Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1902-05-28

because General Lees wheel horse
was balky. Had General Longstrse,
obeyed orders and supported the
opening wedge thrust through the
Federal lines on top of Cemetery
Ridge, there would have been . diff.
ferent story to tell. Fit1bugh Lee
says no consummste master of war
like General Lee would have sent q
flying wedge of $4,000 men up an
open terrene of one mile in length,
under the converging fire of the
enemy, to attack 100000, without
giving them any support. The charge
was more brilliant than the stand a,
Thermopylae. 1t wac grsnder than
the sally of the light brigsd. ut Bal
sklsva. IL was nobler than the rush
OF the old guard at Waterloo to save
the fortunes of the waning empire.
Ii was all this, because of the pu rity
of motive, the devotion To duty. and
the stubbornness of purpose, which
characterized it. But il failed of its
purpose.
The plan was to pierce the enemy's
line, cut him in half. threaten one
half with = feiut attack, and in the
meanwhile make q real attack on the
other half; and as the flauking wave
rolled over the enemy's troops, the
whole Confederate reserve would
have come to the rescue, and success
would have ensued. The men of
Pickett's division did their duty aud
did 1t successfully. They planted
their battle flags upon the stone wall
of Cemetery Ridge, but the reserve
force was not there to take AL van tsge
of the success of the irst move.
Owing to I.ongstreet's delay. the
battle was lost, and the cause was
lost, but only from u physical stand
point. But the deeds of those heroic
men will be remembered in song and
story so long as the world stands.
So much for the men who fought
and died for the land they loved, aud
it's cause. Who led them?
Consider Albert Sydney Johnston.
whose reSplendent military genius
and spotlesS private character stood
him in the eyes of friend and foe
alike-a man, 'ssns peur ct sans
reproche."
Consider the debOnnair and lion
hearted Stusrt, who priced his Bible
first, and his tactics next. He fought
With the dash of = Rupert, backed
by the convictions of Hampden.
Consider that thunderbolt of War.
StOnewall Jackson, of whose valorous
deeds the very trees which stand
above US, seem to whisper in the
summer wind. IL was here. in our
Valley, that he drove the enemy
hlther and thither, with such won
derful celebrity and under such impos
sible circumstances, as to make il
seem like the hand Of Providence
itself.
Consider Jubsl Early, who con-
tended for the righteousness of mis-
cause to his dying day, and who was
as brave IN adversely, az he was when
fortune smiled upon him: who was a.
faithful to his trust as he was dan
gerous to his enemies; who lived aud
died . Roman, who never learned the
meaning Of the word "Reconstruc.
ton"
Consider then, with pride the lion
of them all, Robert Edward Lee,
that very knight of very knights,
that hero of heroes, from spur to
plume, the star of chivalry." 1t has
been said of him that he was "a foe
without hate, Il friend without treSch.
cry, a soldier without cruelty, and a
victim without murmurlng. He wa,
. public officer without vices. . pri.
vAte citizen without wrong, a neigh
Dor without reproach, . Christian
without hypocrisy, and = man with.
out guilt. He was Caesar without
bis ambition; Frederick without his
tyrannyi Napoleon without his selfish
ness, and Washington WITHOUT his
reward. He was ss obedient to
authority - servant, and royal in
authorize as = king. He was a.
gentle rs . woman in life, pure and
modest as q virgin in thought
watchful as Roman vestal, submis-
sive to law as Socrates, and grand in
battle as Achilles"
His life was like q benediction and
hiS end like y sunset, whose after
glow will reach down the ages and
cast its kindly light over generations