St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1902-05-28

they Qecl1tQ TO invade the nOrln. mar
risburgh was the city they planned to
capture, for they reasoned that they
would then be able to go on to Philadel-
phia and take Washington and end the
war. Gen. Lee moved down the Shenan-
doah Valley and felt that the intervening
mountain wall would be a strong de-
tense to protect him; then he obtained
food or money from the towns through
which he passed, or he would reduce
them to ashes, and thus he procured sub
sistence for his troops. Gen. Early on
June &c, demanded $4,000 in cash from
Gettysburg, and provisions, but they
were informed they could not get them.
Gen. Lee was surprised to learn that Gen.
Stuart and his 10000 cavalry had not
kept back the Union army but they were
in pursuit of him so he had to give up his
attack on Harrisburg and prepare tor a
contest near Gettysburg. Gen. Hooker
sent word to Gen. Hall ok that he must
have the Union troops at Harper's Ferry.
He said if cannot have them send on
my successor, and June % Gen. Meade
successor. Gen. Buford aud cavalry
were sent out on the Chambersburg road
to find the enemy; neither army realized
the presence of the other, nor dreamed OF
the close proximity, until scout brought
the news. AS Washington is II miles
from Gettysburg, it was important to
keep the Union forces between the enemy
and that city. The Lutheran Seminary
was the headquarters oil Gen. But0rd;
Gen. Reynolds found the enemy were
there in force and had the troops placed
in line early in the morning Of July LIST.
About 10 a. m. Gen. Reynolds was killed.
The first day IS battle was called victory
for the COnfederates and was north and
west of the town, while the second days
was south, aud the third days was
Union victory. 1t was remarkable that
only one citizen, Miss Jennie Wade, while
making out bread was killed by stray
bullet and monument has been erected
to her memory. The two armies were
stationed on the two opposite ridges
and fired over the town.
In looking up beyond Cemetery hill, a
lady from Caledonia county exclaimed,
Look there is Roy's mountain in
Barnet" Eyes, replied the other, what
a strong resemblance" Wooded to the
summit rises Big Round TOP, and this
side OF it is Little Round Top, while
DEVILS Den, a wild rocky ravine, piled up
with great bouders, weighing tons shell
tered with trees and bushes, afforded the
contederates a retreat between the two
elevations. When the battle was tiercest
at the peach orchard and wheat field the
second day, Gen. Warren, chief of engi-
neers, rode up Little Round Top and see
ing Hoods division moving to the right,
realized the Importance of this place.
Vincent's brigade was detached and
brought up to defend it; other brigades
were hurried up to assist, among them
the l 4th New York and the Goth Maine
regiments, while the enemy concealed in
DEVILS Den picked off officers of the Union
army. Previous to this it was said that
one OF the charges was so desperate that
from the Louisiana Tigers, composed OF
1850 men, only $50 returned. Many in
stances were given, stating the result of
the fierce onslaught. The second dav
closed with the rebels defeated on the
Union left, but not on the right. So the
question, Should the Union army re
treat to Winchester? Gtn. Hancock de
clared there had been too many retreats
OF our forces. We must stay and fight it
out to the end, and they did.
After leaving Little Round Top, we
made our third stop at the Bloody Angle.
AS Lee had failed in his attack on both
TANKS of the Union army, he was obliged
either TO retreat or attack the center
and as Plckett's men, the flower Of Vir.
gina, had not been engaged, they de.
clded to make this last supreme effort in
grand charge and at p. m. the signal
gun opened the battle for lis guns were
fired on Gen. Hancock's command to
break up the lines preparatory for
Pckett's charge, but so guns of the
Union army replied for two hours. At
p. m. Gen. Hunt ordered the Union artiI-
lery to cease firing, to cool the guns, and
this deceived the enemy for they thought
the batteries had been silenced. Then
Pickett moved forward on his famous
charge to break the left center of the
line, which stood ready to greet them
with shot, shell and canister. The dis
lance from the woods was one and one.
half miles, but they came bravely on,
until half way across, the Union guns
opened fire, but still through the terrible
deadly fire they moved steadily on, filling
up the gaps until blinded by smoke.
They became separated, in making half
wheel to reach the copse of trees at the
Angle, and then Cen Hancock ordered
Gen. STANDARDS Vermont brigade to
move into that vacant space and the
Vermont soldiers charged the front of
the rear rank under fire, an exceedingly
difficult thing to do, and captured more
men, said the guide, than they had
soldiers in their regiment. 1t is no Won
der that this is called the high-water
mark of the great battle.
We noticed Senator Dillingham; and
party listening with much interest to the
lecture while a rebel captain, who was in
the battle, stood directly in front of the
lecturer, following closely his statements,
and union and confederate soldiers and
officers seemed equally interested in the
account. Most probably there were
nearly all of the states in the union rep
resented in that company of 400. All
realized that it was terrible carnage
and a great victory; for slavery was to
be blotted out of this land.
In visiting the national cemetery, and
pasus1ng before the soldiers monument,
with the statue of the goddess
OF liberty. we could but recall the closing
words of Lincoln's noted speech at the
dedication of the ground, Nov. 10, 1868.
That we here highly resolve that these
dead shall not have died in vain; that
this nation, under God, shall have a new