Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1883-02-10
ANNALS OF THE WAR
WHO DID THE GRAND WORK AT
GETTYSBURG ON THE
THIRD DAY.

|
THIRD DAY.
A Claim for Heth's Division, Com
posed of Archer's Tennes-
see Brigade.
Hon. j. H. Moore, in Philadelphia Times.
| l wish to state some facts that
have never appeared, as l know, in
any of the descriptions of the battle
of Gettysburg, especially the facts
connected with what may be term
ed the prominent exploit of the
! third days fight. have read
With great interest many of the ar
ticles in the Annals of the War,
and particularly those on Gettys-
burg. [ have seen descriptions of
this battle from the pens Of federals
and confederates. and they all in
varying degrees fall into the same
mistake in regard to the facts con-
nected with what is known as
Pickett's charge. That any mate
rial error could be made as to the
participants in this heroic feat is
quite singular, and that, too, when
we recollect that, perhaps without
exception, no other corps or single
act of heroism in the whole war has
attracted the attention of so many
writers. Was this Pickett's charge?
If it was made by Pickett's divis-
ion it is proper to call it Pickett's
charge, and on the other hand if
the charge was made by the divis-
ION of somebody else, surely no one
ought to object if somebody else
would claim share in the honor of
that brave deed. | do not intend
to insinuate that Gen. Pickett, or
any one of his division, has ever
claimed any honors they are not
entitled to, for, as | know, neither
he nor any of his command has
contributed any article UPON that
famous matter.
Eyewitness have given their
version, extoling the daring and the
cool courage displayed on this occa-
sion, and in unmeasured terms
have praised the devotion of those
who marched. unWaYeripgly to al
most certain death, vet the chief
participants and those who}@ have
suffered most heavily S.are never
mentioned. To show that this is
quiry: Who made the charge
commonly accredited. to Pickett's
division Gen. Heths division,
formerly a part OF A! p. Hifi'5 di-
vision of the "StonewalP' corps,
then of the Hill's corps, was the
division that bore the cheat and
burden of the battle Of that day."
or as lnuch of it as any other. ap-
pretended that No suspicion can
arise as TO the truth of this state
ment except from the lapse of time,
still / have no fears as To a statute
of Limitations SO LONG as single
field officer of the confederate army
survives. Heth's division compose
ed of Archer's Tennessee brigade
consisting of the First, Seventh and
Fourteenth Tennessee regiments,
the Thirteenth Alabama regiment
and Fifth Alabama battalion), Pet
tigrew's North Carolina, Davis
Mississippi and Brockenborough's
Virginia brigades, about seven
thousand men, crossed the Potomac
in excellent condition, both as to
discipline and equipment, and fol-
lowed the general march of Hill's
corps.
On the night of the 29th of June
we reached the village of Cashtown,
about eight miles from Gettysburg,
where we remained all the Both.
We had no cavalry and were or
dered on the morning of the Both to
move to the right in the direction
of Gettysburg, with, about forty
men, a distance of about three |
miles, to picket the road leading
from Cashtown west. Here about |
midday / observed some federal
cavalry ride to the top of an emf
nence, and after reconnOitering |
they retired. This was the first APP
peara2ce of an enemy as yet seen
by any of Hill's corps. These ap-
peared to be scouts and not of any |
regular cOmmand-at least they /
did not come in any force. AS they |
retired | sent man back to report |
to Gen. Archer; remained with
my command for the rest of the
day and night. On the morning of
July /, shortly after, daybreak,
again observed the appearance of
cavalry on the same eminence, but
this time in force, and was about to
report the same when [ received an
order to rejoin my regiment, as the
division was to proceed TO Gettys-
burg. Our corps, as well as the
whole of Lees army, was without
cavalry, and, as every soldier
knows, we were liable unawares, to
encounter the enemy.
When / rejoined my brigade
found Heth's division proceeding
on its way to Gettysburg to get
"those Shoes" On this shoe expe-
dition to Gettysburg, Archer's brig
ade was in the advance, and moth
ing unusual occurred on our march
until we got within about a mile
and a half of the town. Then we
were discovered by the federal pick
cts, and the Fifth Alabama battal-
ion was deplOyed as skirmishers on
the right of the Emnitsburg turn
pike. Archer's brigade formed in
line of battle in their rear on the
right of the road, and Davis Mis-
sissippi brigade on the left of the
road. In this order we advanced
some half a mile, our skirmishers
pressing the pickets back, when the
enemy appeared in force. At this
juncture we halted and our artillery
came up, and shortly before. II
O'Clock we reinforced the skirmish-
ers, our artillery opened and the
battle of Gettysburg was begun by
Archer's Tennessee brigade striking
a part of Gen. Reynolds corps. Our
left was driving the enemy success
fully, but in few minutes we
could plainly see that division
from Reynolds corps was a bout TO
completely envelop our right, and
our line was forced to retire with
considerable. loss, including our
Brigadier Archer, who was taken
prisoner. This was the beginning
of the Gettysburg conflict, and the
first man killed on the confederate
side was Henry Rison, Company B,