Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-01-27
MONTEREY AND GETTYSBURG.
Gen. Van vIiet's Interesting Accounts
of Two Famous Battles.
Washington Post


Ladies' and gentlemen" said Gen. Van
Vliet at Hon. Horatio Kings reception,
Saturday night, II think our kind host has
made fdtLr pas in asking me to tell you
about Monterey and how it was captured.
l am very bashful man and never before
stood up before so many ladies. l can
manage one very well, although even a
small one will beat me all to pieces. They
are the best critics a man ever had,
though they can't vote, and my friend
here, the Solicitor of the Treasury, says
they can't command steamboat. Arms
have always had great fascination for
LADIES' mean feats of arms.
You all know, or have read, that on
September 10, Gen. Taylor sat down before
the fortified city of Monterey with $500
men. while inside there were 10000 men
under Gen. Lampudia, besides thousands
of citizens, who were quasi-sOldierS. Gen.
Worth, in whose division l was, was sent
to cut the Saltellia road, thus hemming in
Monterey. Then the serious work began.
After storming Federal Hill and taking the
Bishops palace, which was done by Gen.
Chllds, we took the Plaza del Carna,
about 800 yards off the Grand Plaza,
where Lampudia was. We, who had been
storming the batteries, were ordered to
join Gen. Childs in the grand attack. A
heavy fire was kept up by the Mexicans
very narrow. So we had to enter the
houses and make our way through the
partition walls. While making this diff
cult entry we were Joined by Col. w alker
with two hundred Texans, who crossed
the street under the heavy fire, and no one
hurt but mule. With my company l had
crow-bars and pick-aXes, and with these
we made a hole in the wall; if any one
appeared to be on the other side we Just
a 10
roofs, which were two stories from the
ground and had parapets about two feet
high, pierced with holes for letting the
rain out. At each hole a Mexican had
Deen 1tOtionad, anu Jhere Jney lay, most
of them shot dead by the Texans, who
fired up through the opening. When one
was found wounded the Texans would
just pitch him over into the street.
when we were within fifty yards of the
citadel a Mexican Major jumped over the
walls with a white flag In his hand. l Or
dered firing to stop and asked him what
he wanted. He said they were ready to
surrender. Ten thousand men laid down
their arms, and that was the end of the
battle of Monterey.
"You want to know something about
the last charge Of the Confederates at
Gettysburg? Well, | was not there, but
| heard little piece of inside history
from the man who led that charge. After
Lees surrender Grant ordered all the
Confederate officers sent home. Many
came to me at New York, where l was
stationed, to get passes. Among them
was Gen. Pickett, who was an old friend
of mine at West Point.
"He commanded the famous charge at
Gettysburg, and went on to tell me how it
came TO be made. Lee ordered it, and the
troops were picked and detailed. Pickett
formed them in solid column, and rode all
about them, seeing that everything was
just as it should be for critical work. He
GOULD not make the charge without direct
orders. Gen. Longstreet was in command,
and to him Pickett went. He found HIM
sitting on the top of a rail fence, with a
SLOUGH hat on and whiting stick.
"'General, my command is formed, and
L only await my orders No answer be-
ing returned he returned to his troops,
rode about them and back again to his
commander. Longstreet had not moved
and gave no reply to his request for orders
TO charge. A third time he came, and
said, General, l come again to report my
command ready for duty; shall make
that charger The only reply was bow
from Gen. Longstreet.
"All know the result of that charge, the
flower of the Confederate army was cut to
pieces. The reason for Longstreet's delay
was, Gen. Pickett thought, that he did not
approve the movement and hoped to put
it off long enough to let Gen. Lee see the
thing Alright. 1t was folly to move the
last reserve right on Meade's solid center,
and Gen, IOnpstreet knew if -