Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-01-19
INFANTRY THAT TOOK PART.

INFANTRY THAT TOOK PART.
The infantry actually engaged in this
memorable conflict are as follows:
PICKETT DIVISION: Kemper's Bril-
rade-First. Third. Seventh, Eleventh, anu
Twenty-fourth Virginia Regiments. Gar
netts Brigade--Eighth. Eighteenth, Nine
teenth. Twenty eighth. and Fifty-slxth
Virginia Regiments Armsteads BIT
gade-Ninth. Fourteenth. Thirty-e'shth'
Fifty seventh Virginia Regiments.
HETHS DIVISION: Archers Brigade
Thirteenth Alabama Regiment and f1fth
Alabama Battalion, and the FIRST
Seventh. and Fourteenth Tennessee Regi-
ments Pettigrews Brigade-Eleventh'
Twenty-sixth. Forty-seyenth, and FIFTY
second North Carolina regiments. DAVIS
Brigade.-Second. Eleventh, and Forty
second Mississippi and Fffty-ffth North
Carolina Regiments. peterborough
Brigade-Fortieth, Forty-seventh, and
Flfty-fifth regiments. and the twenty
second Virginia Battalion.
PENDER'S DIVISION: Scales's Bri-
gade-Thirteenth. Sixteenth. Twenty-sec-
ond. Thirty-fourth, and Thirty-ninth
North Carolina regiments. Lanes Bril-
gade-Seventh, Eighteenth. Twenty
eighth. Thirty-third, and Thirty-seventh
North Carolina regiments.
Archer's was made the directing brigade
Of the line OF battle.
BEYOND THE STONE WALL
All these troops. numbering not more
than 400. had. with the exception OF
Pickett's Division, been heavily engaged
in the battle Of the first of July. Brock
enbrough's and Daviss brigades, with alb
solutely no supports on the left or rear,
unable to stand the tempest Of shot and
shell. gave way first. Pettigrew's Bri-
gade dashed on. and. when within short
distance of the stone wall a Ranking
column on the left poured in a destruc-
tive fire OF musketry. causing what was
left of the brigade TO fall back. Archer's
Brigade reached nearly. II not quite, the
stone wall. From this point they retired
to their former position on Seminary
Ridge passing through in a disorderly
mass and necessarily demoraliZing TO
some extent the brigades OF Lane and
Scales, which continued TO advance, how
ever, some Of the men reaching within a
few yards the stone wal; but none Of
the troops, except Picketts. passed be-
yond the wall
A Federal authority says: alex. Hays
had several eg.ments well to the front
behind stone walls, and on his extreme
right was Woodruff's Battery OF light
twelves. Whether the fire was closer
hCitt VI nhtAAt4g a. Spih1 NA1iiiit NhN
troops In Pettigrews command were not
as well seasoned TO war as Piekett's men,
1t Is certain that the attack on Hays
was speedily repulsed. That IL was
pressed with resolution vas attested by
the dead and wounded on the field, which
were as numerous in Hayss front as OH
any other part of It,"
In the published records It Is shown
that medals were voted by Congress to
Federal soldiers for flags captured from
Pettigrews. Archers, and Scales's bri-
gades, every regiment in Archer's having
lost their colors. The devotion and gal
lantry OF the troops forming the left
wing OF Pickett's charge cannot justly lie
quest stoned.
ORDERS THROUGH THREE COU-
RIERS.
The rear and flank OF Picketts
Division was TO have been supported by
Wilcox and Perry, but there Is good rea.
son for supposing that they did not ad
vance until after the attack had beer
repulsed. From General Wilcox's report
we learn that about twenty or thirty
minutes after Picketts advance three diff.
| ferent couriers came with orders to ad
yancs-one OF them from Majo Genera
Anderson, probably a mile distant t(
! the left. General Wilcox adds; Not q
man of the division that was ordered &c
support could / see"
Colonel Lang. commanding perry's Bri'
gade, says: soon after General Plcketts
| troops retired behind our position Genera
| Wilcox began 10 advance, and. in accord
ance with previous orders TO conform tI
! his movements, / moved forward also"
| Colonel Alexander, In an article pub
lished since the war. says: "Wilcox's Bri
rt,,er rlft
| support There was no longer anything
10 support, and, with the keenest pity a
the useless waste of life. saw them ad
vance. The men as they passed us LOOKED
bewildered, as If they wondered VIVA
| they were expected to do, or why the,
were there. However, they were sooI
halted and moved back
| General Anderson. with the remaining
brIgades of his division-Wright Posey
and Mahone-was expected TO support tn
| left wing of the column of attack. Gene
raj A. +. Hill. his corps commander. says
| Anderson had been directed to hold hi
| division ready to take advantage OF an.
success which might be gained by tn
| assaulting column, or TO support IL, !
| necessary"
General Anderson says: Il received or
ders to hold my division in readiness &c
/ move ny III cdPfSAst ~
| necessary"
General Longstreet says: "Major-Gene'
| raj Andersons Division was ordered for
| ward 20 support and assist the waverins
columns of Pettigrew and Trimble."
Anderson did not advance for the rea
son assigned by himself; AT what
supposed to be the proper time 1 wa:
about to move forward Wrghrs and 20
| seys brigades. when Lieutenant-G nera
| Longstreet directed me 10 stop the move
ment, adding that 1t was useless anc
would only involve unnecessary loss. th'
| assault having failed"
PICKETTS REPORT DESTROYED.
Who was responsible for the defective
formation will probably never be known
General Picketts report was suppressed
I'm compliance with the suggestion cor
tanned In the following letter:
General George Il. Pickett command
| ing, &C.:
General.-You and your men have
crowned yourselves with glory: but W.
have the enemy 10 bgbt ana must care
fully at this critical moment, guhrt
against discussions. which the reflections
in your report would create. l will there
fore suggest that you destroy both cop,
and original. substituting one confined 4
casualties merely. i hope all viii yet b'
well l am. with respect.
Your obedlent servant.
X. Y. LEE. General
| Cotonal Walter Harrison. assistant ad