The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-02-07
PICkETT'S
CHARGE
The Story Of It as Told by 3
Member Of His
staff.
CAPTAIN ROBERT A, BRIGHT
Statement as to Where the Gen
eral Was During the Charge,
Why the Attack Failed.

Why the Attack Failed.
Editor Of Tho Times-Dispatch:
3 i38 s,ir,-The following statement Of what
ssg I saw and heard OH the third day nt
Gettysburg was in the main written
y nbout thirty years ago, md was roWrit-
len for publication In 1903, hut the issue
ss Of 1t was prevented until now by an
e stack of govt, from which ! suffered.
! earnestly wish that 1t had come out
4 before the death Of n.y cofls comman-
der, the brave General lfongstrect.
III EARLY in the morning Plcketts Nir-
as Ginians, forty-seven hundred muskots,
with officers added, five thousand strong,
moved from the camping ground OF the
second day, two miles IN rear, to the
"a battlefield, and took position behind tho
hill from which we charged later III tho
tlny Then came the OF ~cr from head
quarters: ..Col. f.. p. Alexander will conf
r,and the entire artillery in action TO-
day. and BriEad.er General Pen n.,,,so,,
will have charge of the reserve artlllery
Ammunition of the army, Later, Gem
eral Pickett was Informed from General
81 ,ongstrect's headquarters that Col
Alexander would give the order when
the charge should begin. Several hours
later the batteries on both sides opened.
Had this occurred at night, It would mayo
delighted the eye more than any Ero
works ever seen.
ID sNGLlSHt GORDON.
shortly before the artillery duel com
EN- nenced, / returned i from looking over
IS the ground in our 'front.' and found Cen
cral Pickett talking to q strange Of
III fIcer to whom he introduced me. saying,
+. '.This is Col, Gordon, once orposea 70
~. Tf1ir
" our, side
In explanation OF this will state hero
that tho San Juan affair occurred on
I'm Tho Pacific const when General Pickett
was captain i'll tho United States Army,
and when he held the island against
three English ships OF war and 1900
English regulars, he having one COM
pany of United States infantry ana pay
or another company. General Winfield
Scott was sent ont by this government
to settle the trouble
After the Introduction, Col. Gordon, VINO
was an Englishman, continued speaking
10 General Pickett and said:
Pickett, my men are not going up
Today"
rho General said, "But, Gordon, they
must so up you must make them 80
$8} Ep. Il
Ia Colonel Gordon answered., You know
=
any other man, if only for old aclualnt'
ance sake, but my men have until lately
been down al the seashore, only under
the flre of heavy guns from ships. but Tor
i tho last day or two they have lost heaY-
lily under infantry fire and arc very sore,
and they will not go Up to-day a
This officer was on foot, there was no
3 horse in sight, and he must lave COME
from Pctigrew's Brigade on our left,
only some 200 yards diatant.
/ have written and asked about the
command to which this officer belonged
but have met with no success
Three times General Pickett sent t.
Col. Alexander asking, rs it tine III
s. charger? The last messenger brought
back this answer. Tell General Pickett
think We have silenced eight of the
enemys guns, and now is the time TO
8 charge, (Some Federal officers after the
war informed me that they had only rtI
these guns back 10 cooD.
MOUNTED OFFICERS
G General Pickett ordered his staff OIL
GERS, four in number, (Major Charles
e Pickett, Capt. Baird, Capt. Symlng;oi
and myself, TO Generals Armistend, Gar
e nett and Kemper and TO Bearings Ar
lilL.ry Battalion, which earlier in the da,
had been ordered to follow up the chars,
and keep its caissons full Orders to tn
- UlneF StaN OlHcefS ala not near. Bu
II ] WAS sent to General Kempar with TIL.
order:
You and your staff and field officers I
+ go In dlsmountcd; dress on Garnett an
take tho red barn for your objectiv
point"
During the charge found Kemper an'
Garnett, apparently, drifting too nucl
IN the ,sft. and believe It was becaus
tho red barn was too much to Kemper'
3 left. General Pickett would have alter
en the direction, but our left being ex
posed by the retreat of Petigrcwi
command. our men and 1000 more wer
y NEEDED 10 the left,
AEhen i reached General Kemper h
sI"od up. removing handkerchief fror
uIidor his hat, with which he had cover
cd mis- face TO keep the gravel knocked
IN BY the fierce artillery fire from hi
s5A eyes. AS ] gave the order, Robert Nc
Candlsh Jones, friend and school
mate of mine, called out, hob, turn I
loose and we will take them The
Col. Lewis Williams, OF the First Vii
ginia Regiment. came to Inc and saic
4,,aptain Bright, | wish TO ride my MAJ
DIN up" and | answered. "Col. William
sou cannot do It, Have you not jus
heard me give the order to your gener;
gg 10 so up on foot?" and he said, "Bl
you will LET me ride; ] am sick to-da,
III and besides that, remember William;
burg" Now Williamsburg Was my HON
and remembered that Col. William
had been shot Through the shoulder i
that baltic and left at Mrs, JUDI
g. Tucker's house on the courthouse greer
This ] had heard, TOR \ miss
that fight SO ! answered, Moul