The Portland daily press., 1889-10-09
shooters within 600 yards of them made

shooters within 600 yards of them made
their position still more fearful.
When the rebel artillery slackened their
fire, the enemy's skirmishers appeared from
the woods beyond the Emmettsburg road.
de2loying like vast fan. Then came Pick
ett's line, to make the supreme effort of the
Confederacy. A member of the Sixteenth
Maine. who had been captured on the first
day, stood beside Pickett's column as it ad-
vanced to make the charge. He SAYS thew
were as fine and as we'll equipped DO v Of
men as he ever saw. They were Virglnians
the flower of the rebel army, and the officer
OF the Sixteenth recalls that nearly every
man had toothbrush in the buttonhole Of
ms oIouse, strlklng indication of the class
OF men OF whom Picketts division was COM
posed. 80 o''"
Inc skirmishers from the Nineteenth re-
manned out until Pickett's charging line was
within about 125 yards according to the testi-
mony OF Sergeant Nickerson and Silas
1h Az Then the skirmshers retired to the
ieis from IN front of Picketts, some of them
iailing into Stannard's Vermont Brigade.
ricketts, line came on with the steadiness
SO OFTEN and so admiringly described by the
historians of the battle. When they we're
within 300 or 400 yards. the Nineteenth
opened fire. From testimony given by the
survivors, the feeling seems to have been
general In the ranks of the Nineteenth that
the charge could be repulsed. 81 never felt
more relieved in any crises" says an officer
of the regiment, then when we saw that
line Of battle come out of the woods. We
felt that decisive movement was coming
and that we could lick them"
AS the rebels advanced, they obliqued to
the left bringing the weight of their charge
TO the right OF the Nineteenth, impinging up
on the second brigade of the Second Division
which brigade was about 100 yards to the
right of the Nineteenth. Where the weight
OF this charge fell on the Second Brigade, it
gave way: Then the Nineteenth moved to
the right to help gill the gap. Several other
regiments to the left followed at once. 1t was
tremendous rush, with no regard to ranks
or files. So anxious were they to get at the
rebels. that the men behind thrust their rifles
under the arms, between the legs and over
the shoulders of their comrades in front. 1t
bears the name Of the Bloody Angle. The
little copse of trees that marks the spot Is
more famous. probably, than any other copse
in America, for there the hopes of the South
ern confederacy failed.
just as the Nineteenth arrived at the
copse, piece of shell hit Colonel Heath and
Frustrated him. The command devolved up
ON Captain George l.. Whittemore. He soon
received an order from an officer to cease fir
ing: form the colors on the left and wait for
further orders. The Nineteenth was just at
the south edge Of the copse of trees. The
Confederates were at that moment holding
me position OF the Union line which they
mad broken, and were within few yards of
the copse of trees. The Nineteenth, with
the other troops, were at once ordered for
ward along the left edge of the copse of trees
down to the wall which had been the Union
line and which was now in possession of the
rebels. At the wall they fought with
dubbed muskets and bayonets. The rebels
Mere Were driven out by main force that day.
with the other command that crowded in to
save the gap. the Nineteenth went over the
wall, pushing the rebels before them The
line was saved, and Pickett's charge was
over.
The Nineteenth had lost in the days of the
two battles, 65 killed and mortallv Wounded.
1877 wounded not fatally, and 4 missing, who
were undoubtedly killed as no one OF them
has ever been heard of.