Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1906-07-06

flank. The enemy was strengthening
the position, hurrying on reserves,
while in the fiery rain of shell and
shrapnel the thin ranks became thin
ner; but not an instant's s disorder pre-
vailed. The men marched steadily
forward.
Faster! Faster! We are almost
there!" cried Garnett's clarion voice.
Then he went down among the glor-
ious dead, and Armistead's S brigade,
in the rear, closed up behind the
front line, as their gallant leader,
with his cap on the point of his sword,
took Garnett's place.
The divisi on was now only four
ranks deep, but often as the iron
storm opened gap in front, private,
corporal, sergeant, lieutenant, and
captain alike would cry "Close up,
Close up!" and hurry forward to fill
the place The lines thinned and
shortened, but never wavered, never
halted Closer and closer the bleeding
remnant drew to the foe.
Now they break into double-quick,
while canister and grape are hurled
into them with the fury of despera-
tion as they dash on to the stone wall
where the Federal batteries are pour
ing forth their fearful fire. The force
that was hurrying to attack the flank
suddenly halted, hundred yards
away, sending a deadly storm of
musketry down the line. Though
sixty to one, the right flank could not
resist the temptation. They turned
on the federals. The fighting was
terrific Muskets crossed. Men fired
to the right and front into each
others faces. They fought hand to
hand. The federals fell back behind
the guns to. let them belch again,
piling up the dead and wounded al
most in touch of them. The line
was within few feet Of the stone
wall, when the artillery delivered
their last fire from guns shotted to
the muzzle.
| Armistead sprang over the wall,
followed by some one hundred and
fifty men, to capture the Federal
guns. Lieutenant Gushing, mortally
wounded, ran his last seryiceable gun
toward the wall, shouting to his COM
mander: sWe'll give them one more
shot. Webb!" fired the gun, and fell.
Armistead's hand rested on Cushing IS
gun as he cried: "Come on, boys!
Come on! Wen give them cold steel!
lCome on!' Together they died there,
side by side.
From the edge OF the woods Lee
and Longstreet saw the blue flag OF
Virginia float above the crest. But
alas the promised support was not
there. Its leaders were dead OF
wounded. 1t had crumbled away
under the hail of the artillery fire,
and back from the flaming crest c;mt
the torn remnant of the division
which had performed such deed o
valor as made the whole world won
der. The flags which floated for :
moment over Cemetery Hill lay or
the ground among the prostrate form!
of the men who had so bravely borne
them there.
OF the five thousand who had fol.
lowed where the flash of Pickett.
sword lit the way to the glory Of 9
brave defeat, three Thousand five hun
dred and seventy-six had found the
soldiers triumphant death, to live
forever In our hearts and on the
fame-lit pages of their country's his
tory. OF the four colonels, only one
was left. OF the four general officers,
only one remained. Garnett who had
won laurel in service with Stonewal
jackson; Armistead, who had charged
with generous rivalry with Pickett
at Chapultepec in Mexico; Kemper,
who in the Seven Days Battle had
led the old Longstreet Brigade, were
dead or wounded.
Looking around him, Pickett
whom Mcclellan had characterized as
the incompatible paladin OF the far.
famed infantry Of the South Pickett
who most of all had courted death by