The National tribune., 1901-10-03

"
out by Gen. Stannard against it. A Fed
eral account says: THE Confederate line
is almost up to the grove in front of Rob
inson's. 1t has reached the clump OF
scrub-oaks. 1t has drifted past the Yer
mont boys. They move upon the run up
to the breastworks of rails, bearing Han
cocks line to the top of the ridge-so pow
erful their momentum.
Men fire into each others faces not
five feet apart There are bayonet
thrusts, saber strokes, pistol shots, cool,
deliberate movements on the part of some;
hot, passionate, desperate efforts on the
part of others; hand-to-hand contests;
recklessness of life, tenacity of purpose,
fiery determination, oaths, yells, curses,
hurrahs, shoutings. The Confederates
have swept past the Vermont regiments.
take them on the TANKS, says Stannard.
The 18th and 18th VT. swing out from
their trench line. They move forward
and pour a deadly volley into the backs
of Kemper's troops. With a hurrah
they rush on to drive home the bayonets-
Other regiments close upon the foe. Inc
Confederate column has lost its power:
The lines wayer. Thousands of
Confederates throw down their arms and
give themselves up as prisoners.
Another Federal account of hemper S
attack says:
up to the rifie-pits, across them, over
the barricadeS-the momentum of the
charge swept on. Our thin line could
fight, but it had not weight enough to
resist this momentum. 1t was pushed be-
hind the guns. Right on came the en-
envy. They were upon the guns-were
bayonetting the gunners-were waving
their flags above our pieces. But they
had penetrated to the fatal point. a
storm of grape and canister tore its way
from man to man and marked Its way
with corpses straight down its line. They
10 hn
fire of the guns on the western slope OF
Cemetery Hill. That exposure sealed
their fate.
"The line reeled back, disjointed az
ready, in an instant in fragments. Our
men were Just behind the guns. They
leaped forward in disordered mass. But
there was little need of fighting now. A
regiment threw down its arms and with
colors at its head rushed over and surren.
dered. All along the field attachments did
the same Over the field the escaped
fragments of the charging line fell back.
the battle there was over. A single brl-
gade, Harrow's, came out with loss OF
Ia oftcers and 1893 men. So the whole
corps fought-so, too, they fought farther
down the line"
CONFEDERATE FLAGS WITHIN THE WORKS.
Col Fry, who SO CALAMITY led Archer's
Brigade says: Il heard Garnett give
be called out, I am dressing on you! A
few seconds later he fell dead. A mo-
ment later a shot through my thigh pros
trated me. The smoke soon became SO
dense that l could see but little of what
was going on before me. A moment later
/ heard Gen. Pettigrew calling to rally
them on the left. All of the i've Iegl-
mental colors of my command reached the
line of the enemy's works and many OF
my men and officers were killed after
passing over it." Col. Shepherd, who
succeeded Fry in command, said in his Of
fetal report that every flag in Archer's
Brigade except one was captured at or
within the works of the enemy"
Scales's Brigade closely following Ar
chers dashed up to the projecting wall
and planted their battle-flags upon the en-
emy's breastworks. Pettigrew's and the
left of Archer's had surged forward be-
yond the projecting wall, and had firmly
established themselves along the retired
portion of the wall. Gen. Bachelor, of
the Federal army, who thoroughly studied
the field for days before the battle, than
whom no one knew so well the details of
that affair, says: "The left of the col
umn continued TO move on toward the
second wall threatening the right and
rear of Gibbons Division, which held the
advanced line. Gen. Webb, whose bril-
gade was on the right lin the projection,
had hurried back to bring up his right
reserve regiment from the second line.
But before this could be accomplished the
first line broke under the tremendous pres
sure which threatened its front and flank,
and fell back upon the reserve" Thus
while Garnett was struggling for the pos
session of the stone wall on the Confed-
crate right and Kemper was engaged
with Harrow and Hall still farther to the
right, seeking unsuccessfully to penetrate
into the enemy's line and turn the left
Ez ~ha adv Af Oft
command beyond the projecting wall, TAX
ing Webb's exposed brigade on the right
flank, caused it to give back from the wall
and yield that part of the projection to
the regiments of Archer and Scales that
pressed them in front. Capt. Mcintyre,
Acting Adjutant,Gen of Scales's Bri-
gade, says: My brigade, or q larger
part Of It, went inside Of the enemy's
works"
Capt. GuerraSt, acting as Brigade In
spector, says that "Scales's Brigade en-
tered the breastworks and remained in
possession until driven cut by the en-
envy advancing on their TANKS" Maj.
Engelhard, the gallant Adjutant- General
of the two brigades of Pender's Division,
commanded by Trimble, says: 1.-The point
at which the troops with me struck the
enemy's works projected farthest TO the
front. / recollect well, my horse having
been shot, / leaned my elbow upon one
! watched with painful anxiety the fight
upon Pickett's right, for upon its sue
cess depended the tenableness Of our po-
6ition.
Surrounding me were the soldiers Of
Pender's, Heths and Pickett's Divisions,
and it required all the resources at my
command TO prevent their following en-
masse the retreating enemy, and some did
20 so far that when we were compelled
TO withdraw, they were unable to reach
our lines, the enemy closing in from the
right and left. We remained in quiet and
undisputed possession of the enemy's
works, the men, flushed with victory,
eager TO press forward.
But when the right of Pickett's Di-
vision was compelled by the Overpower-
ing attack upon its right flank TO give
way, there was nothing left for us to do
but to surrender ourselves prisoners or
withdraw in confusion before the con-
yerging lines of the enemy, those in our
Immediate front not having rallied"
PETTIGREw's NORTH CARoLINIANs.
The retired wall in front of Pettigrew's
North Carolina Brigade was higher and
stronger than at the projection, and along
fence.
Hays's Division chung TO the wall with
great pertnRcity, and the second line,
protected by the high crest of the ridge,
commanded it completely, while Towards
fresh artillery on the slope of Cemetery
Hill swept the front with an enfilading
fire. But while it was impracticable for
any troops TO carry it by assault, the Con.
Odd