The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1909-09-09

the right and on the left the enemy
lines were still intact. On both tanks
heavy masses were pressing hard On
Pickett's men. Colonel" said Arm
istead to the commanding officer oil
the 53rd, I'VE cannot stay here.
A word to Martin was enough.
Forward with the colors," he cried,
and over the wall they went, Arm
stead and Martin; and with them
went a gallant band resolved that
day to conquer or die. The flag OF
the 53rd regiment, borne by Lieut..
| Carter. flashed like a meteor in the
van. The indomitable Armistead,
his hat on the point Of his sword,
lowered before them like a pillar OF
fire. "Follow me, boys, give them
| the cold steel" A hundred and fifty
| undaunted men followed their chief.
They left behind them the stone
wall. They passed the earth works.
They seized the cannon that doubled
shotted at ten yards distance, had
torn our ranks with shot and she'll.
Victory seemed within their grasp.
But alas! the supports they looked
for never came. In the nick OF time
Hancock's reserves were hurried to
the front. They came On, he says,
''four lines Deep and firing at close
range poured into the little band
that followed Armistead a destruc-
tive volley. In that "hell OF fire.
nothing could live The intrepid
Martin fell MANNED for life. Forty
two OF bis brave Firginians lay dead
around him. And there in the Bloody
Angle our heroic chief, grasping a
captured cannon to turn it on the
foe, fell amongst bis devoted men,
pierced with mortal wounds, land
sealing with his hearts blood the
high-water-mark of the Confederate
cause"
AS they bore him to the rear they
met the gallant Hancock hurrying
to the front. Each recognized the
other. They had been comrades in
the old army And learning who
lie was, Hancock dismounted, and
grasping Armistead's hand, told him
with soldiers sympathy, how sor-
and tried to cheer him with the hope
that his wounds would not be NOR
tai, as our hero said. But Armistead
was right. He knew that death was
near at hand.
Carried from the field a prisoner,
she fingered through the fourth of
July and died on the fifth, leaving an
example of patriotic ardor, of hero
ism aud devotion to duty which
ought to be handed down through
the ages
When his kinsmen heard OF his
glorious death, they came and took
his body, took all that was mortal
of him, down to Baltimore, and with
reyerant hands laid him to rest
amongst his own people, in the
church yard of old St. Paul's, the
hero of Gettysburg beside the hero OF
Fort Henry Agranite obelisk marks
the spot where he fell on Cemetery
Ridge. The sword which dropped
from his dying grasp, you may see it
now in the Confederate Museum.
Such, comrades, was the soldier
whose portrait we unveil tonight.
AS | stand before you my thoughts
leap back over the forty-fve years
that lie between, back to the day
when | saw him leading his brigade
through the storm of shot and shell
on the field of Gettysburg.
"None died on that field with great
er glory than he, though many died
and there was much glory" Yes,
comrades, we know how many died
whose names we hold in deathless
honor, Edmonds and Owens, and
Patton, and Hodges, and Magruder,
and knigthly Garnett.
The heart of Virginia was torn
with anguish. Her stately head was
bowed in grief. The flower of her
chivalry fell in that fatal charge. But
none so lamented as Armistead,
none crowned with glory like his.
Many Others had done valiantly, but
he surpassed them all. He did deed
that was matchless, unique, without
parallel on that field, when lead
ing his men with untiinching courage
through the storm OF fire, he pierced
the enemy's line and fell there in the
Bloody Angle. Not Wolfe at Quebec,
not Ney at Waterloo, exhibited a
grander example of heroism and de-
votion than that displayed by our
laInented chief.
The fame of his heroic deeds has
spread through all the world. In
every history they stand recorded. A
generous foe united with US to honor
his memory. The stolid Longstreet
kindles with enthusiasm to tell how,
''The noble Armistead fell on Gene
terry Ridge by the wheels of the cap
tured cannon"
And so, comrades, we present you
now the portrait OF a soldier, with
out fear and without reproach," OF
one who tried with fiery trials was
always equal to the test, who true as
steel to his convictions upheld on
every field the honor of Virginia and
added yet another leaf to the chap
let of glory which shall forever en-
circle her queenly head.
He comes to his place in this Hall
OF Fame, with the heroes of our be-
role age, who leaped to arms forty
.~~tA