The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1904-03-24

l was at Gettysburg q few years
ago and spent several days in look
ing over the field. The central object
of interest of course was the scene OF
Pickett's charge-the clump of trees
and the stone fence flanking it on
either side for some distance, and de-
Tended by Hancock's men, against
which Pickett made the most heroic
charge in all the annals OF war.
Gettysburg was the close, in fact the
climax of important Southern offen-
sive operations on the part Of the
Confederacy. When Pickett planted
his colors inside of Hancock's line of
defense, it established the high water
mark of the Southern cause, and
made an imperishable record OF
American valor. The Virginians and
North Carolinians who swept over
the Emettsburg pike. across that
hist oric field and over HancOck's line
at the stone fence, where heroes, every
one of them 1t was immortal record.
On my annual shooting outing on
the Roanoke in Virginia last Novem-
Der, had the pleasure of meeting two
members of the 14th Virginia, friends
of our host, Col. w. M. Tanner, OF
St. Leon plantation. They were Mr..
T. A. Parks. of Company G., and Mr..
Richard Wilson, of Company f. 1t
was the good fortune of these gentle
men to have been in that famous
charge and come out alive. Their
recital of the event was OF intense in
terest. felt in the code OF arms and
gallant actions, l was in the presence
of men the peers of Grant, Lee or
Dewey. When the order to advance
and charge was given, it was made
with alacritv and perfect formation.
Before they had covered much OF the
space, Little Round Top was pouring
in an enfilading fire on their right
and demoralzing their support in
that quarter; in fact, the whole charg
ing column was being terribly de
pleted by the rain of shot and shell
from Round Top on the Federal left
while Hancock's Infantry AID light
batteries where dealing death and de
struction from the front. There were
more dead and dying in the wake o
the charge than those who were left
to close up and press on for thu
salient. To turn back was almost
. certain death; the only safe place
seemed to be on the northern side o
that stone fence.
When within a hundred yards o
the Federal line, Wilson had an ankle
shattered by a piece of shell iron
Round Top and went down, and rails
ing up on his elbow to feel where h
was stung, his supporting arm wa
shattered; after which he kept yer.
/ close to the ground for the few min
e utes before the firing ceased. "Sho
a all to pieces" as he expressed 1t
, This was the crises of the charge
. Kemper and Garnett, OF Pickett
e Brigadiers, had fallen rs we'll as Col
Hodges, of the 18th Virginia, witt
most of their officers. Pressing on
the remnant of the division carries
their colors over Hancock's line
,Armistead, the only remaining brig
adler of Pickett's division, with hi
8 cap on the point OF his sword. led tn
o column of desperation and fell at th
l feet of Hancock's men, few fee
!. inside the line. Several hundred c
!, Pickett's men had penetrated tn
o line and were mixing it up with th
Goth and list Pennsylvania, wh
:, held the front line at the clump {
q trees. 1t was a hand TO i,a!l1 figh
: for few minutes, but he Nirginian
\ we're quickly overpowerel by superio
4 numbers.
o Nv friend Parks, who came ou
y without a hit, surrendered will
in the Federal line, and was kindl
D. cared for at Fort Delaware belo
r Philadelphia for n year or NOR
IS which probably accounts for his b
d ing on earth at this moment and ab
| to give his Yankee friends such
le plantation range of good shoOtin
II II and the proverbial Virginian hosp
~ tality. His comrade, Dick Wilso
20 of the 14th. was still lying low on tt
- field within 81 hundred yards OF Il
70 Federal line. After the carnage WI
# over, Dick did not quit that field f'
4 more than three weeks. He was care
- for as best that could be dol
- in the field hospitals, skirmis
ing continuously with death. /
credits those earthly angels, the Isl
T ters of Charity" with his salvatio
- =, Finally he was summoned to Bal
Vi more where he had the best iiospit
e attention. After several months vi
80 convalescent, and exchanged in d
ns course and reported to his comman
-1e Not being in marching codition, b
~ desiring to help fight it out, ne "
n detached as wagon master and "
% % with Lee at Appomattox:
20 JOHN TAYLOR