The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-07-09


Union veteran. He spoke ON behalf of a
Union veteran aud found it unnecessary
TO do more han tell true war story and
place his hero in it, The audience arose
at the recital, for it treated Of Gettysburg
and Cemetery Ridge, of Hancock and Sic
kles' Peach Orchard battle, of n wild Con
federate charge and its bloody repulse by
a handful of soldiers, cheered on by THE
Superb The handful was composed of
Minnesota boys, and of them Lochren was
one. Had the orator let fly all of the am
munition which lies in that episode of the
First Minnesota's dash for the colors-262
men charging 900 and leaving 2l5 dead
or disabled ON the field, not a single one
surrendering until hors de combat by
wounds, only A. coming out unscathed
and Lochren one of the 4I-the eloquence
of old time giants of the forum would
have been put to the blush.
1t is true that General Black depended
for his material upon hearsay evidence, but
it is unsafe to conclude that he gave free
rein to his imagination in order to make
n strong plea. Below is the story of sur
vivor of the a. as it was heard on the field
during the ceremonies of unwilling mon
ument to the dead who fell in that charge
and yet, after adding this speech to Gen
eral Blacks, it can be said that the half
was never told.
The story of the disaster of the second
day of the battle, when General Sickles'
Third corps was overwhelmed at the Peach
Orchard. is familiar to every one. Sickles
held the extreme left, with one corps iso-
lated, and was attacked at a time when
he could not be withdrawn, and the only
thing to do, as General Meade expressed
it, was to stand and fight it out. The bat
tie ragged for hours with terrible ferceness,
and division after division was sent to the
succor of the Third corps. Hancock 8 Sec
ond corps was on Sickles' right and con.
nected his line with the main army on
Cemetery Ridge. From this line detach.
ments had been made until there was bare
s-fy ( skirmish line left to support the bat
teries, which were the mainstay of the po
sition. The turning point of Sickles fight
was when the angle Of his line was broker
in and his troops forced to retreat.
At this moment the Confederate com
mander ordered forward Anderson's divi
sion to pierce the interval between Sickle'
and Hancock. When at last it was seer
that the Third corps must fall back
Meade ordered up endorsements from an
other part of the field to support Hancock
and Hancock himself went toward Sickles
field to see what could be done to aid the
stricken corps Lieutenant Maginnis o
the First Minnesota told the story of Han
cock and his regiment as follows:
"When Sickles advanced, eight compa
MES of our regiment were placed as n re
serve support to section of United State!
artillery Below and before us on the plar
the battle was fiercely raging. Soon tn,
view became more obscured, for, though
the sun shone brightly, the air was damp
and the smoke hung heavily over the fight
sometimes in rolling, cloudy masses, ant
again like well defined wall, conforming
to the line of battle. Through this coult
be seen the charging battalions, the dark
ened forms of the com batants and the ban
ners wildly tossing to and fro above tn
struggling masses, looming giganticall!
in the maze between us and the declining
sun. Again the sulphurous pail woult
hide everything from view, save when tn
flashes cleaning redly through the dark
ness revealed the position of the batteries
We would intently listen, endeavoring u
tell from the yelling and the cheering
which came up from the chaotic turmoil
to which side the advantage leaned, Will
the rattle of small arms and the deep has
of the artillery made the music of the bat
tie, and Round Top re-echoed the gram
diapason. Then the breeze would roll u
the smoky curtain, and none could repres
shout Of joy to see that our men wer
crowding the fight, and that our flag wa
still there
'At length Sickles' angle was broker
Our troops in front CALAMITY endeavore
to check the enemy till still fresh battal