Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1893-05-20

INSIDE THE UNION LINES.
was delivered across a compare tlvely
level plain against troops who had
scarcely any advantage in the matter
of ground, barring the trivial stone
wall which fringed the front.
Looking at the field from this stand
point anyone can understand how Gen.
Longstreet might well have opposed
Lees determination to assault the fed
eral center, and can imagine how sick
his heart must have been when he saw
those three brigades of Virginians
marching to certain death and destruc-
ton. But Lee had fought two detached
corps of the army of the Potomac on
the 1st, and had failed to crush them;
he had assaulted desperately both flanl>s
on the I'd and had failed, and on the Sd
there was left for him only the Ma
poleonic tactics of breaking the center.
That awful charge would never have
been made, presume, if Lee had not
believed that his terrible two hours
cannonade had silenced the batteries
along the federal front Had it been
supported as it should have been, it
might, perhaps, have succeeded, but all
that was vital and forceful in Lees
armies marched with Pickett in that
fateful charge.
Col. Freemantle, the English officer
of the guards who had accompanied
Lee in his invasion of Virginia, sat on
the fence on Seminary Ridge when
Pickett came down the slope and moved
against the federal center with the pre-
cision of parade, 3nd when the thin and
broken ranks had almost reached the
famous Bloody Angle" he swung his
cap in the air and shouted: 1T will
succeed; it is the grandest charge the
world ever saw" But Gen. Longstreet
says that he knew that the effort had
failed; first, because no body of men on
earth could stand such storm of lead
! en- and irou hail as Pickett's men en-
| dured, and second because there was
absolutely no support on flank or in
rear for .he brave men who had been
| blindiy sent to destruction.
There is one sad and pathetic picture
of this battle which has always touched
me, but which the field guides seem to
have overlooked. On the last days
battle, when Gen. Lee was preparing to
hurl himself against the federal center,
a cavalry charge was made on his right
wing lying around the Round Tops and
| the Devils Den, which for absolute fu-
tility, fatality and absurdity has not
been equaled since the famous six hun
dred rode against the batteries OF. Bal
aklava. Custers cavalry was lowering
on the extreme left when it entered
into the head of Gen. Farnsworth to
make a diversion by charging into the
midst of the confederate troops at that
time not actively engaged. He had just
been promoted to brigadier general
ship few days before, and had Dor
rowed pair of generals shoulder
straps from one of his brother officers
These he had stitched upon liner
coat, and, proud of himself and his op
portunity, he was anxious to put his
finger mark upon the great battle.
Sword in hand he galloped down with
his little body of followers upon The
desperate Texans and Alabamians o.
Hoods division. He was treated to
terrible infantry fire and at least two
batteries opened upon him with crap,
and canister He rode around in cir
Gle, and as he rode the'guns of the bat
teries were turned upon him until i
seemed as If not one of his foolhard,
band would return alive. Gen. Farms
worth was mortally. wounded, and hi
command was absolutely cut to pieces
Col. Oates, of the Fifteenth Alabama
told me some time ago that he was sat
isfied that Farnsworth shot himsel
with his own pistol when he foun
that he was seriously wounded, lest h
should be made prisoner. He said tina
) one of his Alabama soldiers came t
him on the field with pair of shoulde
straps which he said he had cut froI
| the coat of Yankee major who ha
, just been killed.
; Col. Oates recognized the insignia G
: the bragadier general, and knew b
the color that a cavalry officer had bee
slain. He was taken to where Ger
Farnsworth's body was lying, and upo
, examining some papers was able t
D identity him. He said that Farnswort
E had several wounds upon his body, an
I, one of which might have proved fata
/. | and that the shot in his head had ev
q IDENTITY been self-infi:cted BE this as
may, no braver nor nobler officer eve
q laid down his life on the battlefield tina
this gallant son of Illinois. That IN
ambitious charge was i'll advised, n
3 one doubts for even in that day noun
Il ed cavalrymen with sabers had no moi
o chance Mt close quarters with infantr
@ and artillery than at this time-whic
is absolutely nil.-Col. John A. Coclril
In Cincinnati Enquirer.