The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1892-05-27


and repeated though unsuccessful at
tempts to expel him were made until
dark. The day was spent in series of
desperate assaults and repulses, and the
carnage was great, but nothing definite
was gained by either side.
"The third day Lee continued his at
tack on our right and left, but evidently
moderated our strength and deter
mined to make his strong assault on our
| center. Meade very early took the in
| itiative and drove Ewell from the place
he had gained ON our right. But as this
important result was never conmuni-
Gated to Lee, his movements suffered in
| consequence. There is no rational doubt
that a series of Confederate mistakes
caused his retreat and the sacrifice of
the southern cause. Pickett's charge
was the GROWING blunder, and Lee was
avowedly responsible therefor.
"Much of Cemetery ridge, which we
held, is so rough that we could not employ
artillery to advantage, SO that, with 200
guns, only eighty were used. Seminary
ridge, on the contrary, was very favor
able for artillery, and the enemy placed
12O guns there and directed them
against US; but our infantry was so well
protected by the crest that they mostly
kept out of harms way. Our chief of
artillery after awhile stopped firing,
except occasionally, awaiting the next
movement of the enemy. Lee inter-
preted this as the silencing of our bat
teries, and ordered Pickett to charge
with his 10000 Virginia veterans, who
had not been in action. Lee intended
to support them with his artillery; but
discovered too late to remedy the de-
feet that ammunition was lacking.
'Pickett's division moved down the
slope and across the valley, only to be
met with fatal fire from our batteries
all along the line. Never did men show
more intrepidity. They went steadily
on in the face of certain death. They
were enfladed; great gaps in their ranks
were nade by the awful fire. They
gradually melted away. Enemies as
they were, pitied and honored the gal
liant fellows-unfinching to the last.
They charged over a low stone wall, be-
hind which Gibbons men lay, into the
mouth of our batteries, and fought for
some time with pistols and dubbed
muskets. But our troops concentrated
upon them and drove them down the
slope, completely commanded by our
fire. Unable either to advance, retreat
or stand still, the poor fellows threw
themselves down and held up their hands
as sign of surrender. Very few escaped.
1t was a piteous sight, a horrible car
mage. l forgot myself in that dreadful
hour, thinking only of the needless
slaughter. That was the last great
action.
son the second night the Confederate
army began to retreat in the midst of a
storm. While we held councils of war
the enemy slipped away. We might
have crushed him completely and short
ened the conflict by two years. Gettys-
burg sealed the doom of the SOUTH"
Burley had confided to me his broken
engagement with Clarisse Dunoyer,
which made him very unhappy, but
which the stirring events of the long
strife prevented from preying on his
mind. The surrender at Appomattox
came, and he had received but two flesh
wounds; both soon healed.
He went soon after into business in
Chicago, where l encountered him seven
years later in Wabash avenue. He told
me he was married, whereupon spoke of
Clarisse, and the close of the comedy,
which might have been tragedy.
"You can't expect man." he said, ''to
be loyal to woman who has virtually
thrust him out of DOORS" To which
agreed.
He invited me to visit him, and l ac-
cepted. found his wife gentle and in
teresting, and his two small children-a
boy and girl-intelligen and attractive.
They appeared to be most harmonious
family, and ventured the remark that
he was probably as happy as if he had
married Clarisse.
"By the by" l continued, "your wife
must somewhat resemble your Louisiana
sweetheart from what you have told me
Of her. She is small, slight, dark eyed
and brunette. l imagine you may
have been drawn to her on account of
this resemblance. / have known such
cases."
"My marriage was as romantic as my
earlier courtship. By strange coinci-
dence my wife is also Louisianian, and
1 met her at the end of the war. Her
father, once rich, had died poor; her
nearest of kin had passed away, and she
was earning her own livelihood by teach
ing music. | tried to help her-I could
easily do so, for l had made money in
cotton, and my sympathy soon ripened
into love. Adversely had developed and
enlarged her. She is as strong as she is
noble, as you will see when you know
her better"
'But what became, Burnley, of poor
Clarisse Dunoyer? confess feel a
deep interest in her. You should have
sought her out. l am sure she loved
you"
"Clarisse Dunoyer was LOST
"Poor grill had feared catastrophe
for her. How was she lost?'
SIN Clarisse Burley, the mother of my
children" g
Rural Memorial Day Preparations.
Memorial Day in the hamlets of
northern Vermont is joyful festival,
anticipated with delight for weeks pre-