The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-05-07


slope Laws and Robertson's Brigades are
climbing the southern. The contest becomes
| fierce among the rocks and beneath the trees.
II is raging along the entire line from Little
| Round Top to the Orchard. No record of
the sequence can be given, but we see Vim
cent hard pressed, and the 10th n. Y. with
Hazlett's battery Fastening to help him-the
men upon the double-quick, the drivers
lashing their horses to run. When the
horses can go no farther, the soldiers draw
the cannon to the summit.
| In the desperate struggle for the possession
of the hill, Col O'Rorke, Gen. Vincent, Gen.
Weed and Capt Hazlett-all are killed.
Robertson swings in between Round Top
and Little Round Top. The Goth Me. ex-
tends its left flank to meet him, standing in
the form of the letter U. The Confederates
charge up the hill, but are met by a wither-
ing fire. The men from Maine rush down
upon them. The hill smokes like furnace.
| Law on the west Robertson on the sonth
| and east, greatly outnumber the Union
troops. Re-enforcements come-a brigade OF
the Pa. Reserves sweeping down upon
| Robertson's right flank. With q hurrah
Vineent's men leap over the rocks, capturing
two Colonels Is officers and 500 prisoners
driving the Confederates in confusion back
| to the rocky knolls around the Devils Den.
Hoods right was held as in vice." said
A. z. Hill In his account Of the battle.
THE wHEATFIELD.
Ward outfanked, the shock falls upon De
Trobriand, who holds his ground in the
wheatfield and the woods south of Twins
lows battery and the 17th Me- pouring
| terribly destructive fire upon Anderson's
! Confederate brigade, holding the ground un-
til Barnes arrives with Sweitzers and Til
tons Brigades. Sweitzer is in the woods
south of the wheatfeld, Tfltou in the field.
Sweitzer wheelssouth to meet Hood. Screened
by the woods and boulders, he holds his
ground A terrific fire is rained upon Til
ton, who is compelled to fall back.
Caldwell's Division Of the Second Corps
comes down past Trostles house. The line
forms with Cross Brigade in the woods south
of the wheatfield, with Brooke's in rear.
Kelley's Brigade is in the wheatfield and the
grove west of it, with Zook in the second
line. In the struggle Cross and Zo0k are
both mortally wounded.
Like the waves of the sea eddying among
the rocks of a rugged shore, so the contend
ing forces dash over the knolls, along the
ravines, through the roads and wheatfields.
Cross's Brigade is decimated by au enfilad-
ing fire, but Brooke's dashes upon Semmes,
drives him through the woods, across the
raviue, through which flows the little brook
trickling from Mr.. Roses spring house, push
ing the Confederates clear through the woods,
and back upon their batteries south of Mr..
Roses house.
Semmes rallies his men, with parts of Ben
nings and Andersons Brigades, and Brooke is
obliged to fall back across the ravine.
Zpoks S and Keliey's men have fierce strug-
gle in the woods west of the whcatGeld. Days
,rt,o Driu ccfA n.xy;ci If
the Fifth Corps-the Regulars-strike Semmes
and Anderson. who are pressing Caldwell in
flank, and the wheatfelds, the woods north
and west. are all afame. In a few minutes more
than one half of the Regulars are killed or
wounded.
McCandless's Brigade of Crawford's Division
of the Second Corps advances. They are Penn
sylvanians. Crawford leads waving the colors
above him. They charge upon Semmes and
Anderson, drive them from the wheatfed,
rush up TO the stone wall south of it, fire into
the face of the Confederates, and send them
once more back upon their batteries.
THE PEACH ORCHARD.
Weare not to think that there has been silence
the while in the Peach Orchard. or along the
road where Cark's, Phillips's and Bigelow's
batteries are planted. On the contrary, we see
every battery, every regiment, engaged in the
struggle.
The fire of nearly 100 Confederate cannon
concentrated on the Peach Orchard and the
Union batteries is terribly destructive.
Kershaw advanced from the south, Barks-
dale from the west. Siesies is wounded aud
borne from the field, and Birney assumes COM
nland of the Third Corps. Barksdae and Ker-
shaw gain possession of the Orchard, compel
ling Graham TO fall back. In the struggle
Barksdale is mortally wounded and taken pris-
oner. dying in the Union lines.
When South Carolina seeded he was Mem
r. ! !
he could to carry that State out of the Union
and bring on the war.
Maj. Me(iilyery, commanding the artillery of
the Fifth Corps, sees that the batteries cannot
remain where they are. He rides to Capt
Bigelow.
"You must hold on where you are till can
get line of batteries in rear OF you. Give
them canister"
Phillips and Clark have done fearful execu.
tion in the Confederate ranks; one shell from
Phillips killing and wonnding 80 men out of
company of 81. They timber up and hasten to
the rear, coming into position northeast of
Trostle's house, where McGilyery places Thomp-
sons, Dow's. ROrtys and Watson's in line.
Bigelow is obeying orders Kershaws and
WOfords troops are in the wheat in front Of
him. DE makes great gaps in their ranks. but
they rush upon the guns, shooting tho horses
and men. Serg't Dodge goes down, killed in
siantly; also, Serg't ellison. Three of the can
noueeT5 are Killed and ~ W0uudcd. 1he men
attach the prolongs-long fopes-to the car
riages, loading and firing as the cannon move
back. Gun after gun is left behind as they re-
tire towards Trestle's house, the men carrying
off the rammers so that the Confederates cannot
use the pieces. Lieut.. Milton tears down gap
in the wall and brings off two of the pieces.
The battery has been sacrificed, but the heroic
men have held on till McCiilvery has secured
the ground behind them. The falling back of
Birney and Graham exposed Humphreys Di-
vision. which changes frcrt, facing southwest.
While the storm has been raging around the
wheatfeld and on Little Round Top and in the
Orchard, A. Z. Hill has been making demon
stratians As il about to advance. His batteries
open fearful fire upon Humphrey, whose
1anks are greatly exposed.
1t is 7:30 The sun is going down, and in
the departing hours of daylight Longstreet
orders the advance of Perry's, Wright's and
Wicox's Brigades upon Humphrey. Wilcox's
aud Barksdaie's men cross the Emmittsbnrg
road north of Wentzs house. Perry grasses it
by Peter Rogerss, and Wright by Codore's Per-
rvs breaks before the fire Of the Union bat
teries but the others press on, close upon tho
heels of Humphreys retreating lines. Wright
and Wilcox rush upon the batteries. The 18th
Mass, s2d n. Y, 1st MINI. fof Harrow's Bri-
gade), Wizards Brigade, the 10th Mass. and
42d n. Y. come down the slope to meet the ad-
vancing wave.
Lockwood's Brigade comes into position, and
Stannards Brigade Of Yermonters, with Double
days Division. go upon the run, charging upon
Wright driving him back to the Emmittsburg
rgal asad tt1p.s, pi.,ain