The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-07-29

hat held aloft on his sword to serve as a
guide nlsrching resoiutely ct the head
tof his gallant men. Shot and shell
whistled about him, yet he was I'M
daunted. His journey was desperate
one, but he continued brayely on, not
with the courage of desperation, but
with the courage of perfect man and
a gallant soldier.
'fDon't finch an inch, boys" he bad
said to his men Just before starting
away, and they were heroically re-
spending.
The carnage in their ranks was fear
full to contemplate. It seemed more
like cold-blooded butchery than sys-
tsma,ic war. That part of our army
| not engaged watched the gallant band
in painful suspense. It did not seem
within the limit of human endeavor
that they could eyer reach the objective
point, 30 terrible was the slaughter to
which they we're being subjected. On
they went, with every step becoming
more determined. Surely there never
was seen such metchless heroism.
Nothing could stay or check them.
| When within short distance of the
| federal line their wild yells OF defiance
were heard above the laundering of the
guns. The greatest moment of their
lives had come. They dashed forward
ia wild and disordered rush. Gar
nett, whose brigade was in trent, fell
dead within 100 yards OF the union
front, sword in hand. His men rushed
madly upon the Sixty ninth and
Seyenty-first Pennsylvania regiments,
who had been awaiting the oncoming
attack: At this moment they were
brought under the fire of STANDARDS
4 hrf0adn $vhiah ,
wood in advance and to the left of the
point of Pickett's attack. Hancock
realizing the purpose of the attack and
always on the alert to seize favorable
opportunity, threw force on Pickett's
| flank. Two of Armistead's regiments
were frightfully decimated and thrown
into disorgsnized state by this move
ment. The remainder of his brigade
dropped in the rear of the centre of
Pickett's lines. Armistead, swinging
his sword wildly, and rushing from
point to point, urged his men forward
and reached the front rank between
Kemper and Garrett.
! In the impetuous rush which ensued
these brigades became q compact strug-
Cling mass OF human beings, all bent on
bloody work. Pushing forward as if
moved By some irresistible force
superior to the individual will, they
threw themselves upon the Union line
like so many thuuderbolts. The shock
was terrific; it seemed impossible for
human power to withstand it, and for a
momenti it seemed that it must sweep
everything before it. With what
| GREATNESS interest We watched the
struggled General Lee, from eonven-
lent point, stood calmly looking at the
/ Nn% ~ ha fan
or an action indiGatedthst he had other
than hopes OF success. He was as i'm
perturbable as q rock. What emotions
sTayed his soul at that supreme mo-
ment he and God alone only knew.
| The first line of the federals was
pierced and they were driven back upon
the earthworks near the artillery.
There the work of death was renewed
with frightful slaughter. Charges of
grapeshot were fired into Pickett's
men with terrible effect. Hancock and
Gibbon rushed Hp their reserves to help
| stay the furious onslaught Of the Vir-
ginians. Hall rectified his line, which
had been outt1anked on the right.
| Harrow advanced with his left, and
almost took Pickett in reverse. All
| these movements, made under the
greatest excitement, threw the federal
troops into the same disordered state
as their opponents, and both became
mixed in confused mass, the only way
of distinguishing one from the other
being the blue and gray uniforms.
The lighting became like that of an
infurated mob. Confederates and
federals faced each other with dubbed
muskets, their faces distorted with the
fury of madmen. Commands we're
\ anYr1d ho r1 oh
| the din A clump Of tree just within
the angle wall became the objective
point of the confederates. Armistead
resolved to take it. Placing his hat on
his sword, he rallied about him $50 men
who were ready to follow wherever he
would lead. Rushing forward with his
gallant band, he reached federal gun,
and Just as he had adjured his follow
ers ''Jo give them the cold steel, boys"
fell dead in his tracks. pierced with bull
lets. The death of this gallant officer
marked the complete failure of the
confederate assault, and beaten but IN.
dismayed Pickett's men retraced their
way across the field, now strewn with
their dead. Riding up to General Lee,
Pickett dismounted, and, saiutiug, said,
in voice tremulous with sorrow:
General my noble division has been
sweptaway."
Il alone am responsible, General
Pickett" Lee replied, with that quiet
dignity which always characterized
him.
It was expected that General Meade
after this signal repulse, would place
himself at the head Of his victorious
soldiers and lead q counter charge
but with the exception of the advance
of few skirmishers, there was nc
movement of the federal line. In an
ticipation of such an attack our lines
were reformed along the Seminary
ridge and everything put in readiness
for defense. We watched with intense
anxiety every movement of the troops
in our front, and felt anything but
secure.
at night General Lee withdrew that
portion of Ewell's corps which had
occupied the town, and our men were
ordered to strengthen the Seminary
ridge by thrLE ing p line of rife pits
The wounded t, e1uld be transferred
replaced in amSo 'uces and wagons,
and, under the csc of General I'm
. boden's brigade of cavalry, were started
back by way of Chambersburg toward
the Potomac. Many wounded were
, necessarily left behind and at farm
houses along the route. and yet the
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