The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1888-06-23


the effect was such as to alarm III" lines om
Long ,trcct', right, and n whole division was
thus Grnwn oil FROM the column sent viii;
Pickett 1o charge Cemetery Ridge.
Equally brave and more brilliant in its
consequences WAS Gen. y. McA t;rcgg's
sahpr light in open field three miles Gus, of
Gettysburg, To haraS the rear "f McaGlc's
army during the operations of ;lssaultny tho
| ridge with Lon3,trrct's infantry, Lee dis
patched Gen. Stuart, with four braa,rs, TO
strike from the York pike across the Ham
over road to the Baltimore pike and cnt Off
tiio retreat That was expected to follow Pick
ctt's assault. Tho commands wei" led by
Gen. I'itz. Lee and Wade Hampton, and
Coils Chambliss and Ferguson Tomrct them
Gregg had tho brigaes of Custer, Irwin
Gregg and Mcintosh. After som" skirlnisll-
ins Il stubborn baltic was begun by the ,lcs-
pcrat" advance of Gregg to carry n ridge
crowned with Stllart's batteries All the
scattered troopers arc soon drawn iE The
field in front of the battcries-on R,rnncls
farm - is perfectly free for hols"lncn.
Fences aye been removed, the surface
is smooth, and horses may aallop ut will.
The first mounted charge was mnlc by th"
First Virginia, and Custer led the Seventh
Michigan against them, crossing the whole
cleared field To II fence left standing and
meeting them mt sal,er's length This was
principally II carbnc fight, and the Michigan
boys were soon flnnkcd and thrown back.
But the work was becoming exciting, and
both sides stool ready to dash in at the most
advantageous point. Capt Willnm l..
Miller pf the Third Pennsylvania cavalry,
Mrlntosh's brigade, describes what now took
place. About half Il mile from the fence
where tho First Virginia stood "tlcrc APP
pn;il'el moving toward us n large mass of
cavalry, which proved to be portions of FtZ
Lees aml llamptons brigadcs. They were
formed in close column of squa,lrons and di
rcctcd their course toward the Spang-
Ter house ton the Union right ilank).
A gra!dcr spectacle than their advance
has rarely been behold They marched
with well aligned fronts and steady
rcins. The polished saber blades glittcrc,l m
TIE piercing rays of the bright summers sun.
Erect in their saddles, determined in pur-
ppac, onward the Confedcrntcs come MI
c;cs are turned upon them, and it seems like
folly to resist Undauntcd, however. u,r
troops rose to the situation. The batteries Of
Chester on the right, Kinney in the center
and Pennington on tho left Onion guns
opened with well directed aim Shell and
shlHpncl met the advancing Confcderatcs
an: tore through their ranks. Closing up
the gaps, on they marched, and as they drew
nearer, canister was substituted by ON
artillerymen for shell, and horse after horse
staggered and fell. Still they come on. Oul.
mounted s;rInshers rallied aud fell into
line; the dislnountcd men fell back, and u
few of tl!cm reached their horses. TIL.
First Michigan, drawn UP in close
columns Of sluadrpns near Priln.ng-
TONS battery, was ordered by GREGG to
charge. Custer who was near, l,lacnd li.u-
tef ut its head and of they dashed. As the
two columns approached each other tho
PAGES We're quickcned, when su,ldemlya crash
betokcncd the crisis. SO sudden and .-iolc!it
was he collision that horses turned en-, OYER
end and crushed their riders beneath them.
The claskns of sabers, tho firing Of pistols,
the demands for surrender and the cries Of
wounded co,rlbatants now filled the air
FIGHTING MAN FOR MAN.
This ";ls the supreme moment, and MrIn-
t1sh gathered up some fragments, and with
them, and his hcadquarter guard and staff,
charged in beside Clusters NEIL SIM
ultanaously two battalions of the Third
Pennsylvania md one of the First New
Jersey were hurled down the ilanks
of the Confedcratcs, and all fell upon their
nearest opponents single handed, and grad
ually the assailants were forced back to
their old position, tho ridge behind Rum
MEL farm house.
The shock Of this battle was such that every
participant, and all within sound, were
startled by the strange and terrific clamor.
The owner of the farm, Rumne!, was in his
hoase, and with all ailny and its horses and
cannon invading his yard and garden, was
fully prepared for startling experiences, but
when the charging columns met he was so
aston;shcti that he rushed ou9 to see what
ns@ thing under the sun had happened.
An incident OF the severe fighting is given
in Capt. Miller's narrative. ''In the midst Of
the engagement, and Immediately in front of
Runnnel's house. f. q. Eystcr, of Company II,
rnirtl Pennsylvania, captured dismountcd
Confederate and covered him with his
carbine, oysters attention becoming drawn
oil by the firing around him, tue Confererate