The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-01-17

u
thai, tlss two days combined, Is noted.
Iu. tie number Of killed, and the gem
era, tenor or the report clearly indicates
TINT quito half Of his total loss occurred
on tho first day. With Lane IT was
otherwisc--le reports his loss the first
dn, as sight Now, as to PettigreW'
That general having been killed, the re-
port Of Gettysburg IS made by Major
j. Jones' He says of the first day.
1.-THE Twenty-siSth regiment lost more
than half its mon killed and wounded.
.*. Colonel Lcventhorpe and Major
Ross, Of the Eleventh, wero lost, with
MANY officers aud men," Following this
report is u letter from Captain Young,
Of the Twenty sixth, to Governor vance,
y riting Of that regiment:
I'VE went In (the first day. with over
500 mon and there came out ZIG, all told.
unhurt. General Heth says: "rhe
Twenty-sixth North Carolina Regiment
lost in this action (the first day. moro
than half Its numbers killed and wound
ed. The Tifty-second and Forty-sevcnth
suffered much less than the Eleventh
and Twenty-slxth.'' These reports are
not exact Of the first days losses. but
they certainly lead to the assumption
that more than half Of tho total Of the
casualties given In the tnbulated list OF
the two days for the brigudes of Scales
and Pettigrew occurred on tho first
day, and that consequently the three
North Carolina brigades did not lose
moro on the third day than the three
Virginia brlgndes.
TERRIBLE SIGNIFICANCE.
But this is not all the light on this
point Captain Ashc notes the ''cap-
turo', Of 1,499 of the three Virginia bril-
gudes 1t would seem that the most
casual reading Of this happening, on an
open field, would discern here hidden
and terrible significance, glimpse OF
the truth is furnished In remark at
the head Of the Confederate casualty
lies o. 0Ss, serial No, A. War Of the
Rebellion Record which reads that
''several Of the reports indicate that
many of the missing we're killed or
with Rickett's division" General Long
street says In note to his report, con-
cerning Pickett's dlvision only they
that are known to he killed and wounded
are so reported. Many of the missing
arc supposed to be killed or wounded"
This Inference can doubtless BIO nbun-
dainty substantiated, as 1t should DO,
and systema tIcally, by survivors OF the
commands For instances; The tabulated
return shows that the Eighth virginia
Regiment Of Garnetts brigade lost only
SIN men and officers killed. This was
mentioned recently to the writer by all
officer Of that regiment, who was wounds
ed In the famouT=charge, He saldi.
why will name three Of our cap
tulns and as many lieutenants who We're
, killed." which lie did.
Now as TO the. ,osscs IN proportion to
strength Of these commands Captain
Ashe states that Pettgrews Brigade was
about 100 strong. The brigade had
Joined tho army III the Gettysburg cam
paign from North Carolina. and. unde-
pleted by the previous battles Of the
Army of Northern Virginia. Its "effect-
I've force''4 is given In a letter from Gem
eral Lee to General p. II. EIill-page Sb5.
,, serial No 49,. ar 4 Rebellion Records
with that OF Daniels, at 0Sl4. In q pre-
| vlous letter Daniels strength is given at
1900. This would leave a,SA for Petit.
grew. But as one regiment of five had
been left behind. a strength of about $500
or 1900 Is indicated, or near as many as
| two of the Virginia brigades. and quite q
third larger than Davis, This estimate
is sustained by the reference above from
Captain Young's letter, saying The TWen-
| ty-sixth North Carolina. Regiment car
+, ried over 500 men In the battle the first
!, day at Gettysburg.
| AYI.ET,r's REPORT
The Official reports no more bear out
! the claim that the North Carolina brl-
gades ''remained the longest than that
| they Suffered the most" on the third
| day. This has been shown by Judge
Christian IN quotations from official re-
ports, both Confederate and Federal. toe
clearly for dispute. Judge Christian re-
! fers to tho report Of Major Peyton, OF
I Garnetts Brigade. as the only ono he
was liable to find from Plokett's com
maud throwing any light on this cues.
ton" II no will look in the back OF the
volume from which he quotes lie Will fine
| an appendix, embra cling documents re-
ceived TOO late for insertion In proper
sequence" and unIndexed. 1t contains
| page goethe very pertinent and graphic
report of Colonel Aylett, Of Arn,istcad
Brigade. 1t tells how this command "sti
| pushed on until the first line Of the en-
envy, strongly posted behind a stone wall
! was broken and driven from its posi-
ton, leaving IN our hands q number Of
! pieces Of artillery. ~ Exposed to {
(, severe musketry fire from tho front ant
| flank, and an enfladng artillery fire from
the ROCKY hill Ground Fop), some dis
t,Ice 10 the right, no supports coming up,
the position was untenable, and we were
compelled 10 retire. leaving more thar
two-tllirds OF our brayest and best killee
or wounded on the neld.'
The logic Of the quoted extracts FROM
the official reports has. according to Judg
Christian. caused the Gettysburg claims
to be dropped as to PctigreWs Nprtl
Carolininns. "I'arthest ut Gettysburg
is now claimed for the Fifty-itth Nnrtl
Carolina, OF Davis BRIGADE, II will b.
news to tho surviving Mississipplans OF
that command TO know that this regimen
Went farther than they. The following
statement of losses by regiments doe
not indicate It:
Killed, Wounded