1881-05-12
INTO THE JAWS OF DEATH.
Two Famous charges-The Grand
Assault at Gettysburg.

Two FAMOUS ChargeS-The Grant
Assault at Gettysburg.
Capt. IL. T. Owens in Philadelphia Times
The command now came along th,
line "Front, forward ~ and the column
resumed its direction straight dowl
upon the centre of the enemy's position
The destruction of life In that advanc
ing host was fearful beyond precedent
officers were going down by dozens
and the men by scores and fifties. Kem
per had gone down terribly mangled
but Garnett still lowered unhurt, anC
rode up and down the front line, sayin&
in strong, calm voice: "Faster, men
faster Close up and step ont faster
but don't double quick -
The stone fence was carried without
a struggle, the infantry and the skir-
mish line swept away before the diviS-
ion like trash before the broom. Two
thirds of the distance was behind and
the one hundred cannon in the reaI
were dumb and did not reply to the
| hotly worked guns in our front. We
were now four hundred yards from the
foot OF Cemetery Hill, when away of
/ TO the right, nerrly half 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 IA ''dOuble quick" upon the un-
protected right flank of Pickett's men,
with their muskets E'upon the right
shoulder shift, "their battle flags dancing
and futtering in the breeze created by
their own rapid motion, and their bur-
nished bayonets glistening in the sun
above their heads like twigs covered
with sheets of sparkling ice when sha-
ken by blast. Garnett gallopcd
along the line saying: "Faster, men
faster !" and the front line broke for
ward into double quick. "Save your
wind and your ammunition for the fl
nal charge land then went down among
the dead and his clarion voice was no
more heard above the roar of battle.
The enemy were now seen strength
ening their lines where the blow was
expected to strike by hurrying up re-
serves from the right and left, the col
umnS from opposite directions passing
each other double along our front like
the fingers of mans two hands locking
together. The distance had again
shortened, and officers in the enemy's
lines could be distinguished by their
uniforms from the privates. Then was
heard behind that heavy thud of a
mutfied tread of armed men, that roar
and rush of tramping feet as Armis-
tead's column from the rear closed up
behind the front line and he (the last
brigadier> took command, stepped out
in front with his hat uplifted on the
point of his sword and led the division,
now four ranks deep, rapidly and
grandly across that valley of death, COW
cred with clover as soft as Turkish
carpet.
There it was again, and againi A
sound filling the air above, below,
around us, like the blast through the
top of dry cedar, or the whirring
sound made by the sudden flight of a
flock of quail. 1t was grape and canis-
ter, and the column broke forward into
Il double quick, and rushed toward the
stone wall where forty cannon were
belching forth grape and canister twice
and thrice a minute. A hundred yards
f.om the stone wall the fanking party
on the right, coming down on a heavy
run, halted within fifty yards and
poured deadly storm of musket balls
into Pickett's men double quicking
across their front, and under this terri
bic cross fire the men reeled and stag
gered between falling comrades, and the
right came pressing down upon the
centre, crowding the companies into
confusion. But all knew the purpose to
carry the heights in front, and the min
gled mass, from fifteen to thirty deep,
rushed toward the stone wall, while a
few hundred men, without orders,
faced to the right and fought the
thanking party there, although fifty to
one, and for time held them at bay.
Muskets were seen crossed as some men
fired to the right and others to the
front and the fighting was terrific-far
beyond all other experience even of
Pickett's men, who for once raised no
cheer, while the welkin rang around
them with the "Union triple huzza."
The old veterans saw the fearful odds
against them and other hosts gathering
darker and deeper still.
The time was too precious, too seri-
GUS for cheer. They buckled down to
the heavy task in silence, and fought
with feeling like despair. The enc
my were falling back in front, while Of
ficers were seen among their breaking
lines striving to maintain their ground.
Pickett's men were wishin a few feet
of the stone wall when the artillery de-
livered their last fire from guns shotted
to the muzzle--a blaze fifty feet long
went through the charging, surging
host with gaping rent to the rear, but
the survivors mounted the wall, then
over and onward, rushed up the hill
close after the gunners, who waved
their rammers in the face of Pickett's
men and sent up cheer as they felt adj
miration for the gallant charge. On
swept the column over ground covered
with dead and dying men, where the
earth seemed to be on fire, the smoke
dense and suffocating, the sun shut out,
flames blazing on every side, friends
could hardly be distinguished from foe,
but the division, in the shape of an in
verted V, with the point flattened,
pushed forward, fighting, falling and
melting away, till half way up the hill
they were met by powerful body of
fresh troops charging down upon them,
and this remnant of about a thousand
men hurled back out into the clover
field.
Brave Armistead was down among
the enemy's guns, mortally wounded,
but was last seen leaning upon one ell
bow, slashing at the gunners to prevent
them from firing at his retreating men.
Out in front Of the breastworks the men
showed disposition to reform for an
other charge, and an officer looking at
the frowning heights, with blood trick
my uOWL IIIe sue VI Ills lace, lHqulreu
of another. "What shall we do?" The
answer was, elf we get reinforcements
soon we can take that hill yet" But
no Teinforcements came, none were in
sight, and about thousand men fled to
he rear over dead and wounded, man
gled, groaning, dying men, scattered |
.hick, far and wide, while shot and shell |
ore up the earth, and mimic balls flew |
lround them for more than a thousand |
Yards.