The Mineral argus., 1884-02-21
Monterey and Gettysburg.

rIOm AAC ~ &OH
Ladies and gentle men," said Gen.
Van Viliet at Hon. Horatio Kings re-
ception, recently, 81 think our kind hosl
has made a faux pas in asking mo to tell
YOU about Monterey and how it wal cap.
tured. I am a very bashful man and
never before stood up before so many
ladies. l can manage one very well, al.
though even a small one will beat me al
m pieces. They are the best critics a
man ever he'd, though they can't vote,
and nv friend here, the solicitor of the
treasury, says they can't command o
steamboat. Arms have always had a
great fascination for ladies-I mean feat.
OF arms.
You all know, or have read, that OIL
Sentember 10, Gen, Taylor sat down be-
fore the fortified City of Monterey with
66OO men while inside there were 10, 900
men under Gen. Lemdudie, besides
thousands Of citizens who were quasi.
soldiers. Gen. Worth, in who e division
/ was, was sent 10 cut the Saltetlia road
road, thus hemming in Monterey. Then
the serious work began. After storminp
Federal Hill and taking the Bishops
palace, which was done by Gen. Childs,
we took the Piazza del Carna, about 800
Yards off the Grand Piazza, where Lam
pudia was. We who had been stormine
the batteries, were ordered off to Join
Gen. Childs in the grand attack. A
heavy fire was kept up by the Mexicans
from the housetops, and the streets were
very narrow. So we. had to enter the
houses and make our way through
the partition walls. While making
this difficult entry we were joined by
Dnl lNo1En~ nth O0n T1-n-a -
crossed the street under the heavy fire
and no one hurt but a mule. With my
company j had crowbars 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 threw a shell in. Then
We went on the roo which were two
stories from the ground and had par
apets about two feet high, pierced with
holes for letting the rain out. At each
hole a Mexican had been stationed, and
there they lay, most of them shot dead
by the Texans, who fred up through
the opening. When one was found
wounded the Texans would just pitch
him over into the street.
"When we we're within fifty yards of
the citadela Mexican major jumped over
the walls with a white flag in his hand.
| ordered firing to stop and asked him
nav III AAAG Az GAAN bhCJ "GAO
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 a 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 | was
Stationed to get passes. Among them
was Gen. Pickett, who was IN 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
1t, and the troops were picked and de-
tailed. Pickett formed them in solid
column and rode about them, seeing
that everything was just as it should be
for critical work. He could not make
the charge without direct orders. Gen.
Longstreet was in command. and to him
Pickett went. He found bim sitting on
the top of a rail fence, with a SLOUGH hat
on and whiting a stick.
General, my command is formed
and L only await my orders" No
being 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, 1
come again to report my command
ready for duty; shall l make that charger
The only reply was a bow from Gen.
Longstreet.
"All knew the result of that charge,
the flower Of the Confederate army was
cut to pieces. The reason for Long
streets delay was, Gen. Pickett thought,
mat ne did not approve the movement
ana 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. Long
street knew it."