The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1903-07-16

present failed to sec 1t. Pictures, illus
trating this event in which soldiers
punch each other on the nose with one
hand while shooting one another in
the stomach with tha other, though
dramatic. are wanting In accuracy.
Why Pickettis men should have been
unduly impressed, with the supposed
importance of this little affair, ls easily
understood when it is recalled, that
however proficient thsy may have been
in all the lessons Of the drill master,
their experience in the real tug of war
was very limited.
The following Is an extract taken
from the close of letter written by Mr..
w. r. Johnston, of Bel!eview, Pa, IN
which he gives an account Of the loss
in the first days battle OF the two Asgs
OF his regiment-149th Pa.-of Stones
brigade. First corps: "On the third
day, what was left Of our regiment was
on the second line, on the right Of the
Vermont brigade, aud had SPLENDID
chance to zee Pickett advance, until
everything beccne obscured by the
smoke. 1t was splendid sight to see
the advance and a very ENJOYABLE one
to me as felt sure we were going to
get sweet revenge for our sufferings on
the first. often smile when l read
various accounts of the terrible band
to hand encoupter at the stonewall.
About the only difficulty experienced
was to keep from being trampled upon
by the Confederates who were trying
to get to the rear when the Vermonters
swung ou: on their flank"
STRENGTH OF THE ASsAULTING COLUMN.
In estimating the strength Of the
column, no account should be taken
of the brigade which should have held
the extreme lett, as they did their side
more hahn than good. Their conduct
indeed tended to give aid aud comfort
to the enemy and in corresponding
degree to depress their friends. Tie
eight other brigades carried in think
not moro than ten thousand. Forty.
nine hundred for Picketts three brig
AIDES, and ffty-one hundred for the 9TH
ar five. Estimates generally make the
number several thousand more. Short
10 after the battle an order was issued
from headquarters that the slightly
wounded should not be reported on
the casualty list. That is, no man who
could walk, though OF course tor some
time he might We unfit tor duty, was
to be reported. In making estimates
of strength, writer's are apt to overlook
this order. They are told that such
regiment or brigade had for duty on
the day of battle, so many officers and
men. They then find out the number
Of killed, wounded or captured in the
battle. They take one number from
the other and the remainder they think
should he the number to respond to
the roll call next day, and just here
they make a very great mistake, fer
only about forty per cent. of that num-
ber would report for duty. OF course,
ordinarily, few OF the unreported
wounded would answer to their names
Then, too, after severe battle, there
would be certain number who would
for few days be 80 demoralIzed that
were another fight iminent they would
either feign sickness or straggls of
Then there ls another Glars, men
brave as the bravest but with such q
temperament that when the reaction
comes on after the nervous strain ti
battle they are really sick aud unfit tor
duty.
THE EVIL GENIUS OF THE CONFEDERACY.
General Longstreet has said that In
the great war We had too much Wiz
glnia. We unquestionably had too
much Richmond. The editor OF the
Richmond Examiner, a man ot bril-
liant theories but unsound judgment, +,
was probably moro responsible for the
death of the Confederacy than any
other one man. He was the manu-
facturer OF public opinion on nearly
every subject for the whole South
along with many other vagsries he il
believed to have been responsible for
Whist has been styled the Hood Idea. I"
This idea, both in the seven days battles
and on the second day at CHANCELLOR
vile came much nearer wrecking the
arwy of Northern Virginia than is gen.
orally supposed, ana it did its work Of
fectually with the western army at
Franklin. Even after General Jack
sons death if his style of fighting-to
90 place his command that the enemy
would be forced to attack him--been
more popular with all our commanders
it is almost certain that IN spite oi all
the odds ag1lnet ue, Southern irde-