Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1895-03-29
inside THE ENEMY'S WORKS
At GETTYSBURG.

A4sNAOA LII LIN 1M i " " VAlAu
At GETTYSBURG,
And FROM There UNDER GUARD II
! FORT DELAWARE.
Rev, Geo. W. Finley, D. D., pastor o
the Presbyterian church at Thinking Sprin
in This county, is a typical Confederat
Vderan-or rather the type that all the oil
Vets would like to be-six feet high, splen
didly proportional, the glow of health OF
his cheeks, the eye of man of thirty, AM
the white beard of man of sixty, he is tn
ideal which dwells in the popular mind o
a veteran of many battles. He was in com
mand of Co. K seth Va. Infantry
Garnett's brigade of Pickett's division
and was one of the few men who got, aliv'
and unwounded. inside Of the enemy's linz
in the famous charge at Gettysburg.
On Monday night, by invitation of Stone
wall Camp, he gave talk on his experience
from the inside OF the enemyis works
where they were captured, to Fort Della
ware The room of the camp was packed
even to sitting in the windows, and large
part of the audience was composed OF
ladies'. 1t. Commander J. N. Mcfarland
introduced Comrade Finley.
Dr. Finley said he had no set address to
deliver, as he had seen announced in the
papers, but was there simply to narrate to
his comrades some incidents on the road
from lost battle field to a prison. He
prefaced his story with the beautiful Con-
federate poem ''For u.s.
1t was about O'Clock on the afternoon
of July Sd, 1868, the afternoon Of an ex-
ceeding hot day-hot in more senses of the
word than one, that there came alull in the
battle. We had carried the enemy's line
along the fence. Gen. Armistead with his
hat OH the point of his sword had leaped
the low rock fence which marked the line,
and we had gone beyond the ''bloody angle
when the lull came. We were looking be-
hind for thesupports that never came. The
enemy were massing on both sides of us
and pouring in their fire; there was no sup
port and there was noIhing to do but to
surrender, and we surrendered. Asw did
so | saw young man, mere youth, who
was still fighting and who was surrounded
by half dozen Federal soldiers. 1 ran to
him and getting between him and his as
sailants, called to him to throw down his
gun. He did SO. and coming to my side
burst into tears. What could not hun.
dred thousand men like that have done
The first thing l did after the surrender
was to go to where [ had seen Gen.
Armistead. found him lying in dis
torted position near the cannon on which
he had laid his hand in victory, just before
he was shot down. His eyes were rolled
back and thought he was dead, but
heard afterwards that he did not die until
away in the night, and l have always re-
GREETED that did not stay with him longer.
In a few minutes more we were startled
by receiving the fire of our own artillery
every old soldier knows what effect that
has, to have his own people firing on him.
Our men started to run out of the way. A
Federal general, Patrick, who was Provost
Marshal of Richmond after its fall, rode
up and cried out, "What, are you fellows
running for? Stand your ground!' This
was enough for our men; to be tainted by
the enemy settled it, and they all stood still
and took the fire. have never heard what
this artillery firing was for, unless it was
to support Wilcox's futile assault. You
would be astonished to know the hospital.
ity with which we were received by the
enemy, and how many of them offered tG
take us to the rear to get out of fire them
selves. 1t was ''This way gentlemen, II
take you to the rear" from scores of them
But we soon saw what was the matter.
There was line of cavalrymen and infan.
try back of their line using their sabres
guns and big whips and driving back to the
front those Federals who were trying to
get to the rear-literaily lashing them uI
to their duty.
Just then we saw one of the cruel Incl
dents of war. The enemy were sending q
battery of artillery to the front. The
drivers were lashing their horses, already
at a gallop. A cannoneer sitting on the
timber chest was thrown from his seat by
sharp turn in the road. He was thrown
back and forth between the timber and the
ammunition chest screaming all the while
until at last the poor fellow fell under the
wheels and was crushed to death. We
prisoners were taken back to Rock Greek
and by the time we had been gotten in line
it was night Here Gen. Patrick made
another appearance. He said, "You men
if you behave yourselves, will be treated
well; if you don t. your blood will be OF
your own heads" The reception that was
given by the prisoners to this blood and
thunder speech was unique. Between cat
calls, jeers and limitations of animals, you
would have thought a geological garden
had been established right on the spot. Gen
Patrick soon rode off. Our guard wa,
composed of the I'd OF 18th Pennsylvani;
cavalry, 1 can't recollect which. And
am sorry cannot recOllect, for they wer
true soldiers watchful, gentlemanly ant
considerate.
We were started for Westmi mister, Md.
where we were to take the cars for Balti
more. On the route we met an army wagol
train with provisions for Meade's army
One of the Transfers, rufflan Of fellow
made it his business, as our line was pass
| ing, to abuse our men in the foulest Ian
guage-there was hardly anything that
according to his account, he woul
not do to us if he could only get to us
We saw one of the Pennsylvania cavalry
men as we neared the teamster cycling hin
| ,uith q lool1 that hnded no GOOD Az b