The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1901-10-10
PICKETT OR PETTIGREW?
(Continued from first par,1

fotomac! Inc Army Oh the Potomac.
broke and fed
As after the battle the Virginia Divi-
sion had the guarding of several thousand
Federal prisoners, captured by Caro-
iinians and Georgians, they are probably
responsible for this statement.
But to return to the fight of the first
day. The Honorable Joseph Davis, then
Captain in the 47th, late Supreme Court
Judge of North Carolina. speaking of this
all on the Confederate side, and | aver
that this was greatly, if not chiefly, due
to Pettigrew's Brigade and its brave com
mander. The bearing of that knightly
soldier and elegant scholar as he galloped
along the lines in the hottest of the fight
cheering on his men, cannot be effaced
from my memory"
staff officer of this division, says: mo
troops could have fought better than did
Pettigrews Brigade on this day, and |
will testify on the experience of many
hard-fought battles that l never saw any
hight so well" Davis's Brigade consisted
Of the 55th N. G. and the I'd, H..
AID Miss. The 18th was on detached
also faced splendid troops. Here, too,
was square standup fight in the open.
During the battle these three had, be-
sides the usual proportion of wounded,
las killed. Only two dead men were lack
ing to these three regiments to make their
loss equal to that of ten regiments of
Picketts magnificent Virginians."
Cutters Brigade, composed of one
Pennsylvania and four New York regi-
ments, was opposed to that of Davis, and
Its loss this day was 602 killed and
wounded and 1863 missing, and many of
the missing were subsequently found to
have been killed or severely wounded.
With varying success these two brigades
fought all the morning The FederaIs
finally gave way; but three of their regi-
ments, after retreating for some distance
took up new line. Two of them left the
field and went to town, as the day was
hot and the fire hotter. 1t is said they
visited Gettysburg to get little ice wa
ter. However that may be, they soon re-
turned and fought well till their whole
line gave way.
The ground on which these troops
fought lay north Of the railroad cut and
was several hundred yards from where
Pettigrew's Brigade was engaged with
Meredith's and Biddle's. As Rodes's Di-
vision began to appear upon the field
Davis Brigade was removed to the
south side of the cut and placed in front
OF Stones Pennsylvania Brigade (which,
having just arrived, had filed the interval
between Cutler and Meredith, but did no
more fighting that day. After securing
ammunition it followed the front line to
the town. Had the interval between
Daniels and Scales's been filed by
Thomas's, which was held in reserve,
neither of these Carolina brigades would
have suffered so severely. The I'd and
42d Miss. and 55th n. G.. of Dayis's for
the battle had 695 kilt! and wounded,
and about two-thirds of this occurred in
this first days fight.
TO illustrate the individual gallantry of
these troops, l will relate an adventure
which came under my observation. 1t
must be borne in mind that this brigade
had been doing fierce and bloody fighting
since y O'Clock, and at this time not only
its numerical loss but its percentage of
killed and wounded was greater than that
which Pickett's troops had to submit to
two days later, and that it was then wait
ing to be relieved. Early in the afternoon
of this day my division (ltodes's) arrived
upon the field by the Carlisle road and at
once went into action. Ny brigade
tDanielsD was on the right and after do
ing some sharp fighting, we came in sight
OF Heth's line, which was lying at right
angles to ours as we approached. The
direction of our right regiments had to be
in order that we might move in
front of their left brigade, which was
Davis's.
The Union line, or lines, for my i'm
preston is there were two or more of
them, were also lying in the open field, |
the interval between the opposing lines |
being about 300 yards. Half way between |
these lines was another, which ran by |
a house. This line was made of dead and |
wounded Federals, who lay las thick as |
autumnal leaves which strew the brooks |
in Yallambrosa."
1t was about here that the incident oc-
CURED. Pennsylvania regiment, of |
Stones Brigade, had then two flags
State and NatiOnal-with their guard a |
short distance in front of them One of |
these colors Serg't Frank Price, of the
Ed Miss, and half u dozen of his COM
rades determined to capture. Moving on
hands and knees till they had nearly
reached the desired object, they sudden
y rose, charged and overcame the guard,
captured the flag and were rapidly max
ng off with it, when its owners fired upon
hem. All were struck down but the Ser
seant, and as he was making for the
house above referred to, IA young staff
'fiicer of my command, having carried
some message to Heth's people, was re-
by a short cut between the
ines, and seeing man with strange
lag, without noticing his uniform. he
hought he, too, would get little glory
'long with some bunting. Dismounting
lmong the dead and wounded, he picked
Up and fired several muskets at Price;
tut was fortunate enough to miss him.
Serg't Price survived the war. His
lome was in Carrollton, Miss Recently
he information came from one of his
IONS, namesake of the writer that his
gallant father was no more; he had cross
ID the river and was resting under the
hade of the trees. The parents of Mr..
rice were natives of the old North State.
Does any one who has made study of
'ickett's magnificent DIVISION" suppose
hat even on the morning of the 9Th, when
My 800 of the nearly or quite 5000 who
lad engaged in battle reported for duty.
ad and depressed as they were, it could
ave furnished heroes like Price and his
companions for such an undertaking, as,
n spite of friends and foes, was success
ully accomplished? Gen. Davis SAYS
hat every field officer in his brigade was
ither killed or wounded. My old class
nate. Maj. John Jones, was the only one
eft in the North Carolina Brigade, and
lie. was killed in the next Springs CAM
align.
(TO be continued)