Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1892-06-02

rihly as We. A inuskat ball tore through
my cap: another passed through my
sleeve at almost the same moment
When. thought. viii il be my head
or heart: Destiny must have miscar-
ned, or | should b. lying among the
slain. Order aud discipline finally gave
WAY We retrca;ei In Wild confusion
through Gettysburg having lost enor-
mJualy in prisoners. and reaching Culps
hill, south Of the town, rallied our
broken columns and occupied strong
position.
The next day Meade. who had re-
manned ignorant II the action at Get
tyshure. came up with the bulk Of his
army, Hancock having decided that
there was the place ~ give battle. Lee
confronted US with the mass Of his men,
and the pounding was harder than ever.
Our forces occupied most of Cemetery
ridge, and Lee held Seminary ridge
opposite. Between the ridges in the
valley and on the slope Of Cemetery
ridge the battle ragged that day and the
next. In the center Of Cemetery ridge,
wnrre me land was low. Sickles los,
his leg and his division was fearfull,
cut MP. Warren occupied Round Top.
which by accident we had overlooked
and repeated though unsuccessful AT
tempts to exI@l him were made until
dark. The day was spent in series o.
desperate assaults and repuls"S, ana til,
carnage was great, but nothing definite
was gained by either side.
The third daJ l.. continued his at
tack on our righ, ana left, but evidently
moderated our strength and deter
mined y make his strong assault On on,
center. Meade very early tonk the in
itiative and drove Ewell from the place
ne had gained on our right. But ~ this
important result Wa never communi
Gated to Lee, his movement. suffered in
consequence. There i no rational doub,
that a series q Confederate mistakes
caused his retreat and the sacrifice Of
the southern cause. Pickett's charge
was the crowning hlanler. ana Lee was
aGuWetly p~ipn-i NIa therefor
Much Of Cemetery ridge. which we
held. Is - rough that we could not employ
artillery 10 advantage 80 that. with 100
guns. only eighty were used Seminary
ridge. nn the contrary, was very favor
able for artillery. and the enemy placed
l2' guns there and directed them
against Us; but onr infantry was " well
protected by the crest that they mostly
kept ont of harms way. Our chief OF
artillery after awhile stopped firing.
except occasionally, awaiting the next
movement If the enemy. Lee inter
preted this as the silencing Of our bat
terle., and ordered Pickett u charge
with his 10000 Virginia veterans who
had not been i'll 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 with4. fatal fire from our batteries
all along the line. Never did men show
more intrepdity. They Went steadily
on il the face Of certain death They
were enfiladed; great gaps in their ranks
We're rade by the awful fire. They
gradually melted away. Enemies a.
they We're, | litied and honored the gal
liant fellows-unfiinching 10 the last.
They charged over a low stone wall, be-
hind which Gibbons men lay, into the
mouth Of our batteries, and fought fo1
some time with pistols and dubbed
muskets But onr troops concentrated
upon them and drove them down the
slope, completely commanded by ou,
fire Unable either to advance, retreat
or stand still, the poor fellows threw