Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1893-06-22
INSIDE THE UNION LINES.

was delivered across comparatively
level plain against troops who had
scarcely any advantage in the matter
of ground, barring the trivial stone
wall which tringed 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 list, and had failed to crush them;
he had assaulted desperately both TANKS
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
IHdt was VIAL anu 4cICtluA III Lee
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, and when the thin and
broken ranks had almost reached the
famous Bloody Angle" he swung his
cap in the air and shouted: sit 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 a storm of lead
en- and iron hail as Picketts men en-
dured, and second because there was
absolutely no support on flank or in
rear for the brave men who had been
blindly 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
bred rode against the batteries of Bal
aklava. Clusters 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 a brigadier general
ship few days before, and had bor-
rowed a pair of generals shoulder
straps from one of his brother officers.
These he had stitched upon a linen
coat, and, proud of himself and his OPP
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 of
Hoods division. He was treated to a
terrible infantry fire and at least two
batteries opened upon him with grape
and canister. He rode around in cir
Gle, and as he rode the guns of the bat
teries were turned upon him until it
seemed as if not one of his foolhardy
band would return alive. Gen. Farms
worth was mortally wounded, and his
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 himself
with his own pistol when he found
that he was seriously wounded, lest he
should be made prisoner. He said that
one of his Alabama soldiers came to
him on the field with pair of shoulder
straps which he said he had cut from
the coat of Yankee major who had
just been killed.
Col. Oates recognized the insignia of
the bragadier general, and knew by
the color that cavalry officer had been
slain. He was taken to where Gen.
Farnsworth's body was lying, and upon
examining some papers was able to
identify him. He said that Farnsworth
had several wounds upon his body, any
Que of which might have proved fatal
and that the shot in his head had evil
1Cut4y DtSH SelA-4H h-cbcu. DC tiltS a. II
may, no Drawer nor nObler officer ever
laid down his life on the battlefield than
this gallant son of Illinois. That his
ambitious charge was i'll advised, no
one doubts, for even in that day mount
ed cavalrymen with sabers had no more
chance at close quarters with infantry
and artillery than at this time-which
IS absolutely nil-Col. John 4. Cockrill,
IL Cincinnati Enquirer.