St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1908-04-22
Pickett'S Charge.

Cs.,,berlin Post, which, as the GALE.
ou,x said last week, is a notable con.
4 .;brtion to the literature of the civil
VAR
y Il, was the early morning of the 3rd oil
,ir 1868. The scene the little town OF
~, Pa. For two days two
pr .' armies had been engaged in a ter
e. struggle for supremacy. The fight
ad been bitter and deadly. The lines OF
Sa 1 two armies stretched for miles, and
bs fields between them were covered
nth dead and dying men, and every
railable place of shelter was crowded
,.;tb the wounded, and still the result
,,mained in doubt. The sun as it arose
hone through a smoky haze which rem
1ared distant objects dim and uncertain
81 the sight
II The Second Vermont Brigade, under
en Stannard had been, since its arri-
al non the field the first day, contin-
&, opsly upon the firing line, being holly
mayed the preceding day, and were
hen stationed to the lett of Cemetery
HHI As we arose from the ground
& rbere we had lain through the night,
,e were greeted by the whistling of bull
{ sts from the skirmish line in our imme-
late front Soon a tremendouscan
81 ding off to our right denoted terrific
+rrgge there. This continued for over
kwo hours, and then died away and save
for the continuous skirmish fire an I'M
n atural quiet reigned.
II At this time Gen. Stannard asked and
kpcured a reluctant consent to his re-
s. nest to move his brigade to a point
n bout three hundred yards in advance of
he main line, noting a clump of bushes,
locks ETC., which might serve as a slight
Ebrotecton to an attack in front. With
krailed arms we moved to this position,
IT. 18th on the right under Col. Ran
S.all. the 14th to the left under Col.
Nichols While the 10th, under Col.
Il easey was deployed as skirmishers on
sbur front. Here we were ordered to lie
Nown and make as little movement as
&ossible The Importance of this move
#nent as it affected the result of the day
Xviii be seen later on. We knew the next
Hbttack must come here.
II The ridge upon which our forces were
Stationed, between Cemetery Hill and
Mound Top was greatly depressed, the
kround slopng gently down to the val
lev and then rising to the crest of Semi
barry Ridge, occupied by the Confederate
&orces, distance of mile or over be-
Sween the two. The fields had long been
kutiyated and were smooth and clean.
Situated as we were at a much lower
#alutude where the smoke was not so
&thck we could see the whole field. and
Observe what was going on.
4 All the forenoon we could see battery
bitter battery going into position upon
the crest of the opposite ridge. At one
point where the road for short distance
was fully exposed, the gunners could be
Been aShing their horses to a run as
fhey passed it. By noon the crest of the
Rrdge opposite was covered with artillery
Stretching for 112 miles, while behind us
ktood line of guns stretching from
ACemetery Hill to Round Top, distance
/ Df a mile
n What did all this ominous preparation
8pOrtend2 Soon we were to know. A
Pew minutes past one o'clock. a gun
Doomed from the rebel right, another
HrOm the left, and the whole ridge burst
7nto flame and smoke from one hundred
1hnd fifty guns sending their converging
Hhre into our lines and the air was filled
S@Ith shot and shells bursting with
Eefrihc concessions, strewing the ground
Hwlth their fragments. Soon an answer
kng roar from the ninety guns behind US,
Sending their missiles over our heads,
padded to the frightful din while the roar
|Oi cannon the bursting of shells, the
HShrieks of the wounded. formed a pan
|demonlum Of sound, frightful to contemp-
late Soon our fire slackened; the guns
sand men were withdrawn a short dis
'tance to more sheltered positions. For
1OVer two hours this terrible cannonade
continued. We owed our salvation
Prom utter destruction to the fact, that
Sowng to our lower position the greater
part OF the shells passed over us; those
(Which exploded in our front scattering
|thelr fragments in our midst.
during this time we could do nothing
but hug the ground closely, listen to
the terrific din, occasionally seeing a
lcomrade stricken and writhing in agony,
IT, whom we could only render first aid,
and lay them in the least exposed posi-
IONS possible. To attempt to carry
them from the field would be almost
lsure death for all
What was coming was in all our
minds Of course we knew all this
meant tremendous effort to break our
lines at this point.
Suddenly the rebel fire slackened. The
cry came down the line, Here they
come Here they come" Looking up
through the smoke we could see the
immense column of infantry marching
uown the opposite slope, in martial
array their flags flying, their arms
laSnmg in the sun, the officers directing
an ana encouraging the men in the ranks.
VI they came, never hating, never
sWer,Yng, seemingly as though nothing
lo9id stop them. Our guns on the ridge
Eand us were rushed into place, and
opened a terrific fire of shells, grape and
canister, making frightful havoc in their
,aIKS great gaps showing in their lines
mueTe the discharges struck them. 1t
WAS grand and inspiring sight to see
u, ,ae 10Th regiment rally on the run from
.ue SSIrmish line, forming on their colors,
ai a dePIoyng into line of battle on our
gn with the precision of parade. All
iueSe movements were under a tremen-
uouS are from the confederate guns as
soon as they were unmasked by their
own line in front.
lney say there lies dormant in human
aayuTg a wild animal lust for combat
aaG Slaughter. We had been lying in
NHNe, SEEING O11r comrades falling