The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-08-27

To a large and apDreciative audi
ence, Mrs. La Sale C. Pickett, wild
ow of General Pickett, who led the
Confederate charge at Gettysburg,
lectured on "The Battle of Gettys-
burg" yesterday afternoon Mrs.
Pickett has the distinction of being
considered the only woman lecturer
whose voice and enunciation can be
plainly heard by 10000 persons and
the 5000 assembled at the Chautau-
qua grounds yesterday afternoon had
no difficulty in hearing.
After the lecture many of the Civil
War veterans of the audience went
TO the platform and congratulated
Mrs. Pickett upon her comprehensive
knowledge of the subject and the re-
alistic manner in which she described
the greatest battle of the war.
The lecture opened with a descrip-
.tion of the battle grounds of Gettys-
burg. which Nature, seemingly, had
prepared for the battle. Rock
Greek was described as were Gene
Itery Ridge, with its two mounds,
Round Top and Little Round Top;
Devils Den to the northwest: and
Seminary Ridge to the west. The va
rious roads from Chambersburg, ,Har-
risburg, Hagerstown and Greencastle
were brought to the imagination of
the hearers. The lecture in part is
as follows:
In the Spring of 1868, the Confed-
eracy had risen to its highest tide of
TTninn 16 m hn
lowest ebb of it's fortunes.
Step by step the Army of North
ern Virginia had marched with
steady pace up the heights of victo-
ry; step by step the Army of the Po-
tomac had gone faltering down the
slope of defeat.
The eagle of victory perched upon
the staff from which the flag so dear
to southern hearts hoated out upon
the southern air. The raven of doom
shrouded with wings of midnight
blackness the Star-Spangled Banner,
triumphantly borne over hundreds of
battlefields by northern and southern
hands united
THE Army of Northern Virginia
was concentrated under comman-
der, tried and true, known and trust
ed by his men. The Army of the
Potomac, weakened and -disheartened
by defeat, had followed one leader,
after another to misfortune until it
had no more confidence in any man
to guide it to success.
while Lees forces were united
under his personal command, Hook
er's were scattered, large detachments
of it being under the direct control
of Halleck, away off in Washington,
where he could observe the real stu
alton and requirements about as ac-
curately as a man perched upon the
north pole might study the fauna and
fora of the tropical regions.
I'm these circumstances of flatter-
ing import to- the Confederacy, Lee
set out to put into execution the most
brilliant project of his life. the most
daring movement of the whole war,
perhaps as bold a conception as has
ever opened a view of supernal ra-
diance to the mental vision of any
military leader-the invasion of the
North.
The Battle Described.
In her description OF the famous
battle, Mrs. Pickett said
THE two ridges wsgA about 1,400
yards apart, and were like great blaz-
ing volcanoes. A mighty roar as of
all the thunderbolts of the universe
filled the plain. No command could
be heard through the shrieking shot
and shell. No sound of wind. water,
volcano. thunder and cataract ever
equaIed this terrific uproar The
valley was filed with rIOuds pf dus+
and suffocating smoke. rolling
sea of white and blush gray mist
tossed its pillows to and fro between
the heights and blotted ont the rays
of the sun. The fierce flames from
the guns flashed through. cutting the
dark mists like lightning sabers in a
Titanic battle of the clouds. Fiery
fuses shot across the field. leaving
death and mutilation in their murder
Gus track. Flying missiles pierced
the air, shells burst above troops or
tore up the ground and bounded off