The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1903-09-17
euerrillos and had killed three more OF

guerrillas and had killed three more OF
them. One day our company came
suddenly on superior force of the
enemy a:sd the order was to retreat.
Some Of the men took TO the woods,
however, and rallying some Of their
old neighbOrs serving in other compan.
les ambushed the rebels and drove
them back. As they put it, they were
in the service to fight the rebels, and
II they couldn't do it one way they
would another. Many men CT this
character were in Wolford's First KeIi-
lucky Cavalry, and were notorious for
their disposition to scatter over the
country on a march,"
Responsibility for Pickett's Charge.
General Gordon" said the doctor,
''has written of Gettysburg in gen.
erous. fair-minded spirit, but has given
new life to old controversies. No man
can write of Lee at Gettysburg with
out seeming to take sides for or
against Longstreet, and to side with
Longstreet on disputed points is to be
against Lee. All Confederates who
have written of Pickett's charge admit
that, made as it was, late in the day.
1t was mistake. Longstreet's friends
insist that the responsibility for the
mistake rests wholly with Lee, while
Lees champions contend that the mis-
take was LOngstreet's, in that he did
not make the charge early in the day,
as planned by Lee, when it would
have been part of general movement,
instead Of an Independent assault.
Il lived in Virginia for twenty-five
years after the close of the war, and
had as neighbors a good many men
who were in the divisions of Pickett
and Pettigrew at Gettysburg. They
were in the habit of meeting for what
they called graveyard talks-that is,
for confidential conversations about
the fighting at Gettysburg and of 9TH
er battles and about the mistakes Of
the commanders under whom they
served. Naturally the most of the Vir-
ginians were champions of Lee, but
some Of them stood by LOngstreet in
his contention that Pickett's charge
should never have been made. and
that Lee himself came to regard it as
a blundeH.
"As these graveyard talks were to
he held sacred during the lifetime Of
the takers, there was astonishing free
dom in expressing opinions. As all
the men, with one exception, are now
dead, it seems not inappropriate to re-
fer to the spirit of their conversations.
Some of them insisted that Longstreet
had a motive In carrying out Lees
order as to Pickett's charge. He
knew it would fail, and he wanted to
fix the responsibility Of failure on Lee.
One man told the story of how Long
street hesitated at the last moment to
order the men forward. Pickett rode
to LOngstreet and asked for instruc
tiOns. Longstreet said not a word.
Then Pickett asked: Has the time
come to move forward? And Long
street, without speaking, bowed his
head. Thereupon Pickett turned his
horse, saluted, and, saying: I shall
lead the division forward rode away
Another man who held an impor-
tant command at Gettysburg said he
was q witness to a scene not in keep
ing with the above. Pickett was ly.
ing down in a fence corner in the IA
nous peach orchard when General
Armistead, commanding one of his
brigades, rode up, saluted and said:
General, my brigade is formed ready
for an advance. What are your or
dersY Pickett raised his head, and,
resting on his right elbow, looked up
into Armistead's face in dazed way,
but said nothing. Armistead waited
moment. and then, turning impa-
tiently, said: I lead my men in the
charge
"This officer left open the inference
that Pickett. no more than Longstreet,
approved the order to charge. and that.
like Longstreet, he hesitated to speak
the words that would send so many
of his men to certain death. At all
events, Armistead led the charge and
rode squarely against the Union
breastwOrks before he was killed
Pickett, according to his men, made no
comment on the charge. Longstreet
made no secret of his. distress, and Lee
said to Longstreet and to the men
who were driven back that the fault
was his. The Virginians claimed all
the hOnors Of the desperate, magnifi-
cent charge, while the Alabamians and
Tennesseeans insisted that they played
as conspicuous part in the charge
as the Virginians. All the graveyard
takers inclined to the opinion that
after the order for the charge had
been issued no one cared to ask its
suspension. Inter Ocean.
Effect of q Brave Example.
At the battle of Chickamauga a
charge Of the enemy broke General
Palmer's ranks and separated several
of his regiments in great confusion.
One of the retiring regiments was the
Sixth Ohio, which. in charge Of Gen