Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1883-02-10
THE BATTLE or GETTYSBURG.


EDITOR CHRONIcLE:-The fol-
lowing account of the invasion of
Maryland aud Pennsylvania BY the
Army OF Northern Virginia and
the great battle fought at Gettys
burg on the first, second and third
of July 1858, is at once so clear and
truthful, in its details that ask for
it place in your columns. The
article was written by Mr.. j. H.
Moore, an officer in the Seventh
Tennessee Regiment, who was an
eye witness of what he describes,
and an active participant in the
bloody engagements of the first and
third days of July. Much has been
written of this campaign, especially
of the famous charge made by the
Confederate troops against the enc
my's works on Cemetery HILL"
Of the many articles written on the
subject since the war, Mr.. MoOre's
is the only one L have seen that
places the credit of that charge
where it properly belongs, viz: to
Heth's division, of which Archer's
Tennessee Brigade was a part. The
whole of Heth's Division was in
this charge, while of Pickett's Di-
vision there were only two Bri-
gades engaged. Furthermore, the
Tennessee Brigade composed of the
First, Seventh and Fourteenth Ten
nessee Regiments, the Thirteenth
Alabama Regiment and the Fifth
Alabama Battalion, was the only
Brigade of Heths division that NOV
ed out in the furious storm of battle
on that day and marched up to what
at the time seemed certain death,
that carried its cOlOrs triumphantly
into the enemy's works. The writer
of this article was present on the
fields of Gettysburg from the firing
of the initial shot on the CashtOWn
Road, to the close of the third days
fight. He witnessed the terrific ar
tillery duel and the charge on
Cemetery HILL" and can therefore
VOuch for the truth Of the statements
set forth in Mr.. Moore's article.
There are also living in our midst
to-day other members OF the old
Fourteenth Tennessee Regiment,
who can add their testimony to the
truth of Mr.. Moore's statements.
There is but one inaccuracy or rather
oversight, in the whole account.
Mr.. Moore says the First Tennessee
and about one-half of the Seventh
Tennessee Regiments entered the
works of the enemy. Portions Of
all the regiments comprising the
Tennessee Brigade succeeded in en-
tering the works on Cemetery
HILL" but not at the same moment
of time when the First and Seventh
entered.
The works of the enemy being
something of horseshoe shape,
the Regiments of the Brigade struck
them at different moments of time.
The First and Seventh Regiments
struck the works at their nearest
point to our line and entered, while
the Fourteenth Tennessee, the
Thirteenth Alabama and the Fifth
Alabama had to swing their lines
around in order to reach the works.
These Regiments were thus for the
moment lost to the view of their
comrades of the First and Seventh,
but they entered the works, and but
a little while after entering were
driven out by an overwhelming
force of the enemy. In this charge |
the Tennessee Brigade was literally
cut to pieces.
For some time past / have con-
templated writing an article on this !
subject, feeling that the truth of
history demanded it. Some years |
age when the first account of this
famous charge appeared in print,
giving the whole credit of the af-
fair to Pickett's Division), l had
conversation with Capt. Junius
kimble of Co. A, 14th Tennessee
Regiment (WhO was among the |
first members of the 14th who en-
tered the works., and il was agreed |
that we should jointly prepare an
article on this campaign, setting
forth the facts as they came under
our observation on that holly con-
tested field. Shortly after this con-
versation, however, Capt. Kimble
moved to Texas, and the matter for
the time was dropped. Now, as
Mr.. Moore's article is a complete
vindication of troops engaged in
that deadly struggle, /, as one of
the survivors of the Battle of Get
tysburg, desire to thank him for his
vindication of Archer's Brigade and
Heth's Division.
r. f. MCCULLOCH,
Co. III, 18th Tenn. Reg't.
P. S.-The article above referred
to will be found on first page of this
paper.