The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1890-10-17

her, earnest work, under the spur OF ex
allied, soldierly courage-is described in tn,
Gettysburg pages of The Century Wa
Book, by Capt. H. C. Parsons, First Yer
mont Cavalry, who WAS one OF the princi
pals, IA well as opa of the victims, of the
affair-Farnsworth's cavalry charge
| Surely men never rode against greater OBJ
stacles and with 10 little hope of achieving
great results. It was at the close of the
third day Of the battle. when Pickett's
grand charge had been repulsed, and II
was on the scene of Sickles disaster of the
second day.
The defeat of Sickles' corps ON the sec.
ond day had driven the Union line on the
extreme left about three-quarters of "A mile
from it's original position, and on the third
day the Union and Confederate main lines
were parallel, north and south, the general
direction of Cemetery Ridge. On the ex
IRENE Union left were the Round Tops,
and in front of them several Confederate
brigades. But the lines did not terminate
here. The Union cavalry had been active
on the first and second days, and had chung
to the valleys south of Gettysburg, the
road to Emmettsburg, and the wide plains
skirtng the mountains Stuart's Confed-
crate cavalry was elsewhere, and played no
part in the events on the Emmettsburg
road
On the third day a Union cavalry divi-
sion of two brgades, under Gen. Judson
Fitzpatrick, held the ground south of the
Round Tops and extending westward across
the Emmettsburg road. This line formed
acomplete right angle with the main Union
and Confederate lines, and was about
one mile in length. Eight regiments OF
cavalry composed Kilpatrick's command,
and on the Confederate side the line was
held by skirmishers, with detached regi
ment or two at the front, and couple OF
batteries planted to sweep the approaches
from the south. All Of the region covered
by the Confederates had been wrested
from Sickles by Longstreet on the pre-
vious day, and us the Union cavalry |
men looked TO the front they saw
the annoying spectacle of the enemy's bat
tie flags waving defiantly where the Stars
and Stripes had Aoated proudly twenty
hours before. They saw moreover, that
the Confederate force was weak on the
second line. for rs the day passed Long
street had been called upon to put in every
spare man for Pickett's charge further up
The ridge kilpatrick's orders on coming
to this position in the morning had been
to harass IIongstreets exposed right flank
and bring on Il battle If he could.
AS things stood on the third day at Get
ty-I,,r -ey-h hint sf.s,,e~ of ',attic to
De expected-either that Lee would push
l-ongstreet against Cemetery Ridge, fol
owing up his success of the second day, or
hat Meade would lunge out from the
idge and attempt to dislodge Longstreet
md recover Emmettsburg road. Either
ssue would carry the battle along Kill
front, the Confederate rear would
We exposed to the Union cavalry, and here
vas the scene for grand coup when the
our should arrive for diversion in favor
4 the Union arms. Here Fitzpatrick
waited with more or less activity in
until 5 o'clock D. m. Then
anne the hush after the thunder of and
torn OF Pickett's charge Several times
uring the day isolated squadrons of caval
y had dashed through the Confederate
penetrated the lines and found
hem weak.
If II stampede of Confederate pickets and
rtillery could be started there the enemy
. front of the Round Tops would be put
/, danger, and if pressed by Meade's infant
y in front, could be driven across the val
,y> and plains to the hills whence they
ad issued on the ID to attack Sckles.
soldier might suppose that the slightest
ivantage on the Union side would be fol
wed by an immediate advance of infant
|, upon the Confederates at DEVILS Den
nd the Round Tops. This would place
,cm between two fires If Fitzpatrick got
work in the Confederate rear.
Between s and o'clock, after Pickett's :
large, Capt. Parsons says he heard an {
-derly, riding from the main army, call :
1T to Fitzpatrick that the charge had been
pulsed Gen. Elon J. Farnsworth, com ,
landing cavalry brigade, had here with {
i'm the First West Virginia and the First /
ermont regiments. The First West Vir |
mia charged upon the Confederate picket t
serve. and was repulsed after two at
mpts. The Second battalion of the First r
ermont was on skirmish duty, and the v
irst and Third. numbering about 300, /
ere AL that remained for final effort. 1t O
rs to be directed to the Confederate lines o
, the high ground opposite Big Round il
op. striking them in the rear. Il
a. "a e