News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1890-09-25
downright by Amerii

Der, earnest work, under the spur OF ex-
alted, soldierly courage-is described IN the
Gettysburg pages of The Century war
Book, by Capt. II. G. Parsons, First Yer
mont Cavalry, who was one of the primer
pals, as well as one of the victims, of the
affair-Farnsworth's cavalry charge.
Surely men never rode against greater OBJ
stacles and with so little hope OF achieving
great results. 1t was at the close of the
third day of the battle, when pickett IS
grand charge had been repulsed, and 1t
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 mile
from its original position, and on the third
dav the Union and Confederate main lines
were parallel, north and south, the general
direction of Cemetery Ridge. On the ex-
treme 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 clung
to the valleys south of Gettysburg, the
road to Emmettsburg, and the wide plains
skirting the mountains. Stuart's Confed-
crate cavalry was elsewhere, and played no
mart in the events on the Emmettsburg
road.
On the third day Union cavalry divi-
sion of two brigades, 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 a detached regi-
ment or two at the front. and "a 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 as the Union cavalry
men looked to the trout they saw
the annoying spectacle of the enemy's bat
tie flags waving defiantly where the Stars
and Stripes had floated proudly twenty
hours before. They saw, moreover, that
the Confederate force was weak on the
second line, for as 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 Longstreet's exposed right flank
and bring on battle if he could.
As things stood on the third day at Get
tyshurg, but two issues II battle were to
be congratulations that Lee would push
Longstreet against Cemetery Ridge, fol-
lowing up his success of the second day, or
that Meade would lunge out from the
ridge and attempt to dislodge Longstreet
and recover Emmettsburg road. Either
issue would carry the battle along Kill
patrick's front, the Confederate rear would
be exposed to the Union cavalry, and here
was the scene for grand coup when the
hour should arrive for diversion in favor
of the Union arms. Here Fitzpatrick
awaited with more or less activity in
skirmishing until 5 o'clock p. IN. Then
came the hush after the thunder of and
storm of Pickett's charge. Several times
during the day isolated squadrons of caval
ry had dashed through the Confederate
skirmishers, penetrated the lines and found
them weak.
If a stampede of Confederate pickets and
artillery could be started there the enemy
in front of the Round Tops would be put
in danger, and if pressed by Meade's infant
ry in front, could be driven across the val
leys and plains to the hills, whence they
had issued on the 2d to attack Sickles.
A soldier might suppose that the slightest
advantage on the Union side would be fol-
lowed by an immediate advance of infant
ry upon the Confederates at DEVILS Den
and the Round Tops. This would place
them between two fires if Fitzpatrick Got
to work in the Confederate rear.
Between and O'Clock, after Pickett's s
charge, Capt. Parsons says he heard AN
orderly, riding from the main army, call
out to Fitzpatrick that the charge had been
repulsed Gen. Elon J. Farnsworth, COM
manding a cavalry brigade, had here with
him the First West Virginia and the First
Vermont regiments. The First West Vlr-
ginia charged upon the Confederate picket
reserve, and was repulsed after two at
tempts. The Second battalion of the First
Vermont was on skirmish duty, and the
First and Third, numbering about 300,
were AL that remained for a final effort. 1t
was to be directed to the Confederate lines
on the high ground opposite Big Round
| Top, striking them in the rear.