The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1909-04-01
Civil War Stories
The Gun. n. Gettysburg.


4 sputter Of musketry along the front
rs the SharpShooters aud skirmishers
fired at loTg range. From o IL 10 tho
cavalry on the wings had the fight all
10 themselves. From 10 to IL a gun
here and there Shelled the Confederate
Skirmishers out of the bitches in which
they were hiding. but there seemed to
be no fighting anywhere. From IL To
IL Lee was massing 100 field pieces in
front of LOngstreet and Hill To open
on Hancock. Meade posted 100 guns
= reply. but to fire slowly.
At noon a few couriers were riding
furiously in different directions. but not
a gun was being fired. The men i'm 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 10 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 viii fall
short or go over US"
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 10 to 1
o'clock seemed an age. At l o'clock
sharp the boom Of a single gun echoed
over the battlefield. and shell came
screaming over our heads and exp!od-
ed goo feet in rear. That was the
signal. Before one could have counted
twenty there was a roar which can
he 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
-iutched 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
IF 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 a cloud
IF dust heavenward to sift down on
our backs. Others sail high above us
and carry death into the ranks of the
reserve. while now and then one bursts
just right 10 wound or kill in our own
ranks.
No living man will ever hearken to
A more terrific cannonade. No battle
field of the future will hold men for
two long hours under such crossfire
The smoke rose up and hung n dead
loud in the air until one thought that
night was coming down. Fiery ser
penis darted in every direction. Tx
ploding shells created sudden great
flames, as if kegs of powder had been
-
There was no lull-ne interval. Only
those who became unnerved sat up to
ook around them. Here and there one
rose up and ran away. He was not a
he situation. Sometimes he came
-reeping back. white faced and weep
ing, and sometimes he was struck down
as he CROPPED about in the semi-dark-
ness to find shelter from the rain of
death.
Two hours. they afterward said. We
wing 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
~ HIS SIttl-t diOlG the
'ences and highways and fields far in
our rear. The cannonade died away
slowly. The last few guns seemed TO
give up grudgingly. The very last seat
screaming shell which fell among
he wounded and stopped the groans
and cries of five or six forever.
Up. men. They are coming Fall
n-fall in"
Yes. they were coming, with Pickett's
virginians in the van, and breaking
along like a huge wave. 1t was a re-
ief to know they were coming. 1t was
grim satisfaction to watch the advance.
Men shouted in exultation as they came
nearer and the musketry opened. 1t
was the reaction. We laughed and
shook hands. and reckoned not OF the
leath to come from those advancing
,olumns.-C. II. Lewis in Detroit Free
Press.