Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-07-04

Top, Hood now thrust his right, Laws
division and part of Robertsons, be-
tween Ward and that peak, and had Lee but
known the real condition of things at this
point Of the ridge he might p.i sps have
concentrated his whole force upon the Union
left. At this time only a thin curtain Of
of men, the Ninety ninth Pennsylvania. hung
in front Of the hill Gen Warren. chief en-
gineer on Meade's staff, had used the hill as
signal station, and arriving at this most OPP
perfume moment flor he found the men in the
very act of rolling up their flags and prepar-
ing for hasty depar1urel, he soon OWNED
Hoods object At his request Sykes, who
had just passed to the front with Barnes oi-
vision to the help of Sickles, ordered Col.
Vincent, with his brigade and Hazlitt's bat
terry, to occupy the foot of Little Round Top
But the Confederate sharpshooters are al
ready climbing up among the rocks on its
western base. Ordering the signal flags to
lie kept flying in spite of tie cnemys fire,
Warren now secures Weeds brigade CT the
Third corps, and in few E.cI2ents OEorle,
with the One Hundred and Fortieth New
York, is scaling the hill on the north just as
Vincent reaches its southern extremity.
With a yell the ConfederG:cs rush upon
Vincent, while Hazlitt's battery, which has
been virtually carried TO the top, directs its
fire upon the enemy. With clubbed
muskets and crossed bayonets, a close
and bloody hand to hand struggle en-
sues; the open spaces between the rocks
are filed with the bodies of the dying
and the dead: O'Rorke is killed; Gen. Weed,
who followed ORorke, lies dying upon the
ground, and the brave Hazlitt, while bend
q like fate But the Round Tops remain in
the possession of the Union forces. The main
attack is now directed toward the orchard,
where the salient the key note to Siciiles'
position, has already been broken in by tine
raking fire of the enemy artillery. ker-
shaw leaps upon Graham from the south,
Barksdae from the front, batteries are taken
and retaken; Graham is wounded and cap
tured: Sickles, with a shattered leg, is carried
OF the field Wright, Perry and Wilcox dis
lodge Humphreys in the center, Barnes, of
the Fifth corps, and Caldwell, of the Second.
who have beer sent with divisions to Birney's
assistance on the Wheat Field, are driven
back Cross and ZOOk, OF Caldwells dl
vision, are k.lird and the Union troops, most
Of them in disorder, fail back cn the wooded
hllocks which line the left bank of Plum
run. But Gems. Ayres and Crawford,
Fifth corps, with Mai McGilvery's reserve
artillery and a part of Gen. Slocum's corps,
drawn from Cups Hill, are soon in position;
md outnumbering the Confederate troops
massed at this point, are enabled to render
futile any further attempt to seize the
Union vantage ground. With the dark
ness the conflict ceases, leaving thousands Of
both sides on the field, wounded, dying and
dead.
At the other end of the line a furious
attack had been made for the possession of
Cemetery and Cups Hills. Just at sunset
the defenders of Cemetery Hill saw the Con
federate brigades of Hays and Hoke with
the famous louisiana Tigers. who bad never
yet failed in a charge, press ng forward over
the stone walls into the WY heart of the
Union troops. The widest confusion pre-
vailed. till friend and foe could scarcely be
distinguished from each other in the melee,
the men at the Union guns defending them
with spikes, hammers and even stones. Han
cocks unerring vigilance he'd toreseen this
attack, and he had sent CAROLS brigade TO
the rescue With wild shouts of defiance
they hurled back the Tigers, who fina. y re-
treated with the loss of 200 men. AT Chips