Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1902-08-01
'PlCKETTS CHARGE
AT GETTYSBURG.
The Gallant Officers Widow Describes
the Scene.

draws, near. OOOu surFlEOTS anu HILL
tary experts will be fighting the battles
over again.
To-day the forest of monuments, the
most beautiful in the world, covers the
miles of battlefield. overlooking a vast
panorama of landscape, where Ameri-
can history began new chapter for
free Government.
Mrs. La Sale Corbell Pickett, widow
of General Pickett, the hero of Pick
ett's charge at Gettysburg. when re-
quested to make brief statement of
her husbands beroism in connection
with that memorable charge, said:
II have written a book about Gen
eral Pickett and his men, and | do not
think l can improve on what 1 said in
the chapter on The Third Day at Get
tysburg.''
The final charge was described by
Mrs. Pickett thus:
"Dauntlessly Picketts men pressed
forward, the grandest column of heroes
that ever made a battlefield glorious.
They reached the post and rail fence,
upon the other side of which, and par
allel to it, an ordinary dirt road ran
straight through the field across which
they were advancing.
THE fence was but a momentary
obstruction. It was but the work of
few seconds to climb over it into the
road, while a hundred blazing cannon
poured death dealing missiles into their
devoted ranks.
"Now and here was given to the world
the grandest exhibition of discipline
and endurance, of GOODNESS and cour-
age under whitening fire, ever record
ed In military history-a scene which
has made the story of Pickett 5 charge
the glory of American arms. There
in the road with the deafening explO-
sion of unnumbered shells filling the
air, their ranks plowed through and
through again and again by the fiery
hailwhich the batteries from the heights
beyond were pouring into them, amid
all this terrific roar and the not less
cries of the wounded and
ying, they heard the command of their
company officers: Halt, men! Form
line Fall in Right dress =
"Now they broke forward into a
double-q quick, while canister and grape
whirred and whizzed through the air.
On, on they rushed toward the stone
wall where the Federal batteries were
pouring forth their deadly missiles. A
hundred yards away their flanking force
came down on a run, halted suddenly
and fired into their line deadly storm
of musketry. Under this cross fire
they reeled and staggered between fall
ing comrades, and the right came
pressing down upon the centre max
ing the line at the point twenty to rhir-
ty deep. A few. unable to resist tenn
without orders, faced the en-
emy on their right, though the latter
were sixty to one.
"The fighting was terrific. Muskets
seemed to cross. Men fired to the right
and to the front. The fighting was
hand -to.hand. The firing was into
the enemy's faces.
THE Federals in front fell behind
their guns to let them belch forth their
grape and canister into the oncoming
ranks, piling up the dead and wound
ed almost in touch of them. When
within few feet of the stone wall the
artillery delivered their last fire from
the guns shotted to the muzzle.
"Victory was within their grasp.
Alas where were the promised sup
ports Worn and exhausted by the
tension of the bloody fighting of the
day before. in which they had suffered
terribly, their leaders dead or wound
ed, they had crumbled away under the
deadly hail of the artillery fire.
"Of the 5000 who had followed
where the flash of Pickett's sword lit
the way to glorious victory. OF not less
glorious defeat, $500 had gone down to
the soldiers triumphant death, to live
forever in our hearts and on the fame
crowned pages of their country's his
tory"
GEN, SICKLES ON THE CHARGE.
Of Pickett's famous charge, Gen.
Sickles writes for the Republic:
''What IS commonly called 'Pickett's
CHARGE July Sd, 1868, at Gettysburg,
was really an assault made by General
Longstreet's command by order of
General Lee. The troops engaged con-
sisted of Pickett's Division of Virgin
ians, of Longstreet g Corps and Heth g
Division of Hills Corps, under the
command of General Pettigrew, Hill
having been wounded on July 1st.
Longstreet had no confidence in
the success of his assa ult, and while
discussing the plan with General Lee
expressed the opinion that fifteen
thousand men who could make sue
cessful assault over that field had new
er yet been arrayed in BATTLE Never
theess, the assault was a brilliant feat
of arms, seldom, if ever, surpassed on
any battlefield. 1t was witnessed by
more than $50, 900 combatants belong
ing to the armies. 1t was overturned
by one of the most terrific cannOnades
on both sides ever heard on any battle
field. Over 22O guns were in action -
Since the battle of Crecy so many can
non had never been engaged at once on
any battlefield of the world.
''It was an epoch In the annals of
war. No soldier had heard its like be-
fore. The cannonade did little harm
on either side. Notwithstanding the
E