The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-10-06
CURIOUS LINE OF BATTLE
A Mass Of Testimony Collected by a
Lover Of the Truth.
CAPT. METTs WRITES INTERESTINGLY
Neither Pickett Nor Any NJ mbsr Of His S aft,
Nor Even One Of His Horses Was
Touched. They Were Protected
From the Enemy's Fire.

A certain set of historians, writer's and
lecturers, who gathered their informa-
ton from newspapers in Richmond which
had their correspondents with the Vir
ginia troops in the army Of Northern
Virginia during the war-and they SO
biased as to claim all the glory for the
Virginians to the detriment of other
troops engaged-have SO persistently
fiirted with the truth that those unac-
quainted with the facts, having read
their fine descriptions and heard their
grand eloquence, accept their statement
of I.ongstreet's-falsely called Pickett's
charge at Gettysburg on the third
day, as the truth of history.
Those who love truth rather than fic-
tion, I respectfully refer to the official
government diagram of the charge,
showing the Confederate and Federal
lines Of battle, the stcne wall or works
of the Federals on Cemetery Ridge, the
Emmettsburg road. and the different
fences over which Pettigrew and Trim
ble's troops had to pass before reaching
the works.
To the list of the different troops en-
gagged taken from war records. Pick
etts division, composed of Kempers
Garnct's and Armistead's brigades Gen.
Kemper' s brigade on the right, compos-
ed of the following The First, Third
Seventh, Eleventh and Twenty fourth
Virginia regiments. On their left was
Garnett's brigade, composed of the fol-
lowing: The Eighth, Eighteenth, Nine
teenth, Twenty eighth and Fifty sixth
Virginia regiments. Supporting KEN
per and Garnett was Armistead's bril-
gade, viz: The Ninth, Fourteenth, Thir-
ty-eighth Fifty-third and Fifty-sev-
enth Virginia regiments. Gen. Heths
division Gen. Johnston Pettigrew COM
mandine) formed the left of the line,
composed of Archer's, Pettigrew's,
Davis and Brockenboroughs brigades.
Archer's brigade (Col b. d. Fry after
ward Col. j. G. Shepard commanding
joined the left of Garnetts brigade. as
follows. The Fifth and Thirteenth Ala
bama regiments and the First, Seventh
and the Fourteenth Tennessee regi-
mcnts.
On their left was Pettigrew's brigade
(Col Marshall commanding). afterward
killed, then by Col j. Jones. viz: The
Eleventh Sixteenth, Forty seventh and
Fifty-second North Carolina regiments.
On their left came Gen. j. r. Davis
brigade, viz: The Second, Eleventh and
Forty-second regiments of Mississippi
and the Fifty-fifth North Carolina regi-
ment. On it's left was Gen. Brockenbor-
ough's brigade (Col Robert Mayo COM
manding), viz: The Fortieth, Forty
seventh and Fifty-fifth Virginia regi-
ments and the Twenty-second battalion.
Supporting Gen. Pettigrew's line were
Gen. Scales and Gen. Lanes brigades,
(Maj Gen. l.. r. Trimble commanding
from Pender's division with Scales bril-
gade (Col. L. S. j. Lowrance command
ing) on the right, composed of the Thir-
teenth, Sixteenth Twenty second, Thir-
ty-eighth and Thirty-fourth North Caro-
lima regiments. On it's left was Gen.
Lanes brigade, viz: The Seventh, Eigh-
teenth, Twenty eighth and Thirty eighth
and Thirty-third and Thirty seventh
North Carolina regiments
(See tie War Records, series /, VOL 81.
containing the reports Of Maj j. A. En-
glehard, Ass.-Adj.- Gen. Heth's division
(Gen L. r. Trimble commanding) $50
$50, Col. s. G. Shepard commanding Ar
cher's brigade. No $50 Maj. j. Jones.
commanding Pettigrew's brigade. No
553 Brig. Gen. Joseph r. Davis. 55S
DFlS.-1Cu. JdIlcS II. Lane. N o. DOL COL
w. L. J. Lowrance commanding, Scales
brigade).
(Also, Moore's History of North Caro-
lima. beginning at page 200, with Gen.
Robert e. Lees report. Brig. Gen.
Jas. H. Lanes letter, page 202. Gen l..
II. Tfimbles letter, page 203. JOS II.
Sanders letter, jOr Thirty-third
North Carolina infantry. w. c. Nor
ris, lieutcnant-col Thirty seventh
North Carolina infantry. S. d. Lowe.
colonel-commanding Twenty eighth
North Carolina infantry. e. +. Lovell's
captain Twenty eighth North Carolina
infantry, Thomas l.. Norwood's, captain
Company A. Thirty seventh infantry. j.
Mcleod Turner, lieutenant colonel Sew
enth North Carolina infantry. Maj. j.
6. Har-iss and many others)
From all accounts it appears to have
been Il very curious line of battle. as
Gen. Pickett's division started about 100
yards to the west of the Emmettsburg
road sheltered by a ridge which South
ern troops had occupied the day previous
and about 1000 yards from the enemy's