Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1889-08-01

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third. they penetrated beyond the Lafayette
road. Before its brave career WAS checked
it had well nigh divided the Union line. 1t
ia easy to see that over all this extended
area of bitter and continuous fighting the
loss must have been terrific. The figures to
be presented below will make the character
of this fighting, to which reference has thus
been made in most inadequate terms, more
clearly understood. But stubborn and ter.
rife and deadly as was the Confederate
fighting of Saturday, it became but ordinary
performance when compared with the mar.
vellous exhibition of courage and endur-
ance which were exhibited In that army on
Sunday before the Union breastworks about
the Kelley farm, and upon the slopes of
snodgrass Hill and the Horseshoe Ridge.
The Union line about the Kelley farm
was established on the crest OF low ridge
sheltered by heavy woods, and the troops
we're protected in their position by low
breastwork of logs and rails varying from
two to four feet in height. Time and again
from 10 o'clock till Q, the whole right wing
of the Confederate army rolled its lines In
on the slight works In continual breakers,
only TO be shattered and driven back as the
waves of the ocean go to pieces on the beach;
brigade sitter brigade dashed Themselves
shattered and broken, and to retire with
loss SO great that after 2 O'Clock, and
throughout most of the afternoon, the right
wing of the Confederate line had 30 weak
ened itself by its brilliant, tremendous, and
vet ineffective fighting as to be practically
incapable of further effort until much time
had been consumed in reorganization. But
even this fighting, persistent and marvel.
ous as it had been, was surpassed by the
wonderful assaults of LoBgstreet's wing
throughout the afternoon upon the ridges
held By Wood and Brannan and Steedman.
For an hour after the break took place In
the Union line on Sunday the entire Confeder-
ate army was assRulting the Union position.
Breckinridgs's division, with Helm, Ad.
ans, and Stoval. WAS turning the Union
left and had moved far into its rear, but
Helms brigade. striking the salient OF
Baird's position, had been effeotually shat
tered, it's commander killed, and some of
his regiments almost annihiated. Gist and
Colquitt of Walkers had fought with the
same ierceness and the same want of sue.
cess. Stewart, in front of Reynolds and
Brannan, with his three magnificent brig
AIDES of Bate and Clayton and Brown, had
pushed into the very face of the Union line,
but still found themselves unable to carry
the low works before them. At the same
time Laws division of Longstreet had rush
ed upon the front of Harker, moving across
open ground and under heavy enflading
fire of Frank Smiths regular battery, and
up almost to the muzzles of the infantry's
rifles, Iu this movement Kershaw support.
ed Hood, and thus the Unioa troops on the
right had the full view and full experience
of the fighting of Longstreet's veterans.
Ruo Tnhn in IF Hind.
man before Stedmap, with Preston's strong
brigsdes as reserve, alternately assisting
on one point and then on another of the
ridge-all these covered il5 long slope
almost continuously from noon till dark
with the lines of assaulting columns The
splendor of such fighting as this is enhanced
many fold by the fact that from the begin.
ming to the end 1t was unsuccessful fighting.
Ordinary soldiers eau be carried forward In
oa 10 so long as success attends their move.
ments, but test of manhood, of soldlerly
ability, Of courage and endurance, which 1t
Is difficult to measure and which cannot be
overestimated, comes when, through long
afternoon, assault after assault, seemingly
in overwhelming numbers, has failed, and
when the whole line of each succeeding ad
vance ard retreat ia thickly strewn with
dead and wounded, and eli the terrible
wreck of battle. To say that In the face of
such experiences the Confederate lines were
rallied quickly after every repulse and
brought forward again to new and ever Wig
orous assaults over slopes thus covered with
horrors, is to say all that can be said in
praise of the valor of the officars who dir
rected and the soldiers who executed these
marvellous storming parties.
Turning to the figures of loss In independ.
aot M m do thar will ha fopnd fo ohou,
that this praise of the Confederate fighting
is in no sense exaggerated. In truth, lam
guage cannot exsggerate it.
The loss in Longstreet's wing reached Al
per Ct, and most of this was incurred on the
second day of the battle, and the largest part
OF it In little more than an hour on Sunday
afternoon.
Bushrood Johnson's division lost 42 per
cent. The Tenth Tennessee, In one of his
brigades. bad casualty list of 6S per cent.
Patton Anderson's brigade, of Hindmap's
division lost 80 per cent, and most of this
was in the afternoon of Sunday.
Among the reglmental losses that of the
Nineteenth Alabama was 43 per cent; that
of the Twenty-second Alabama SIS per cent.
Browns brigade of Stewards corps lost
39 per cent; Bate of the same division, 4S7
per cent, and Clayton, the remaining bril-
gade, 42 per cent; and Bate In one after.
noon had three horses shot under him.
10 Clayton's brigade the Eighteenth Ala.
bama lost Sc per cent.
Preston's division in less than one hour
and thirty minutes on Sunday afternoon Lost
SO per cent. of those engaged Gracie's bri.
gade of this division lost 34S per cent. in 8
single hour, while assaultiug the position of
Gen. BranDan on Horse Shoe Ridge, and the
total loss of the same brigade in the second
days fight was 81 per cent.
OF Grace's brigade the First Alabama LIE.
gion loat 10 per cent; the Sixty-third Ten
nessee 49.7 per cent.
This brigade Of Oracle, which suffered
such terrible loss within the space of an
hour, carried into action 2.003 officers and
men. and in this time lest 69S killed and
wnnnded Iha Second Alabama hattalinn