Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1909-03-26
Civil War Stories
The cum. nt Gettx.hurg.

knew that Lee would attack that day
BY 10 O'Clock in the forenoon every one
knew where the blow would fail. The
topography of the field, the bloody
struggles on the wings. the movements
IF troops and batteries-there were
dozen signs 10 indicate what was com
ing.
From daylight to . o'clock there was
4 Sputter of muSketry along the front
as the sharpshooters and skirmishers
fired at long range. From to 10 the
cavalry on the wings had the fight all
to themselves From 10 to IL gun
here and there shelled the Confederate
they We're hiding, but there seemed 80
be no fighting anywhere. From II to
L Lee was maSsing 100 field pieces in
| front Of Longstreet and Hin TO open
on Hancock. Meade posted 100 guns
I to 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 in line
ate from their hayersacks, and the ar
tillery horses nibbled at the grass as
they were unchecked by their drivers,
Scores of men had pocket telescopes.
/ These We're 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 US"
| So came the word along the lines.
II 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 1 o'clock
sharp the boom of single gun echoed
! over the battlefield, and shell came
| screaming over our heads and eXplod-
signal. Before one could have counted
| twenty there was a 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 1t
/ 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 a cloud
of 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 to wound or kill in our own
ranks.
| No living man will ever hearken to
| a more terrific canuonade. No battle
| field of the future will hold men for
! two long hours under such a crossire.
| The smoke rose up and hung dead
cloud in the air until one thought that
night was coming down. Fiery ser
penis 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 luIl---no interval. Only
! those who became unneryed sat up 10
| look around them, Here and there one
| rose up and ran away. He was not a
| coward--he was simply unneryed 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 seml-dark-
/ ness TO find shelter from the rain Of
death.
Two hours. they afterward said We
/ lying there made no note Of the pas
/ sage Of time. 1t was a nightmare, and
yet we did not sleep. Death rode al
along our front-he leaped over US
/ he raced his spectre steed along the
/ fences and highways and fields far IN
our rear. The cannOnade died away
slowly. The last few guns seemed to
give up grudgingIy. The very last sent
a screaming shell which fell among
j the wounded and stopped the groans
and cries Of five or six forever
Up, men, They are coming Fail
/ ln-fall in
Yes. they were coming. with Pickett's
/ Virginians In the van and breaking
along Ike a huge wave. II was a re-
I lief to know they were coming 1t was
grim satisfaction to watch the advance.
! Men shouted in eXultation rs they came