The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-07-15

division. The order was At once given
to move obliquely to the right, and II
was while executing this movement that
a blaze or nre ngnIed up the WOODS not
20 yards in front, revealing to our
astonished eyes a formidable log breast
work Although staggered by this IN
expected and deadly volIey the troops
of Stuart's Brigade quickly recovered
and. dashing forward, drove the enemy
out of the works
From prisoners taken il was learned
that the force we had encountered was
Greene's brigade, a portion Of which had
been distributed along our front while
the reria:nded occupied an angle of the
same works. about 300 yards TO our right,
and which we could not reach, clearing
intervening, and this angle commanded
ard enfielded tina; part of the works on
the right slope of the hill.
From this angle, now occupied by
Green's whole brigade, there came, and
continued, q crashing fire Of musketry
that told with deadly effect uron the
right and exposed part of the line. The
Third North Carolina was almost wiped
out, but 10 men being left, when morn
ing dawned, out of 300. The two right
companies of the Second Maryland, which
joined the CaroIinians, suffered in as
great proportion.
On the wooded hill in our immediate
front, which I believe is Culp's Hill
proper, there seemed to be no enemy.
Johnson was on the flank and we'll into
the rear Of the Federal right. and be-
yond was the Baltimore turnpike. This
{ If c
Captain John W Torsch. a very gallant
officer of the Second Maryland, recon
noitered the ground and penetrated to
the turnpike without encountering any
thing but immense numbers of wagons,
moving and preparing to move.
All this was reported to General John
/ son, but he was not given long to debate
what he would do. The log breastwOrks
we held had been occupied by Geary's
/ Division, which had been Temporarily
withdrawn TO the Federal 1t. to help re-
| pei the desperate attac If Longsteet,
| leaving only Greene to man the works.
| Great, then, must have been the surprise
when the troops of this division soon af-
ter returned to find them occupied by
the Confederates. Indeed, many in their
! ignorance of our presence came in and
were captured, and Confederates and
! Federals opened their eyes when they
/ found themselves drawing water from
| SpangIer's Springs at the same time
neither knowing of the proximity Of the
other
During the night Geary was heavily
reinforced and his men were busily en-
gagged strengthening their position, not
| over 200 yards away, and at the first
appearance of day terrific fire of mus
| ketry and artillery was directed upon u!
that was startling in its intensity. Had
it not been for the breastwork we haC
| so providently captured scarcely a mar
of the brigades OF Stuart and DAME
| would have survived. Trees were rid
died and immense rocks torn and splint
cred to pieces: but, although the Confed
crates suffered severely, they stubborn!
hello the ground that they had gained tn
preceding evening.
The rest is soon told. Johnson deliv
cred his attack about 9 o'clock on III
morning of the 3rd and was driven bacl
with heavy loss. For an hour longe
he held the works to which his troop
had retired after their repulse, and the
he fell back to Rock Creek a mile away
because he was ordered to do so, an
it was not until he had reached Roc
Creek that Geary moved into the absn
doned works.
The historian, or historians. do no
state facts when they say "the Confed
crates were driven out at the point o
, the bayonet." The Federal at this poin
and at all others, fought fercely on tn
defensive. never once making an advance
, and when eGary finally discovered tina
the Confederates had Withdrawn b
moved into the works. and he did nc
/ have over 200 yards to go.
With the charge Of Picketts divisio
later in the day the dreadful battle c
Gettysburg ended. General Lee ha
2 staked all on ground no: OF his ow
l choosing, and had lost. Mlsfortur
e seemed to follow the Confederate arm