Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-10-27

One of the briga1es, of Virginia troops
which participated in Pickett's famous charge
at Gettysburg, was commanded by Gen.
Lewis A. Armistead. Gen. Armistead was
one of the few rebels who reached and leap
ed the stone fence and thus actually pcne-
trated the Union lines, only to he at once shot
down or captured. He fell, shot through the
arm and leg, and though his wounds were
not necessarily mortal he died two days after.
He was a West Point graduate and son of
West Point graduate, and had served in the
9Th United States infantry with Ger. W. S.
Hancock, and was one of the officers of the
regular army who threw up their commission
to 60 INTO the rebellion. In Gen. Abner
Doubleday's history of the Gettysburg cam
paign, he thus alludes to Gen. Arms,cad
"Armistead was shot down by the side of
the gun he had taken. II is said he had
fought on our side in the first battle at Bull
Run, but had been seduced by Southern aiii-
liatlons to join in the rebellion, and now dy-
Ing in the effort to extend the area of slavery
over the free States, he saw with clearer
vision that he had been engaged in an unholy
cause, and said to one of our officers who
leaned over him. Tell Hancock | have
wronged him and have wronged my coun-
try"
Gen. Armiseads cx-Confcderalc friends
considered this SANDER, The Secre-
tary of the Southern Historical Soce-
", Rev. j. William Jones of Rich
mond took up an investigation of the
foundation for Gen, Doublcday's statement,
and in recent numbers of the Southern His
torlcal Society Papers" he publishes letters
which demonstrate the following facts Gen.
Armiscad was IN California and Major
inthe United States army, when the war broke
out. lie resigned and started across the plains
with Gen, A, $. Johnston and party of
Southern officers, and had only reached
Mcsilla, New Mexico, when the first battle
of Bull Run was fought, on the 21st of July,
1861. OF course he was not on either side
in tina, battle The officer who took his mes.
sage to Gen, Hancock was Gen. IL. II. Bing.
ham, now member of Congress from Phla-
dclpha, who was on Gen. IIancock's staff at
WHY SpuTs pcN. DlDHlhin say IlHl Wnrn
he told Gen, Armistcad that he was n staff
officer of Gen. Hancock, Armistcad said,
as Gen. Bingham now recalls the words /.
Say 10 Gen Hancock for me that | have
done him, and you all, grievous Cor serious)
injury, which shall always regret"
Gen, Bingham further says that his report
of his interview with Gen. Armistead, made
right after the battle, from which it is sup
posed that Gen. Doubleday got his iniorma-
ton, was correct in every particular" OF
course the words Of Gen. Armistead's mes.
sage to Hancock afford no ground for Gen.
Doubleday's assertion that he saw and virtu-
ally acknowledged that he had been engaged
in an unholy cause. His southern friends
can have the comfort of thinking that he
died consistent though evidently thoroughly
dispirlted rebel. For most northern men
the chief interest in the matter, if they take
any in it, is its bearing on Gen. Double
days reputation for accuracy, The editor
of the Southern Historical Society Papers
says on this point:
"The message [Armisteads1 contains not
rendered the Confederacy-not one intima.
ton that he now saw with clearer vision
that he had 'wronged his country or had
been engaged in an 'unholy cause'-and in
thus changing the words and forcing the