The National tribune., 1901-09-26
NORTH CAROLINIANS AT GETTYSBURG.
Critical Review of the Famous Confederate Charge July g.
1864
By CAPT. S. A. ASHE, c. S. ~,
Formerly Editor Nercs and Observer, Raleigh, N c.

The third day Of the struggle between
the contending armies near Gettysbur!
opened clear and cloudless. The July SUI
beamed down on the battlefield of the pre-
vious day majestically serene, THROWN:
into bold relief the outlines of the pic
ture.
Standing on Cemetery Hill, mile soutl
of the little town of Gettysburg, one saw
the range continue to the southwark, nov
jutting out into the valley TO the west
and then receding in strong curves east
ward, now falling with even slopes anC
then swelling again in graceful contour
but farther away breaking into precipi
tous promontories whose rocky knobs were
yeritahle Round Tops and fifty associated
with Devils Den.
Almost parallel and about a mile away
to the west could be traced the course
of Seminary Ridge, gently rising from the
intervening valley and still covered with
q growth of original forest trees. Along
the slope are fences inclosing fields with
patches of wood here and there and q
little swale down the valley where it mar
rows as the ridge throws out spur to
the eastward.
COMING lEOHl luc 1ONu Is tuc ISIuillito
burg Pike. which, after passing the sum
init of Cemetery Hill, swerveS OFF along
a lower and divergent ridge that trends
across the valley. OYerloOKlng the pike
is a stone wall following along the upper
slope of Cemetery Ridge and conforming
generally to the line OIL its crest, but, AT
a point some 600 yards away where the
hill grows holder and juts well out into
the valley, this wall makes right angle
and comes straight toward the pike, and
then again follows the crest, which soon
retreats and falls away, leaving slight
depression embayed in the general out
line.
On this headland, that like a bastion
front projects itself into the valley, stands
clump of trees which served to guide
the right of the attacking column on that
fateful day; and quarter of mile in
front, but farther down the valley, stood
the farm house of Codori on a little knoll
surrounded by sparse grove.
Beyond the Cemetery to the north the
range bent sharply to the right, forming
difficult eminence known as Culps Hill;
and on tie curve from Cups Hill west
to the Cemetery and thence south to
Round Top was maSSed the Federal army,
some 100000 strong; while on an exterior
line of sister hills lay Lees forces with
Ewell on the LETT in possession of a part
of Culp's Hill, and Longstreet on the
right toward Round Top, while A. Z. Hill
covered the center, total force of about
$1,000 troops.
Dispositions had been made for an
early morning attack on the Sd simultan-
eously by Ewell on the right and Long
street Oh the left; and with that view the
artillery had been massed against the
Federal center, Col. Alexander, acting as
Longstreet's Chief of Artillery, having oe-
cupied, during the night, an advanced
ridge that lay several hundred yards be-
I nd
with batteries.
PLANNING THE ATTACK.
But Meade himself had not been mac
tive, and, at 1 o'clock in the morning, he
unsettled this plan Of attack by driving
back Early, whose lodgment on Cups
Hill was an essential part of Lees pro-
posed movement. Later in the morning,
then, Lee determined on making that as
sault which has since been so famous in
history.
Gen. Long, the author of Lees Me-
moirs, and then on Lees staff, says:
This decision was reached at q confer
ence held during the morning on the field
III front of Round Top, there being pres
ent Gems. Lee, Longstreet, A. L. Hill and
Heth, and Col. Long and Maj. Venable."
Longstreet made some objection, bis
idea being to move farther to the right
and entice Meade to abandon his position
but the attack was ordered, nevertheless,
and Longstreet was directed to carry it
into execution. The object of Gen. Lee
was to penetrate Meades line in the de-
preston on the south of Cemetery Hill,
and, thus turning his position, move up
and dispossess him.
When the morning broke and the Fed
eral forces beheld so great an armament
as lao pieces of artillery in position Oh
the crest Of Seminary Ridge, they knew
that an assault was intended on some part
Of their line, and every preparation was
at once made to receive it.
The batteries on Cemetery Ridge were
strengthened by new ones from the re-
serve, and soon so pieces of artillery were
In readiness to respond to the expected
cannonade, which was awaited with III
creasing solicitude as the morning wore
on in ominous silence.
In early morning Pickett's First Divi-
sion had arrived and tive of his brigades
had been placed under cover of the sd-
Vanced ridge which Col. Alexander mad
seized the night before. Armistead's Bri-
gade lay back, protected by the main
ridge, in a line with Heth's Division,
while the North Carolina Brigades of
Scales and Lane were still farther in the
rear. These were the troops selected TO
make the assault; Pickett's Division be-
ing fresh, and Heth's Division and Lanes
and Scales's Brigades, although badly cut
up on the LIST, not having been engaged
On the I'd, and being troops of the highest
reputation for constancy AID endurance.
In Heth's Division were Archer's Bri-
gade, composed of two Alabama and three
Tennessee regiments; Pettigrew's Brigade.
which had present the 18th, Goth, 47th and
b2d n. q. regiments; Davis Brigade, con
stituted of three Mississippi and one
North Carolina regiment, and Broken
boroughs or Fields Brigade, which was
composed entirely of Virginians. Petit
Crews Brigade was commanded by Col.
Marshall, Gen. Pettigrew being in com
mand of the division.
Lanes Brigade was formed of the 7th.
18th, 18th, 33d and 9th n. c. regiments,
and IN Scales's, then under Col Lowrance
were the 18th, 10th, 22d, Bath and 3Sth \.
y. regiments. These troops had suffered
SO severely on the first of July that many
companies were mere skeletons and some
regiments were Differed by Captains
Plckett's Division, composed entirely of
Virginians, had just arrived, and was in
excellent condition in all respects
The movement was in double column.
the hrst line consisting of Kemper's and
Garnetts Brgades ON the right, with
Heth's Division on the left; and for the
second line Armistead in the rear of
Pickett's other brigades, and ScaIes's md
Lanes Brigades of North Carolinians. uI,.
der Gen. Trimble, in the rear of Heth's
Division.
Wileox's and Perry's Brigades were to
move out on the extreme right and pro-
feet the column from, anv N.rI,;,., 80