The National tribune., 1908-12-17

rocks, delaying his approach, and that
steady. whitening fire from behind thai
low barricade, often into the very face.
Of his assaulting lines. Think Of 4
now, you grizzled old veterans who are
among the survivors of the cid Third
Brigade, What a stampede of mule!
and mule drivers, Proves. Quartermas
ters and ccmmissary details, reserve ar
tiIlery aud all that which, makes up the
ffmpediments. Of an army in the Held
What a lurid blare of exploding am
fmunitiop wagons, What a wild inferno
turned loose III the immediate right and
rear of that line OF defenders. on Gene.
Itery Hill Where, on. where, would
nave bse1r Meade's council Of war held
on sfle ,.. n of July 2, at which IT was
sconcInded % try one more day Of it at
SOFT ygiyua
plctc.ts charge was hammered and
tterad into a struggling mass of dis
.-Earized, impotent force by the piung-
fre of nearly 100 guns. sweeping IL
in front and flank, while it crossed an
open space of more than 2, 600 yards, te
its point of impact.
Johnsop's Division in its attack On
the right moved aamelested over that
wide open space to make its point of
impact, SIX to one. on that long, atten-
uated line, and I think we can we'll be
dealt with in a patient spirit for at one
time making claim to have saved the
Army OF the Potomac from almost cer-
tain disaster at Gettysburg.
The Morning Battle.
Our battle. however, did not end
with the repuIse Of the enemy at night.
The woods in our front were filed with
the enemy to overaowing. from day
light till long past noon OF the follow
ing day, and fresh brigade Of the
enemy was thrown In on our front
Oh IN ha wi
those driven back from our right,
would move up in squads by rushes,
and at times came within less than 100
yards of our line, protected by the tim
ber from which they were firing. wait
ing at times behind our works until
they had approached as near as we
thought safe distance, then rising UP
and firing volley after volley, sending
therr scurrying back to the creek.
At one time a battalion of Maryland
Confederates had reached so near our
line that they dared not attempt to go
back. and, throwing down their arms.
hung out white rag from behind a
tree. Our line ceased firing. and these
fellows, something like 100 or more,
were helped over our works, and went
it to our rear unattended, to
find some place where they might find
some one to take charge OF them Re-
Iieved from time to time, the respective
regiments would retire over the ridge,
clean up their rifles, fill up cartridge
to the front to relieve some other regi-
ment tor refreshments.
There were many little incidents of
that long days fighting which are yet
fresh in memory. So fast and furious
was the firing from both sides In the
forenoon of the Sd that hundreds of
small birds left the trees and came
t. a.xs~
as if for protection. often lighting upon
their shoulders. Out a short distance
in front of the 60th two opossums hung
head downwards from q small tree and
not more than 80 feet from the ground
A small tree in front of one regiment
was shot off about breast high, and
came tumbling down, at which the
bullets from both sides having aided in
its amputation.
During the forenoon man on horse
back was seen fitting along out in the
timber in cur front. waving a drawn
sword and apparently urging forward
a line of men. Probably 100 muskets
reserved their fire, watching this dar-
ing horseman, when all at once he ap-
peared plainly outlined in small clear
ed spot, and a score or more muskets
rang out in AN instant. Both horse and
rider went to earth in the twinkling of
an eye. This was Eweifs Chief of
Staff. I saw both rider and horse early
bearing the marks Of more bullet marks
than I cared to count. 1t Is apparent
to my mind that thfs continued pressure
upon our line during the day OF the Sd
was not only for the purpose Of trying
to retrieve the reverses Of the previous
evening by sending in fresh troops, but
also to prevent any assistance being
rfnT1 tvv of-
tack on the center by Pickett should
result in a success.
The Confederate dead IN our front
far exceeded any other given space
within the whole fighting line at Gettys-
burg.
The Grand Old Corps.
The men composing this brigade al
the time OF the battle were about 80
per cent native-born Americans, gath
cred largely from villages and farms
thruout the Empire State. In its ranks
were students, school teachers, lawyers
and men of the medical profession
and preachers of the Gospel. and quite
a sprinkling Of Mexican veterans who
had fought with Taylor at Monterey
and marched with Scott TO Mexico.
Many of its men in the ranks were sons
Of weIl-to-do families, who sent their
sons to the war solely as a matter Of
patriotic duty. They were themselves
actuated by a high and lofty sense Of
with none of that spirit OF
sometimes shown on earlier
historic fields, and I firmly believe that
they would have stood with face to the
front in that little narrow trench be-
hind that low. shaky barricade nnd
held their ground or perished almost to
a man.
They were great admirers of Gen
Hooker, and made no bones of express
ing themselves in disgust at his being
relieved just on the eve of the great
battle, and many an old survivor will
to this day claim that whatever success
Meade achieved was owing largely to
the fact that Joe Hooker had that army
well in hand and in better condition to
other of its commanders, either before
or since his time.
The old brigade followed its beloved
commander above the clouds on Look
outs crest, in into the fireli. lines of a
gilt-edged hell at Ringgold and Resaca,
and, with heads bowed in humiliation
and sorrow, bade him a fond farewell
almost at the gates of Atlanta. 1t
marched with Sherman to the sea, and
one of its regimental colors was the
first to be flung out from Savannah.
Its proud boast that it had fought its
battles in seven States and always saw
the backs of its enemies became the
boast of the whole corps with the modi-
fications, "and never lost color or a
gum"
Faults of GeneraIshfp.
Looking backward over this field and
considering 1t in detail at this day, one
must conclude that the hand of fate