Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1886-01-28
Pickstt's Marvellous Charge al Gettysburg

Mr.. Charles A. Patch, in the Bay
State Monthly. gives an account of
the Confederate attack on Cemetery
Hill, on the third day of the battle at
Gettysburg, from which we copy as
follows:
Lee called a council of his generals
at Longstreet's headquarters and the
plan of attack was formed. 1t is said
that the levelheaded Longstreet OPP
posed the plan, and if so it was but in
keeping with his remarkable general
ship. The attack was to be opened
with artillery fire to demoralize and
batter the Federal line and was to be
opened by a signal of two shots from
the Washington Artillery. At l:30
the report Of the first gun rang out on
the still, summer air, followed a min
ute later by the second and then came
the roar and flash of 1873 rebel can
mons.
Almost Immediately 100 Federal
guns responded and the battle had be-
gun. Shot and shell tore through the
air, crushing through batteries, tear.
ing men and horses to pieces; the very
earth seemed to shake and the hills tc
reel at the terrible thunders re-echoed
amongst them. For nearly an hour
every conceivable form Of ordinance
known to modern gunnery Missed and
shrleksd, whistled and screamed, as il
went forth on its death mission till
exhausted by excitement and heat
the gunners slackened their fire and
silence reigned again.
Then Pickett and his brave legion
stood up and formed for the death
struggle; three remnants of brigades
consisting Of Garnett's brigade-the
Eighth. Eighteenth, Nineteenth, Tween.
ty-sighty, Fifty-sixth Virginia Armi.
stsads brigads-ths Ninth, Four.
teenth' Thirty-eigh.h, Fifty-thi,d
fifty-sevsnth Virginia; Kemper's bri.
gads-the First, Third. Seventh. Elev.
enth' Twenty-fOurth Virginia. Their
ta'tefed flags bore the scars Of a score
OF battles. and from their ranks the
mereiless bullet had already taken
two'thirds their number.
In compact ranks, their front scarce.
" covering two of Hancock origades
win flags waving as it for a gala day
General Pickett saluted Longstreet
ana asked, Shall I go forward, sir D.
But it was rot in Longstreet's heart
70 send those heroes Of SO many battles
70 certain death and he turned away
his head-when Pickett, with that
proud :mpetuous air which has earned
MIN the title Of the .'Ney" ofthe rebel
army exclaimed, Sir I shall lead
my division forward" The orders now
rang out, Attention! Attention -
and the men, realizing the end was
near. cried out to their comrades
"Good-by. boys Good.by, :" Suddenly
rang out on the air the final order
from Pickett himself, as his sabre
flashed frsm its scabbard, Column
forward. Guide csnter!" And the
or'gades of Kemper, Garnet and
Armistsad moved toward Cemetery
Ridge as one man. Soon Psttigrsw' 9
division emerged from the woods and
followed in scheloa on Pickett's left
dsnk and Wilcox with his Alabama
division moved out to support his
right aank-in all about Is, 900 men
The selection Ofthsse supports shows
Q lack OF judgment which it
would almost seem impossible for Lee
to have made. Pettigrew's division
was composed mostly Of new troops
from North Carolina, and had bean
terribly used up in the frst day s fight,
and were in no condition to form part
ofaforlorn hope. Wilcox's troops had
also received very severe punishment
in the second days engagement in his
attack on the Ridge. and should have
been replaced BY fresh. wsll.traipsd
brigades. But the movement had now
begun and Lee with his generals
about him watched snxiously for the
result.
1t was nearly mile to the Union
lines and as they advanced over the
open plain the Federal artillery opened |
again, plowing great lines throush