Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1889-10-21

horses and many soldiers were killed
and wounded, and some guns and
cannons destroyed. No organization
was driven from the field and no IL
reparable damage done. Gen. Hunt,
chief of artillery, used his eighty
guns with good effect and was COM
paratively in good condition when he
chose to let his fire gradually cease
that his guns might cool off for the
more critical hour that awaited him
when the great charge should come.
The rebel fire ceased. Away to the
southwest of Cemetery Hill Lee had
been concentrating his troops for the
charge, which came under Longstreet's
direct order. 1t is automatically
shown that Longstreet felt the at
tempt to break the center dangerous
and disastrous. The order was not
withdrawn, and nearly 10000 men
under Pickett, Pettigrew, Trimble,
Wilcox and Perry started from the
cover of the woods and aimed for
point just south of Cemetery Hill and
almost directly toward Gen. Meade's
headquarters. AS soon as the masses
were fairly out of the woods every Un-
ion gun that could be turned on to the
advancing hosts sent shot and she'll
through their ranks. They came for
ward steadily; the gaps made by shot
and shell were closed up, and the
terrible and magnificent march went
on. AS they came near our lines
the infantry opened fire and the
slaughter was great. The charge came
in an oblique direction, at times offer
ing opportunity for our guns on Lit
tie Round Top to enfilade the ranks.
1t happened that the Vermonters un-
der Stannard, in the 18th, 18th and
9th regiments, lay exactly in front of
the intended rebel attack. AS they
came near our lines they discovered
very strong lines of infantry close in
front and moved off toward the left,
striking straight toward the top of
Cemetery Hill. The oblique move
ment offered opportunity for Gen.
Stannard to attack them on the flank.
He changed the front of the 18th and
sent it forward at once, part of the
18th regiment and the 10th following
after. The distance was short-the
easiest range for the muskets-and
so soon as the 18th came in line a
most deadly fire was opened into the
right flank of the almost solid mass
of rebel infantry. The situation was
such that every ball found its victim
and the extreme left fell into confu-
sion. In the briefest possible time
several companies of the 18th and the
10th had swung up, and coming upon
the left and rear of the enemy, they
poured several volleys into the shat
tered and bleeding ranks. In few
moments, hundreds, perhaps thous-
ands, of the rebs threw down their
arms and rushed to the rear of the
blue coats, out of the terrible fire in
fiicted on them. A little further on
the momentum of the charge was
such that Gen. Armistead and some
of the foremost reached the Union
guns and for several minutes there
was a most bloody and terrible hand
to-hand conflict. Neither valor or
human power could long withstand
the force of the Union attack, and
very few of those who but brief time
before came out of the woods were
left unharmed to flee back whence
they came. The charge had almost
literally proved the annihilation of
the regiments engaged. AS sup
porting column, Gen. Longstreet had
placed Gems. Wilcox and Perry with
their brigades on the right of Pick
ett's main force. For some reason
they made slow progress and fell off
further toward the rebel right. While
Stannard's men were gathering in
their prisoners and trappings, Wilcox
appeared on the left, and advancing
straight toward them; he was 60 to
100 rods away. Col. Veazey saw his
opportunity and asked permission to
make flank movementson their right.
similar to the successful one made on
Pickett's men. He went in with speed
and might, and the seemingly dis
heartened troops taken in flank by the
18th and fired upon on the front by
the 14th, yielded without fierce fight
ing. Here great many prisoners
and three battle flags were captured.
The great charge had been a disas-
trous failure, and the proud and
mighty army of the rebellion was re-
pulsed, defeated and so crippled as
to flee back to Virginia, never more
to cross the Potomac. While the
charge had been going on, the
brave cavalryman, Farnsworth, with a
small force consisting of 200 troops,
mostly of the Vermont cavalry, had
been making charge on the extreme
rebel right. They fought through an
infantry regiment, advanced among
the rebs hid behind walls, rocks and
trees until they were attacked from
three or four sides by the rebel in
fantry and one battery and were com.
pelled, such as could, to cut theil
way out. Here the brave Farnswortf
fell pierced by many bullets.
One corps, conspicuous in many
hard fouobt battles. had to only