The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-10-16
old FIRST AT
GETTYSBURG
Men WHO Fought to Bitter End
in the Greatest Of
Battles.
PICKETT CHARGE ARG
And the Part the Old First
Virginia Regiment Played
lii 1t.
BY CHARLES r. LoEnR,

BY CHARLES r. LoEHR,
Sergeant Company y, First Va Infantry
5S 5 Mich has been written about this hiss
II torc event and mostly by those who
know how to write, but get their inior-
nation from all kind Of publications,
q while those who acted in the drama
have but little to say, and they are fast
passing, on to answer the roll call OF
their comrades gone before
The story of Picketts charge Will ever
be remembered and generations yet 70
come will point to it as one of the grand
est acts Of heroism in American his
tory.
The OLD First formed part OF KEN
pers brigade, 1t held the center posi-
lion in the brigade line. The Sd of July,
1868 was extremely hot and the prlgaoc
had to endure the hot SUM-. lylns IN reitf
of Cemetery Ridge IN open lleiu, VIE ra.
ITO its left were the brgades OF Car
s. nett. and Arnistcad partly sheltered IN
the woods.
The distance from the position. OF
Kemper,s brigade to the angle OF the
stone wall. the point OF attack was JUS .,
one ME across an open hi!is Paih,
crossed BY the Emmstsburs road, mus
TN. enemy from their position on the
Fsoundtop Hill could see and count every
MA = we had when w. advanced 10 Inc
charge Moreover on these NUS the
+ erst!4l i placed their batteries, which tireo I
Viii, fatal effect on oiir men as tile'
< char ged.
JUS before our artillery opened there
Vas detail Of fifteen men from each
regiment made 10 act as skirnistltts-
These moved At once forward IN req.
8, the batteries near which WllcoS's
d brigade was in position. Al J Q CLOCK our our
artillery opened the battle. ana re"
r,,:rIlt..s afterwards the Federal guns
Joined in, and the very ground shook II
was simply awful. the bursting Of the
shells Inc smoke. and the hot sun conf
bine5 made things almost unencQraois
for our men lying in long rows IN re'iV
y OF the ridge.
Many OF our men We're wounded py tiae
Smelling and II was q relief when iina.iy
he artillery ceased its terrible work ana
orders came for Pickett's men to charge
THE skirrnish line (to which the writer
was attached) moved forward TOWARDS
the cncmy's skirlnish line. Some two
x hundred yards IN the rear cams ing
line OF battle, .G;irnetI's brigade on the
right and ke.npsrs brigade on the LETT,
while ARMS tead came close in the rear.
III IT was a splendid exhibition, the align
lnent was nearly perfect. After advanc-
ing some three hundred yards the enem! $
artillery opened on the column ana shclls
came screaming through the ranks OF
Piekett's men. AS the men fell the ranks
closed, and forward went. the line leav-
ing the dead and wounded in Its track.
CEN ErETeY RIDGE
The move was made In n left obque
direction to reach the point OF attack,
which was the angle of astonc wall or
fence on the ridge of Cemetery Hill.
When the line reached this point II be-
came Irregular Many OF the officers
fell before this point WAS gained Colonel
Mayo, Of the Third, ordered the brigade
20 face to the right Just rs the wall
was reached
There were heavy columns OF the enemy
coming from that direction, while Garnetts
men cn,nc in contact with the enemy be-
hind the wall; then Armistead's men rush
ed across the wall and pursued the enemy
who abandoned the battery some a feet
in rear OF the wall. Then came n shor.
lull In the battle, but firing was kept
Iip ana men fell to rise no more.
About $50 Federals We're captured ut the
angle and taken Off the field, 1t was al
this time that General Armistead was
Killed, having his left hand on one Of
the guns of Cushing's battery apd II
his right hand he held his sword OF
which he had placed his hat. Thus 6
hero meets q hero's death.
The line around the angle was being
fast thinncd out, and now was the tins
Il for reinforcements to push on tho VIC
tory within our grasp but none were
there to aid Pcloett's men in theil
struggle 10 hold the position for which
they had fought so hard,
The supporting line on T!ckett's lef
struck the enelnys line further to ou
left reaching there long before Pickett
their Inc being nearly one-half shorter
y nd as Picketrs men advanced the n
& our left was seen 10 be in full retreat
.'..s suffered heavily. The men o
sett s division, that Is about one
lstni al what was left. retraced tnei
$40, failing back IN small groups, fir
4, ag as they reiterated.
General Pickett WAS seen IN the mlds
OF his survivors when The battle wa
over but at the close WiIcoxs brIgad
came rushing down. II came about hal
way when II met the concentrated fir
of the enemy and fell back faster tina
1t came, adding only TO the losses an
accomplishing nanght.
Sergeant Major ]. X Polack states iha
& he was ordered by Colonel Williams I
M hiring p.the Ambulance corps. as me
were failing right and left and needle
attention. He went OFF on" NELLY" tColc
mel Williams, horkci 10 execute the 81
dsrs given him, and on his return tn
regiment with the rest Of The divisic
weIn all charging and all liescould do wa
to return Colonel Wiiliams's horse Al
take his place IN the ranks Colonel WI
iiams At ouco mounted aud wheeled