The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-11-02
THE ASSAULT ON THE TWO ROUND
 TOPS AT GETTYSBURG, JULY 2, 1S6S
(cotlnued from Sixteenth Page)


 other thrown back almost at right an- gles to it. from what is known as the Peach Orchard" in the direction of Lit tie Round Top but not reaching to its base. Sickles, 1t is said, took this posi- tion, in which one of his divisions faced northwest and the other southwest, by mistake; and Meade liked it so little, that he gave orders to abandon it, but before these could be executed the confederate advance had begun and he was compelled to support Sckles in it. Reinforcements from every direction were hurried in to him until, according to Longstreets own later statements he soon had before him | 54, GOO men, so placed, sheltered and con | cealed as to greatly increase their strength, whom he was obliged to fight for the ground which could have been taken six hours earlier by a skirmish | line.
 1 The advance was ordered, and the con- 1 federates undaunted by the danger and | difficulties before them, under the fire of hostile guns, rushed down the declevities of Cemetery Ridge. Hood had farther to; but his greater activity brought him first | in contact with the enemy's line, ex- | tending from the Peach Orchard towards Little Round Top. McLaw. shortly after struck the angle at the Peach Orchard and the right front of Sickles along the | Emmettsburg road, and with aid from 1 Andersons division on his left pushed it. and its supports, back from the projecting ridge where they stood eastward to the foot of Cemetery Ridge, and far up it's l sides towards the top. He maintained himself there until towards night, when such masses gathered against his uncov- cred left. as to require its withdrawal back to the position from which it had driven SiclSles left. This, it continued to | hold until the next day, when without | p1a al ba Emmettsburg road. and there remained until the army fell back.
 Meanwhile. Hood had attacked Sickles' left front Laws Alabama brigade, sup ported by Benning's Georgia brigade, formed his right, while Robertson's Texas brigade, supported by Anderson's Georgia | brigade, stood on his left. In Laws brig ade, beginning on the left the regiments stood in order-44th, 4th filth, 18th and 18th | and thus advanced. After severe fight | ing, the wheatfields and their stone fences l were cleared as far as the Devils Den, l when 1t was found that there was a gap between Sickles left flank and the Round l Tops Into this pushed the filth, 4Sth and 4th Alabama regiments, with the 4th and 9th Texas regiments, which in the shift ing movements of the advance, had got ten into Laws line in the place of the 18th and filth Alabama regiments, which, from some cause, had borne to the right, passed over to the eastern slope or Round Top, and become there heavily engaged. fight ing successfully against great odds, until at last they were compelled, to avoid sur l rounding and capture by overwhelming | numbers, to retire to the western side of Round Top, after advancing farther than any other troops on the field. The two l Texas and three Alabama regiments above mentioned. together moved up the rugged ascent of Little Round Top, driv- ing the enemy before them to its crest.
 While they were thus engaged, the re- mainder of the Texas brigade and the two Georgia brigades of Anderson and