The National tribune., 1908-12-10
ONE OF PICKETTs MEN.
His Memories Of a Most Important Day
When He Was Kept Busy Most of thu

His Memories of Most Important Day,
Time.
Editor National Tribune: am
pleased at your Gettysburg battle de-
scription. I was in 1t, and of the 56th
Va, and in the center Of the brigades
that captured the rock fence at the
Angle. I do not think Pickett's Divi-
sion had at that time 5000 men. officers
and all. ! had in my company 35, eight
of whom were killed and the rest cap
tured except nine.
The crossing Of the second road
broke up the line, and it was not COM
pact after that, yet we went forward
was surprised to find but few friends
in sight in getting there. The dead
were quite thick among the broken
cannon. ETC., and the battlefield in front
Of us was truly a horrid sight.
I am Of the opinion thai the troops
who were behind the fence must have
left their position before we got within
100 yards of the rock fence, because
when 1 got up there 1 only saw few
In sight from the fence. We remained
quite awhile awaiting support, and
finally Armistead's men appeared in the
distance, but by the time they got there
he had but a limited number with him,
and our line was too thin to go for
ward.
In face of all this. after he stopped
for awhile, he got up with his hat on
his sword, and led us forward. think
in all about $50 got up and followed.
He was shot after he crossed, and few
went any farther. 7 did not, nor did
my Captain, who was with me.
I think there was a cannon near
where Armistead stopped, partly across
the fence, and it was this cannon that
he fell by, and it was near the fence
and not 900 yards away. I was 100
feet to the left of Armistead and not
far from the Angle. After Armistead
fell we all settled back in our places
behind the fence, and did but little fir
ing; in fact, had no ammunition and
some no guns. We Were so situated
that we could not see far from us,
either. to right or left, and not far in
front, either, and could not find out If
the other troops had broken thru the
line or not. All we knew we had our
point, and hoped that the other portions
of the line had been captured. too.
After remaining fully 20 minutes we
saw to our left in the distance the
North Carolina troops, falling back.
This told us that the troops on our left
and beyond the Angle had failed, and
we had only to surrender or escape.
After discussing the matter with Capt.
Jones he concluded to stay, and was
taken about sunset, and 1 went back
and got out unhurt. 1 am quite posi-
tive 1 was at the rock fence about an
hour, and I think we started in at
about $3.50 p. m. We were in the CEN
ter of the Virginia troops, with Kemp
er's men on our right, and I do not
know how far his men held the fence
on our right, but we were near the
Angle and left Of where Armistead
crossed over the fence. I am of the
opinion that the Confederates both
right and left obliqued, and had quite a
congestion at some, point beyond the
Angle. All seemed to close in to the
center, hence I think a jam took place
at some point on Heth's line and our
left.
1 am satisfied that the North Caro-
lima troops suffered the most. I be-
lieve they had the longest road to go,
and were most exposed, while we We're
at times more protected, and did not
meet up with the opposition they did
at the rock fences. I say this because
I found no troops at the fence when