The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1893-12-16

on them. Scores dropped, but de esps
were instantly closed, and the advance
continued with the precision OF dress
parade. Then, when within easy mus.
ketrange, the crest Of the ridge became
one solid sheet Of flame, and Thousands |
Of bullets were driven into the very faces |
OF the assailants. But PickettS men |
never wavered. With marvellous cool |
ness they delivered v0lley at the breast
works 10 front, broke into cheers, and |
dashed ct full speed up Cemetery Ridge. |
They beyoneted the men ct the guns,
captured the works, and fought hand TO |
hand with the federals, who rushed |
thither from all directions. Attacked In |
front and flank, the focus OF c0nverging |
IRE, with his supports scattered, Pickett |
saw that Q few minutes more would de- |
str0y every man he had, 20 he gave the
order TO fall back, and the remnant re-
treated. Ofthe four thousand nine hun
dred who advanced upon the unsur.
passed charge, three thousand five hun
dred were killed, wounded, or prisoners
In the hands of the federals. OF the
three brigade commanders. one was
killed, the second dying, and the third
badly wounded. OF the fourteen field
0fBcen In advance only one came back,
and but two Of the regimental oflicers
escaped unhurt. The killed, wounded,
and captured In this terrible battle
amounted TO forty eight thousand. The
union army was too exhausted TO follow
Lee, who, after . days rest, withdrew
across the Potomac and assumed posi-
ton back of the Rapidan."
Gettysburg marked the turning point
Of the war. Never again did the con-
federacy attain such hope Of success -
ct the opening OF that battle. Hence
forward its fortunes steadily declined,
until the inevitable end came within the
following two years"
Aside from the partially displayed in
the above account Of the battle, we
wish to call the readers attention to .
giaring discrepancy in the figures. In
one place it says that "a column Of fifteen
thousand men was seen to issue from
Seminary Ridge, . mile away, and i'd
vance toward the union lines" A little
further on he says that -of the four
thousand Eve hundred who advanced
upon the charge" etc. What became Of
the other ten thousand one hundred :?
IL such an error excusable9 This il one
Of the many blunders in the history.
The assassination of President Lin
coin, the result of one Of the most dam
nable conspirscies that was concocted
during the war, and one Of the most i'm
portant events In our national history,
il told In eleven lines, without mention
of the attempted assassination Of Score
tary Seward. 1t IL couched in such mild
language that pupil reading it would
hardly realalize the enormity Of the
crime committed. Ellis places it before
the readers a follows:
Amid the general rejoicings over the
end Of the war the country was shocked
on the evening Of April 18th by the
news that President Lincoln had been
assassinated. He was seated with hi
wife and friends in box at Ford's the
atre in Washington, when John Wilkes
Booth. an actor, entered the box from
the rear, and fired pistol shot into hi
brain. The unconscious president wa.
carried TO a house across the street
where he died the following morning
Booth was run down in Virginia, ant
shot, April ssth. while resisting arrest
Booth was run down in Virginia
and shot, April Goth. while resisting ar
rest Who shot him, and under wha
circumstances? Is this fact not wort
knowing? From this account, whicl
the scholar is asked to swallow as cor
rect history, he learns nothing Of tn
seven other conspirators In the diabol
ical crime, who were either hanged o
: sentenced 10 imprisonment Tor life.
OF the battles fought and won b
Grant in his campaign previous to tn
siege Of Vicksburg. mention is made
but one or two. The siege and surrer
,, der of that city is briefly told, as thong
Il was not one Of the most importan
|. union victories of the rebellion. Eli
: statements as to the number OF me
. surrendered are also misleading, an
there Is no excuse for his ambiguou
statement that more than 5000 me
with an immense amount Of arms an
ammunition" were surrendered. WI
. did he not state that 81 600 prisoner
were surrendered, together VIII l7s Cal
b non, about 10000 muskets and lar{
: amount Of ammunition. This wou
have been q historical fact, and muc
better than mere indefinite statemen
y by a study Of the history perse
cannot overlook the fact that many I
J. the great battles Of the war are n
u mentioned at all. Where, in the histor
. does Ellis mention the tragic death
= Col. Ellsworth, the famous raid Of Jof
| Morgan through Indiana and Ohio, al
= many other important events tn
should be recorded in the most abridg'
school history. The mention Of one
e the most atrocious crimes Of the wa
> wheI Gems. Forrest and Chalmers, d
e string to avoid the encumbrance Of pr
oners, inaugurated q wholesale massac
= = Of whites and blacks, men, women Al
!. children, over 800 being butchered
T. cold blood under the supervision
e. these generals, who looked on the dres
!, full slaughter with apparent pleasul
|. Are not these historical facts that t
II rising generation should knowp @
. Mr.. Hill explain why they are not me
e e toned by Ellisy Are they not found
i. other historicsP In fact the more 4
= book Is studied the deeper must becor
N the conviction that it is unfit for use.
!. Mr.. Hin says that "the history, a
have said, is unduly abridged" yet 1t h
le room for an event of local importan
l. to ChicaQo-a large cut of the new Au