Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1895-12-19

the Federal force to something over
120. 900 men.
Once more consider these naked
figures aud the further fact that
Meade with his 12O, 900 was strong
ly entrenched on commanding
heights and that Lee with little
more than half that number of men
and propor.ionately outnumbered
m artillery, was to be the attacking
party, and you may form some esti-
mate of the type of manhood upon
which he so confidently relied to
storm, at his command, the en-
trenched heights of Gettysburg.
The End Maryland did not parti-
pate in the first days engagement.
and the afternoon of the second day
finds them on the extreme left Of
Lees line, somewhat wearily wait
ing the signal of attack. About 3
O'Clock the signal gun is fired, and
off on our right we see our artillery
splendidly charging. Itopens, dar-
ingly, and the single battalion is
soon under the concentrated fire of
more than an hundred guns. We
see the desperate nature of the con-
test, and know that men from our
own State are falling there; we
know that We are soon to 60 in, and
long for the order to come. 1t
comes, and the line is rapidly form
ed, and after the long lapse of years,
| can still see our brave young SER
geant's soldierly form as he takes
his place upon the right, still see
and wonder at the proud, content
ed smile with which he glances
down the line, and then with
trained precision making the report
"all present or accounted for;" not
one of the SO members of Company
A missing from his post. Ii was.
indeed, a command of which he had
a right to be proud.
The line advances, and when
Rock Greek, running at the base of
the fortified position is reached, the
left of the Brigade finds it unforda-
BILE. This throws the 2nd Mary
land very nearly upon the extreme
left, and the attacking force is fur
ther diminished by the retention of
the Stonewall Brigade to meet a
threatened movement on the part
of the enemy. The heights are
charged at dusk, and about s p. NJ.
the breastworks in their front are
in possession of Steuart's Brigade.
the only portion Of the Federal
breastworks taken and held by any
part of the attacking force during
the two days engagement. Vigor-
Gus efforts were made to dislodge
them during the night by concen-
trated, convergIng artillery fire and
by repeated infantry charges, bat
the line held on with grim tenacity,
nor did they give up the position
until ordered, late on the 3rd, to
withdraw. The attack on the 2nd
day, too late for full success by rea-
son of Longstreet's tardiness, was
yet a victory for Lee: but the enc
my's position had meanwhile been
vastly strengthened. A general
attack was planned and Johnson's g
division had its orders to 60 in at
10 A. 81. Again Longstreet was
tsrdy, and the left went in without
the support a joint attack would
have given the entire line. The
attacking force lost heavily 10 an
assault that should never have been
delivered, for the work demanded
of the men could not have been
done by man, as the Division and
Brigade commanders well knew;
but they had their commands and
sent their forces in to almost GER
tain destruction, to absolutely GER
tain defeat. They confidently re-
lied upon Lee, and he. unfortunate
ly, upon Longstreet, who failed him.
The charge of the 2nd Maryland
was up a steep incline in the face OF
q combined infantry and artillery
fire and exposed to fianking fire
on the right and on theleft. There
could be but one result. Yet they
pressed on till ordered to fall back
and even then, with their dimin-
ished numbers, they still held on
to the vantage ground they had
won. In the midst of the hottest
fire, the voice of Maj. Goldsborough
10 heard, "Take care, Blackstone.
you are exposing yourselftoo much"
A warning seldom given or needed,
but coming too late, for as be spoke
Contmued on 2nd Psge.1