Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1885-01-30

and shell scream and burst above
and about you. The very ground
quivers beneath you as if in the
throes Of an earthquake. But at
last the artillery fire slackens and
ceases. The guns Of the enemy
seem to be silenccd. Your time is
now at hand. Garnett on the left
and Kemper on the right form the
front line, and Armistead follows
in easy supporting distance. The
order is dress to the lett. Forward,
guide left, quick time, march, and
you begin to ascend the slopes Of
Cemetery Hill. You move forward
with the precision Of troops on the
parade ground. You have hardly
started before great volumes of
white smoke rise from the crest in
your front. The guns of the enemy
are again in battery. And you go
forward through a storm of shot
and shell, and Of grape and canis-
ter as you near the Cemetery
wall. Your ranks rapidly thin out;
great gaps are torn through them,
but the survivors close up and
press forward. You encounter the
first line of Federal infantry near
the crest. You drive it back and
make a determined and desperate
rush for the wall. You engage the
enemy hand to hand. Your brigade
commanders are all down now.
Garnett and Armistead killed, and
Kemper severely wounded. No
supports come to your assistance.
You have done all that valOr can
accomplish. A mere remnant of
the Division is left to continue the
struggle. Forced back at last by
overwhelming numbers you re-
luctantly retrace your steps down
the bloody slopes. OF two hun
dred and eighty three men Of the
2Sth who started in the charge of
Pickett's Division on Cemetery
Hill, only seventy six reported for
duty on the morning of the 4th of
July.
Pickett's Division now takes
charge of the captured Federal
prisoners, and marches back to the
Potomac at Wllliamsport. a
heavy rain began to fall on the
morning Of the 4th, and when yen
reach the river the waters are too
high to ford. You cross over on
hastily constructed RATS, and
march TO Winchester, where you
are relieved Of the prisoners. You
remain in the Valley a few weeks,
and again cross the Blue Ridge at
Front Royal. You march through
RappahannOck and Culpeper to the
Rapidan river, cross into Orange
and then in October your brigade,
! (Hunton now,) marches to
Chahin's Farm, where you remain
in winter quarters until the fol-
lowing Spring.
On the lst day of March, 1861,
Huntons brigade is ordered out
to meet Dahlgreen's raiders, near
Richmond. After few days cam
paigning through the mud you
return to your quarters The 2oth
Is now ordered to Richmond to re-
lieyc the City Battalion. You re-
main in the City some weeks doing
guard duty, when on the 22nd
day Of May you rejoin your
brigade, now on the move to rein.
force the troops in front Of Grant
The bloody struggles of the
Wilderness and of SpOtsylyanla
Court House have taken place.
You first encounter the enemy on
the 2Sth day of May on the North
Anna, and you are on the line OF
support and under fire on the 3rd
of June, when Grant makes his
last desperate assault, and meets
with bloody repulse at Cold Har-
bar. Grant now abandOns his ef-
forts to break through Lees lines
on the North side of the James and
crosses to the South side-Plcketts
Division crosses the river on pom
toon bridge at Drewry's Bluff on
the 10th day OF June and marches
rapidly in the direction of Peters
burg. You are moving along the
turnpike near Chester Station
when you encounter Buffers forces
pressing forward to get possession
of the Richmond and Pete rsburg
Railroad. Your line of battle Is
quickly formed and you drive the
enemy back for some two miles
in the direction Of Bermuda
Hundreds. Picketts Division
now takes possession of a line
extending from the James to
the Appamattox, and here you re-
main until the Spring Of 1860.
Once during the winter, IN the
latter part Of December, HuntOn'S
brigade is ordered to Louisa Court
House, to meet a threatened raid,
and is absent from its quarters
for few days. The Spring OF 1860
now opens, aud opens glOomily for
the Confederate cause. Early in
March Pickett's division is relieved
on the lines. You are transported
by rail to different points on the
South side Railroad to meet Sherl'
dams cavalry. You then march
through Richmond and take po-
sition some miles East of the City.