Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1909-04-02
Civil War Stories
The Guns at gettysburg.

loo,oOO men on the field of Gettysburg
knew that Lee would attack that day.
by III o'clock in the forenoon every one
knew where the blow would fall The
| topography OF the field, the bloody
struggles on the wings, the movements
OF troops and batteries-there were a
dozen signs to indicate what was COM
| ing.
From daylight to 8 o'clock there was
sputter of musketry along the front
as the sharpshooters and skirmishers
nred at long range. From 8 to 10 the
cavalry on the wings had the fight all
10 themselves. From 10 to II gun
mere and there shelled the Confederate
sk1rmishers out of the bitches in which
they were hiding, but there seemed to
be no fighting anywhere. From II to
II Lee was massing 100 field pieces in
front OF Longstreet and Hill to open
on Hancock. Meade posted 100 guns
to reply, but to fire slowly.
At noon a few couriers were riding
furfously in different directions, but not
gun was being fired. The men in line
ate from their haversacks and the ar
tillery horses nibbled at the grass as
| they were unchecked by their drivers.
Scores of men had pocket telescopes.
These were passed from hand to hand,
and every gun on the Confederate side
was located.
They are going to batter us with
shot and shell and then charge. Lie
close to the ground. The shot will fall
short or go over u.s."
| So came the word along the lines.
1t was a wise precaution. But for the
caution no one could tell what would
have happened. From half past II to
| o'clock seemed an age. At l o'clock
sharp the boom Of a single gun echoed
over the battlefield, and a shell came
screaming over our heads and explod-
ed 200 feet in rear. That was the
| signal. Before one could have counted
twenty there was roar which can
be compared to nothing one has ever
heard. In two minutes the earth was
trembling. The stones in the wall in
front Of us gritted together. Mud had
| been used as plaster, and pieces Of it
| fell out with chinking. One would have
said that nothing could add to that
awful roar but the Federal guns
opened in reply and then men lying
down gasped as they breathed and
clutched sod or stone as If perched on
some dizzy height and afraid of fall
ing.
For the first five minutes the roar
! shut out all sounds-swalloWed them
up as a great ocean would another gill
of water. Thousands Of men closed
their eyes and clinched their teeth
Officers who had been standing up dis
appeared to hug the earth. Now the
roar is split and slashed and penetrated
by the missiles from the Confederate
guns. They are throwing round shot,
steel bolts, fuse shell, percussion
every form of missile which portable
guns can take in and belch out again.
They shrek and scream and whir.
They come from in front and from the
right and left. Some fall short, and
exploding in the dry soil throw cloud
| OF uuSL ucdNcUW d1O ~ Sill uO"h OiA
our backs. Others sail high above us
and carry death into the ranks of the
reserve. while now and then one bursts
| inst right to wound or kill in our own
ranks.
| No living man will ever hearken to
more terrific cannonade. No battle
field of the future will hold men for
! tHyo long hours under such a crossfire.
The smoke rose up and hung a dead
cloud in the air until one thought that
night was coming down. Fiery SER
nents darted in every direction. Ex
ploding shells created sudden great
flames. as if kegs of powder had been
! tossed up to destroy the heavens.
There was no lull-no interval. Only
those who became unnerved sat up to
! look around them Here and there one
| rose I'D and ran away. He was not
coward-he was simply unnerved by
the situation. Sometimes he came
creeping back, white faced and weep
| ing. and sometimes he was struck down
as he CROPPED about in the semi-dark-
moss TO find shelter from the rain of
death.
Two hours, they afterward said We
living there made no note of the pas
sage of time. 1t was nightmare, and
vet we did not sleep. Death rode all
along our front-he leaped over us
| he raced his spectre steed along the
fences and highways and fields far in
orr rear. The cannonade died away
| slowly. The last few guns seemed to
give up grudgingly. The very last sent
| screaming shell which fell among
t rho wounded and stopped the groans
/ and cries of FIVE or six forever.
..Up. men, They are coming! Fall
| in-fall i'm
Yes. they were coming. with Pickett's
/! Virginians in the van, and breaking
along like huge wave. 1t was re-
! lief TO know they were coming. 1t was
grim satisfaction to watch the advance.
| Men shouted in exultation as they came
+bo OTnDa6