The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-07-23
\. c. TROOPS
At GETTYSBURG
CONTINUED From First Page.)


was in reserve. Johnson's division did
not arrive in time for the afternoon
battle.
Gen. Doubleday, commenting on the
convergng lines of A. L. Hill and Ewell
says: 1T would, of course. have
been impossible to hold the Line
if Hill attacked on the west
and Ewel assailed me ut the
same time on the north: but l occupied
the central position, and their converg-
ing columns did not strike together until
the grand final advance at the close of
the day, and therefore l was able to re-
sist several of their attacks before the
last crash came" charlottesville and
Gettysburg, page 1872 AS these early
attacks of the Confederates were not
synchrOnOus, it may facilitate an under
standing of the part taken by the North
Carolina brigades to follow them from
the Confederate right to the left. On the
right, Pettgrew's brigade attacked Bid
dies Federal brigade posted just in
front of the west face of Seminary
ridge. The attack began between two
and three in the afternoon. and by four
o'clock the brigade of Biddle was broken
and driven back to line partly pro-
tected by rails. just outside Of the town.
Capt Louis G. Young of Charleston.
s. c., an aide-de-camp to Gen. Pettigrew,
bears this testimony to the soldiership
of the brigade: Opposite to our left
wing. composed of the Twenty-siyth and
Eleventh North Carolina troops. the
Federals fought desperately intiicting so
heavy loss that too few We're left for
a successful bayonet charge; but our
men pressed on persistently. until the
enemy was driven back to his entrench-
ments This refers to the line of rails on
Seminary Ridge mentioned by Gen.
Doubleday just outside of the town.
and from which he was quickly driven
by Pender's fine division. No troops
could have fought better than did Petit
crews brigade on this day, and | will
testify on the experience Of many hard
fought battles, that l never saw any
fight so well. It's conduct was the adj
miration of all who witnessed the en-
gagement: and it was the generally ex-
pressed opinion that no brigade had
done more effective service and won
greater fame for itself than this had
The prisoners themselves testified that
they. native to the soil on which they
were fighting had fought with unusual
determination, but that there was no
withstanding such an attack (Our
Living and Deatl.) Gen. Hill in his OH
cial report corroborates Capt. Young
"Pettigrew's brigade, under the leader
ship Of that gallant officer and accom-
plished scholar, Brigadier General. j.
Johnston Pettigrew, (now lost to his
country fought as well, and displayed as
heroic courage as it was ever my for
tune to witness on battlefield. The
Eleventh North Carolina regiment, Col
G.. LeyenthOrpe commanding, and the
Twenty-sixth North Carolina regiment
Col. III. X. Burgwyn, Jr., commanding
displayed conspicuous gallantry, OF
which was an eyewitness. The Tween
ty-sixth North Carolina regiment lost
in this action more than half it's numbers
in killed and wounded, among whom
were Colonel Burgwyh killed and Lieut.
Cod. Lane severely wounded. COL Lev
enthorpe, Of the Eleventh regiment was
wounded and Maj. Ross killed. The
Fifty second and Forty-seventh, on the
right of the center, We're subjected to a
heavy artillery fire, but suffered much
less than the Eleventh and Twenty
sixth North Carolina regiments. These
regiments behaved to my entire satisfac-
ton" Biddle's brigade being driven
back. Pettigrew's men cO-Operated with
Brockenbrough's brigade in it's attempts
to dislodge Meredith's Iron Brigade
under Morrow, that was tenaciously
holding to its position. The two soon
sent him back to Biddle's new position
on Seminary Ridge, but he had been a
gallant foeman, for he reports here
ILL o,,l lad nv,f nf a
total of 496.
Pender's division moved up behind
Heth's lines, now commanded by Gen.
Pettigrew, as Gen. Heth had been
wounded. and when Fender found Heth's
men much exhausted and greatly re-
duced by several hours hard and sue
cessful fighting" he ordered his division
to take the front line and charge Semi
nary HILL Gen. Lanes brigade was sc
delayed by the dismOunted Federal cav
airy on the right. that it did not get a
fair opportunity to engage the enemy in
front, except force posted in wood
Perrin and Scales pressed straight up the
hill in face of close and accurate fire
Mai. EngelhaM, Assistant Adjutant
General, who makes the official report
for Pender's division, says Of Scales
North Carolinans: General Scales on
the left, with his left resting on the turn
pike, after passing the troops of Gen
Heth, advanced at charge upon the
flank of brigade of the enemy, which
was engaged with the extreme left OF
Gen. Heth's division, upon the opposite
side Of the road, which soon caused the
enemy to fall back" The Federals,
under Gen. Doubleday's direction, had
been very actively putting artillery on
the hin. and it now opened murderously
upon Scales as he descended the hill to
charge up on the other side. Engel-
hapds report continues: (Ihe brigade)
encountered "a most terrific fire Of grape
and shell on the left flank and grape
and musketry in front, but still it press
ed forward at double-quick until the
bottom was reached. Here the fire was
most severe" The brigade halted at
the foot of the hill to make reply to the
enemy's fire. Gen. Fender rushed UP
urging the men to stop only to reform,
and Gen. Scales, though badly wounded
in the leg. ordered his men to charge
the hill. Led by Lieut.. Col. G.. IT, Cor
don, of the Thirty-fourth regiment, the
men dashed for the ridge, and attacking
it concurrently with EwelFs advance,