The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-09-22
NORTH CAROLINA
AT GETTYSBURG
CONTINUED from Page Nine.)

more to the left, whereupon Stannard
wheeled those two regiments to the right
and struck Kemper's right flank, infict-
ing severe losses in killed and wounded
and capturing over 200 men, General
Kemper also fell desperately wounded
about this time IS yards from the Union
works; but his brigade, though mucn
disorganized by it's losses, especially OF
officers, pushed on until it reached the
stone fence or wall behind which was the
Union front line, just west OF the copse
of trees heretofore mentioned as the
guide point for Pickett's division. Gar
nett's brigade, though suffering fearful
losses. also pushed on to the stone wall.
General Garnett himself falling dead
from his saddle % yards west OF 1T. Pet
tigrew and his division, with heavy losses
and himself painfully wounded had kept
on line with the brigades OF kemper
and Garnett and reached the stone wall
at the same time: but this stone wall,
as has been previously stated, turns
souarely eastward near the point reach
ed by Garnett's left and Pettigrew's
right, forming what is known as Ihe
ANGLE and after running so yards in
that direction turns again and runs
northwa-d to the Bryan Barn near the
left OF the Confederate front line. 1t is
not amiss to state that this last-mention-
ed section of the wall is much higher
than the section running from the Angle
southwark, the latter being about three
feet high and the other five feet, coming
up to ones chin on it's western side. The
wall is there still. preserved just as it
was in 1868 for the inspection of WISH
tors. Behind this wall and close to it
from it's last turn northward was dou-
BILE line of Union infantry composed OF
Webb's right regiment AMI Smyth's and
Wizards brigades. There were also two
Union lines from the Angle southwark,
but only one of them was near the wall
and the other was so yards to the east
of it..
AS already intimated, Kemper's and
Garnett's brigades and Pettigrew's divi-
sion when they reached the Angle were
greatly weakened and almost disorgan-
lied by their heavy losses of men and
officers Their ranks on Garnett's left
and Pettigrew's right had also become
much intermingled from the, crowdipg to-
gether of their tanks during the advance,
by reason of their different understand
ing. heretofore alluded to, as to how
their march was to be guided. After
crossing the Emmitsburg road, Archer's
small brigade had been almost absorbed
by the left of Garrett and the right OF
Pettigrews North Carolina brigade.
1t was but few minutes after the
weakened front line reached the Angle
when the brigades of Ar1nistead. Scales
and Lane rushed forward and mingled
with it. And now we come to the last
act Of the great tragedy which only an
inspired pencil could worthily paint.
Armistead sprang on the wall with his
hat on the point of his sword. called to
his men to follow. and leaping down
on the other side, pushed forward toward
Cushing.s battery He was followed by
two or three hundred Virginians, num-
Der of Archer's Tennesseeans and Ala
bamians, and few of Pettigrews North
Carolinians. Judge Joseph J. Davis, OF
blessed memory, was one Of them; so he
told me years ago. Some Confederate
flags were planted on the wall and few
beyond it within the Union lines. but
only for very short time. General
Armistead soon fell mortally wounded
just 40 steps east of the wall. The spot
is marked with memorial stone. A
number of the men who followed him
over the wall were killed, most OF them
were captured, but few made good their
escape. Among them was Captain +. s.
Harris, of the eth Tennessee regiment,
Archer's brigade, who has shown me the
spot where he was knocked down but
rose again and made off and, for Won
der, got clear away. Armistead sent his
watch, purse, and some keep-sakes to
his old comrade, General Hancock, to be
forwarded to his family, and then passed
''over the river to rest under the shade
of the trees
And while Armistead and his heroic
followers were over in the Angle, where
were Pettigrew's and Trimble's thinned
but gallant battalions? They were maxi
ing a desperate effort to storm the high
stone wall so yards east. of the Angle
and were being moved down like grain
before the reaper by the double line OF
infantry behind that wall. few men
reached it, but finding it too high to
leap over could do nothing but surren-
der Others made near approach to it
but found their ranks SO thinned that
further effort was plainly useless. The
larger proportion. both of officers and
men, were stretched upon the ground
killed or disabled about half way between
the Angle and the stone wall. General
Trimble, Colonel Marshall and Colonel
Fry were wounded and made prisoners
General Pettigrew had his horse killed
under him. Brockenbrough's brigade
weak in numbers and few companies
on the left of Davis brigade forming the
Confederate line north of the Bryan Barn,
had been from tho first vigorously as
sailed by hankers, as has been already
mentioned and when they were charging
on the Union line posted there on a
high enbankment, the 126th New York
regiment was wheeled to it's left and
thrown upon their flank inflicting heavy
losses, and terrific fire from the line OF
infantry in their front and storm OF
grape and canister from Woodruff's Bat
terry soon cut them to pieces and render
ed further efforts hopeless. The defeat
ed Confederates fell back shattered and
disorganized across the fields over which
they had advanced so CALAMITY anG
proudly and the famous assault was over.
1 have not mentioned Wilcox's Alaba-
ma. and Perrys Florida, brigades because
they in fact, and without any fault of
theirs really had no part in the assault.