The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1908-12-26

was going on Lee was forming his
assaulting column, of eighteen thous-
ana men in the shelter OF the timber.
nut sharp eyes on Round Top caught
me gnstening OIL The sun on the vast
sea OF payonets mile away and word
was sent TO the Union batteries TO
cease nring. Some think that this
stoppage OF fire deceived Lee into
thinking that the Union ammunition
was exhausted, and that he was con-
ndent OF piercing their line. Others
are OF the opinion that, failing in his
attempts all along the line, he, like
Napoleon at Waterloo, decided to risk
all on one last desperate throw OF
the dice. At any rate, as the Union
fire died away, he ordered the column
to charge.
And charge they did! Not in thin
lines of skirmishers as we would
charge today, but shoulder to shoulder
in dense masses. One mile of open
country lay between them and the
enemy, but, led by Pickett's Virgin
ians, who had never known defeat,
that magnificent body of eighteen
thousand men, the pride of the south
ern army, swept rapidly across the
plain, heading for the clump of trees
that marked the Union center. The
Union men waited in grim silence
improving the lull in firing by re-
moving their dead men and disabled
guns and replacing them with fresh
batteries. Now, when the assaulting
column had advanced half way, the
order came to commence firing and
every gun opened with renewed en-
ergy on this moving target, blowing
great gaps through 1t and piling the
dead in windows. One cannot help
wondering what must have been the
feeling of General Lee at this turn
of affairs. Perhaps the great COM
mander now saw his mistake, but such
charge so far advanced can never
be recalled and he could do nothing
but look on with breaking heart while
the flower of his army rushed to GER
tain destruction.
But there was no wavering. Not
even when they reached the opposite
slope and the deadly volleys of mus
kerry added their destruction to the
artillery fire. Blinded by the dense
clouds of smoke, they lost sight of the
clump of trees and became separated.
a wide gap opening in their front. A
Union general threw his brigade into
this gap and opened fire on them from
two directions. The head of the col
umn was now at the bloody angle and
under fire from three sides but, pant
ing and perspiring under the July
sun, with hundred men dropping at
every step, the survivors dashed
straight into the clouds of smoke, over
the stone wall and into the Union
lines. But their charge was broken.
for nearly every man who had reach
ed ten slope was either killed, wound
ed or captured. And the remainder.
seeing the utter folly of a further ad
vance finally turned and retreated
back across the valley, still under fire.
And so ended one of the greatest
charges in history. The old guard of
Napoleon never made a more heroic
one
How fearful was the loss of life
attested by the bleeding bodies that
covered the hillside so thickly that
person could walk for hundreds of
yards without stepping on the ground.
How terrible the havoc wrought is
shown by the photographs taken at
the time and now kept in the Office
OF the battlefield commissioner. They
show men completely disemboweled.
their backbones showing plainly from
the front. Others were literally shot
In two, while arms and legs lay about
In CHASTITY profusion. It is a sight
to turn the heart sick.
And so Lee lost the battle. and with
IL all hope of invading the north; for
the South could never replace hte
men who went down that day. But
those who could presume to criticise
the great general now must at least
ADMIRE the manly way in which he
quietly assumed all responsibility for
the awful defeat. That is where the
noble character OF the man came TO
the front; and whoever studies the
character of Robert 4. Lee becomes
lost in admiration for the man. I'm
doubleday the ablest officer in our
army at the outbreak of the war, he
would probably have been placed in
command OF the northern army had
ne remained with the north. And In
me natural course of events he would
have led it to victory and become
president of the United States as
Grant did. But he thought he owed
ms nrst allegiance to his state so.