The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1909-12-30

lery in the Confederate army, and
participant in the great battle of Get
tysburg. thus graphically describes
General Pickett's desperate charge en-
the Union lines:
Pickett was sitting on his horse,
when General Wilcox rode up to him
and. taking a flask of whisky from his
pocket, said:
Pickett. take drink with me. In
an hour you will be in hell or glory"
BE it so. General Wilcox" returned
Pickett, taking the proffered drink;
whatever my fate. shall do my duty
like brave man."
The line being formed. the gallant
men on whom were centered a peoples
hope of a nation moved out of the
woods.
Firm-faced and slow, horrid front
ther form,
Still as the breeze, but dreadful as
the storm.
Nothing interrupted the view of this
superb movement From the cannon
covered top of Cemetery hill. along the
Federal lines, the soldiers of the Fed
eral army watched with wonderment,
not unmixed with admiration, the on
coming of those heroic columns, while
the Confederates looked on admiring-
| ~, hoping against hope that success
would reward the splendid courage
evinced by Pickett's men. When
short distance from their starting
| point they obliqued TO the right and
then to the left in order to secure COW
er in the undulations of the plain
across which they were moving. BY
/ some strange fatality the artillery
smoke, which had settled over the field
after cannonading, and hung there
close to the ground. lifted after the
Confederate division had got some dis
lance in its journey to death and
glory, and revealed distinctly to both
armies the movement then being made.
Marching in the direction of the OBJ
! jective position with measured step
and unfaltering courage Pickett's di-
|
goall without hindrance from the foe.
What did it mean? Was their attack
| to be bloodless victory? These were
questions that sprung instinctively to
the minds of the gallant men. Oh, no;
for suddenly a cloud-burst of flame.
shot and she'll came laundering from
the ridge into the devoted ranks
/ There was no wavering, no hating
on went Pickett's men. presenting as
solid and undaunted front as the rock
OF Gibraltar. Many dead and wounded
We're left by their brave comrades on
the SPOT where they fell. There was
DO time for anything but duty, and
that stern duty was ahead of them.
Again and again the Federal batteries
poured forth a rain of shot. she'll
shrapnel and canister upon them in
unstinted measure. Horrid rents,
which are quickly closed up, are made
In their lines as the men press stead
! lily forward a thunde. cloud of war
that would not be stayed. The FEEDER
his. seeing that they were dealing with
a desperate foe. Increase their fire, II
possible, with no apparent effect, ex-
cept TO mark the tract over which the
force is moving with the dead and
wounded heroes
Never was there a Sublimer exnibi-
ton of bravery on the field of battle
Courage was personified in every man.
On they went in the face of the relent.
less hail of death that was beating
against them. General Armistead was
seen with his hat aloft on his sword.
marching resolutely at the head of
his gallant men. Shot and shell
whistled about him, and yet he was
undaunted. His journey was a desper-
ate one. but he continued bravely on.
not with the courage of desperation.
but with the courage Of perfect man
and gallant soldier
Don't finch an inch, BOYS" he had
said TO his men before starting away.
and they were heroically responding.
The carnage in their ranks was fear
full to contemplate. 1t seemed more
like cold-blooded butchery than sys-
tematic war. That part OF our army
not engaged watched the gallant band
in painful suspense. 1t did not seem
within the limit of human endeavor
that they could ever reach the objec-
tive point. so terrible was the s!augh-
ter TO which they were being subject
ed. On they went, with every step be-
coming more determined Surely there
never was seen such matchless hero
ism. Nothing could stay or check
them. When within a short distance
of the Federal line their wild yells of
defiance were heard above the thunder
ing of their guns. The greatest mo-
ment of their lives had come. They
dashed forward in wild and disorder
ed rush Garnett. whose brigade was
in front, fell dead within a hundred
yards of the Union front, sword in
hand. His men rushed madly upon
the Sixty-ninth and Seventy-first Penn
sylvania regiments, who had been
awaiting the coming attack At this
moment they were brought under the
fire of STANDARDS brigade, which was
occupying a small wood in advance
and to the left of the point of Pickett's
attack. Hancock realizing the purpose
of the attack. and always on the alert
to seize favorable opportunity, threw
force on Pickett's flank. Two of
Armisteads regiments were frightfully
decimated and thrown into disorgan-
lied state by this movement. The re-
mainder of his brigade dropped into
the rear of the center of Pickett's lines.
Armistead, swinging his sword wildly,
and rushing from point to point, urged
his men forward and reached the front
rank between Kemper and Garnett
In the impetuous rush which ensued
these brigades became compact strug
f.. Cling mass. of human beings, all bent