The National tribune., 1901-09-26

Meade's Chief of Artillery, finding it I'M
safe to move up new supplies, and antici
pating that the assault would be made or
the center, conceived it we'll to husband his
resources and ordered the fire to slacken
and so unexpectedly the embarrassing diff
Guilty of the Confederate situation van
| ished.
A SUPERB BATTLE SCENE.
Immediately the order to advance was
given along the whole line, and some II,
900 veterans, with alacrity and high ella
ton, moved forward over the crests that
had sheltered them, and passed down the
slopes of Seminary Ridge, their bright
guns cleaning in the monday sun and
their innumerable battle flags flying in the
breeze, making as fine a pageant as was
ever seen on any field of battle. They
moved in quick time and with admirable
precision, as if on some gala day parade
1t was q glorious spectacle, evoking adj
miration from foe and friend alike, and
being the theme of unstjnted praise from
every one who witnessed it.
But hardly had the line reached the
downward slope of that extensive valley
when the Federal batteries were again
Embossed and the carnival of death began.
Though stormed at with shot and shell,
it moved steadily on, and even when
grape and canister and musket balls be
gan to rain upon it, the gaps were quickly
closed and the alignment preserved"
The line of gray, a full mile in length,
with its second line following at easy dis
lance, marched indeed in fine style down
that valley of death, reckless of peril and
animated with that soldierly zeal and con-
idence which had ever inspired the troops
of Lee when moving III the immediate
presence OF that trusted commander.
the valley the clump of trees which gave
him direction bore far to the left, and soon
reaching the ridge on which the Turnpike
ran, he wheeled to the left and moved up
toward Cohorts house. BY this move
ment he presented his flank to the bat
teries posted on Little Round Top and re-
ceived a severe entilading fire, while Gen.
Stannard, whose division was in his i'm
mediate front, threw out two Vermont
regiments to contest the ground with him.
But Col. Alexander had himself hastily
followed with a battery of artillery and
opened on this force with spirit, in a meas
ure dispensing it and neutraliZing its
power for serious work. But still it could
not be entirely driven off, and when KEN
per, on the extreme right, having passed
to the east of Cohorts house, moved by
the left flank to close up with Garrett S
Brigade, the Vermonters also moved by
the flank to keep pace with him, and con
tinued to annoy him. As the line ad-
yanced there doomed up in the distance the
works it was to assault.
Immediately in front Of Archer's Bri-
gade and PIcketts left lay the projecting
stone wall standing out into the valley,
and held by Webb's Brigade of Gibbons
Division; and opposite the Confederate
left was the retired wall held by Hays's
Division, with Smyth's Brigade toward
ha Tory rip ha-
tween that and Webb. South of the pro-
lection Halls and Harrows Brigades con-
tinued the Federal line, behind breast
works of rails covered with earth and
ritie-pits and shallow trenches in their
front. Farther on were STANDARDS and
other brigades of Doubleday's Division.
On the crest of the hill, few yards be-
hind the line of works, was thickly
massed the artillery. Skirmishers lay out
several hundred yards in front in the
clover and grass, while a first line of in
fantry held a strong fence along the pike
in front of Hays and a low stone wall
farther down the valley, and lay con-
cealed in the grass in the intervening
space. AT the stone wall and breast
works was a second line in readiness to
receive the attack, while behind the ar
tillery, some 80 PAGES off, was still an
other, occupying higher ground and pro-
tected by the backbone of the ridge, and
farther off on the TANKS were heavy
masses of infantry ready to be concen-
trated if need be.
As the Confederate line moved forward
in constant sight, momentarily drawing
nearer to the point of attack, all was ex-
pectation and anxiety along the Federal
front. The heavy artillery fire of the Con-
federates had ceased and the demoraliza-
ton incident to it rapidly gave place to a
feeling OF reinsurance and determination.
While it had destroyed the two batteries
in the rear Of Webb, leaving only one
place that could be worked, the guns in
rear of Hays's Division were in better
condition, and Towards fresh battery had
been brought up and posted on the slope
of Cemetery Hill. And SO it happened