The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-06-07

wrecked.
COULD HAVE USED ARTILLERY.
One OK the reasons that brougnt M
here was to see with my own eye
advanced with our Infantry wneh VI" ".
assault was made. There IS apsoIule
no reason In the conformation OF th'
| country why IL could not De. IL Is d
most a level plain; there Is h'
| physical obstruction OF any sor
betw cen our line and the Federal line
| and II artillery could be advanced VII
! infJntry anywhere, 10 could have bes'
- adysrcec. here as well as at any place
| ia the weld.
AS 1 have said, Gen. L)ngstrcet now
| denies that Gen. Lee gave him any order
/ 10 advance tho artillery with the intah-
! try. lie made this denial " iellS'
written by him 10 The Times, ana Puo-
/ liEhed IN its issue Of April 20 1890.
But Gen. Lee expressly st1.es IN ms
! official report OF the battle that al did
| order the artillery to be advanced WIN
| the infantry and Gen. Longstreet states
| In his official report OF the Datue IN ne.
| he did not advance The artillery win lhS
| infantry because its ammunition mao
given out. This is no excuse. He should
nave seen 10 II that the ammunition uiu
not give out. There was plenty or am
munitiOn IN our ordnance wagons. ana,
II they were not accessible, he should
have started the charge OF the Infantry
while the artillery yet had enough am
munitiOn for the purposes or ne adNahce.
The artillery fred steadily for two hours
before the advance or the infantry was
ordered. IL should have been permitted
10 fire FOR only one hour before the al,
vance OF tie Infantry commenced, ana
then IL would have had all the ammu-
milton that was needed for the Assault
LONGSIREEr NOT HIMSELF.
When everything connected with TINS
third Guys night is considered. 1t becomes
hard To believe that Gen. Long street was
entirely himself that day. lie says OF
the Pickett charge, I'm his oihclal re-
port Of the battle, written tWenty-lour
days after 10 was fought, The order
for this attack which l could not favor
unaer better auspices, would have been
revoked, had / felt that had that pTlNi-
sege." lie had no heart in the o1si-
ness. lie WAS undertaking, therefore, 10
do a piece Of work that he did not pc
lleVe could ba dOns and success UNDER
such circumstances could not, or course
hc very promising
neglecting 70 put In execution most
important part OF tno plan OF battle
which General Lee had 9atrusted 20 MN
90 carry out. to-wlt. Advancing the ar
tilcry with the infantry, and keeping UP
its ure during the charge. But when we
consider Cen Longstreets account or me
way Ia which he started Tie charge, onS
d. simply lost IN amazeemnt. lie telis
Ms iu nis book that he put Col. l.. L.
Alexander 10 charge OF the IRE or ar.
tlleTy that Was 10 proceeds Tho advance Ok
the infantry, telling hin t9st when ne
thought that fire had got IN It's best WORK
he should direct Gen. Pickett 10 move
forward. de should never have entrus!-
&C this important. service TO another: ~
was Tor him TO determine when Pickett
should move. de then tells ps, that
after giving this direction TO Alexander
ne went or 10 a piece Of woods near
by 70 lie down and study for some new
thought that might aid the ssaslltlns
column Pickett came ihere ana was
az once handed a note from Alexander
which said. II you are coming g. all,
como at once" Pickett handed that
note 10 LongstTeet, saying. General,
shall l advance?" Gen. Longsueet con
failed, and I could only indicate II by
an affirmative bow" which Pickett took
FOR an order 10 advance, ard rode on.
lNCOMPREHEkSlBL EMOTION.
Now. this emotion upon Gen. Lons
streets part is simply prehensible.
He had been ordering men into battle Tor
two years and he had many times sent
hundreds OF them 20 their death without
giving the matter second thought lie
was stern, disciplined soldier,
used TO scenes Of desperate carnage, who
knew that IL Is not for solder TO ask
questions about orders. but only 10 obey
d. W. Gen. Lees responsibility, ana not
bis. and IT seems simply ridiculous 10
ID "Al MN now Lt4llLS US tAaL repeating
Gen. Le8s orders 10 his SubOrdinates
WAS more than his susceptible nature
was equal 10.
But there was no occasion for the
emotion. Gen Lees plan was u perfectly
feasible one, that not only could be sue
cesstully carried out. but would actually
have been successfully carried out II Gen.
louestrcet had only done what Gen.
Lee told him TO do as Gen. Armistead' :
breach In the enemy's lines proves. II
was no more than an assault in an open
ueii upon lines Of Infantry protected by
bfelstWOiks and abundant artillery. ana
those assaults We're OF constant occur
renee during our war. j. required des-
perate lighting. undoubtedly but not im-
possible ugntilE. and ID Was an assault
which was ms 10 be most bloody.
But in every War that is fought as a real
war. occas must arise when the COM
uan4fr on an army determines that a
time has come when BE must carry
DO costs. Gen. Lee thought one Of those
Oecas. 0us had arisen on the third day
al Getty aDurs and, II the Insignificant
opinion OF an Insignificant person may ce
that Gen. Lee was right. il was perfectly
feasible 90 cut through Meade's line at
,As point ASSAULTS. aud, it the cut had
been made cnecrnl Meada.s army
would have been routed and prof. bly, de-
stroyed. But 30 is impossible 10 read Gen
Longstreets account OF what was ac- |
.uaily done without sickenlng feeling |
hat the aIalr was allowed 10 wrlgele |
Itself along in any sort OF a higgie-de |
Iicsle-de fashion that turned Up
WHERE ARMlSTEAD FELL.
/ have said that l saw no Confederate |
monument upon the battlefield OF Get
yallfs. and tais j. substantially, but |
lot literally true. Where P!cketts Nlr- |
ia.aus. led by glorious Cen. Armlstead. |
roko over tus stone wall, block or
.raaits has been set mp by the Gcttys-
lrs Memorial Association, I believe. but
m noe sure.
THIS stone marks the srot where Gen.
1rmlsteal received his mortal wound. II
las on 10 these words only.
3rigaIlsr General Lewis A. Armlstead,
g. 5. a.
Fell here.
July 3. lsG3."
This simple and mute inscription viii
iIchrn the pulses ard move the hearts
men Tor thousands OF years yet 10
ONE.
Just by the spot to the left, stands a
ANTE monument 70 Co~an Flrst NJ"
Ork Battery, which bears the iuscrip-
ou upon 10 Double Canister al 10
ards" and the inscription states that
camo within ten yards or
be- guns. This monument IS all Of M
4, yards inside OF the stone wall Win
twenty feet o. the spot where Ar
.istead fell. on the right. there IS an
Their granite block 20 mark the spot
here Cushngs United states battery |
God when Gen. Armistead and Lieuten-
nt-Col. Martin. OF the Fifty-third Viz
mia, lei their brave followers over II.
But II I should go on writing about
hat Interested me here | should never
me 10 an end. J. therefore. stop az
lis point before your readers rise up !
angry protest. WI. l.. RO1 ALL.
-----e -------------
" William Farmer prominent
ufhuyesf dentist OF VAUDEVILLE is at |
ord's Or. Farmer Is a sound-money
AM. but SAYS the success OF he Demo-
attic is paramount 10 all other ques-
lna