The Irish standard., 1911-07-01

lue ARMY OIL the FOIOHldC. EItN DTdC.
ing in its rank and file the best and
bravest troops that ever trod the
commanding officer able to cope with
Jackson and with Lee. One COM
mander after another was displaced
as sacrifice to popular Impotence or
political conspiracy. For two years
the Rough Riders of the Confederate
Cavalry had practically beleagured
the National Capital, and in the sum-
mer of 1863 the loyal State of Penn
sylvania. the second of the great
states of the Union, resounded to the
tramp of an invading army of hun
dred thousand men. Washington was
in greater peril than Richmond, and
the rulers, not the people, of France
and Great Britain eagerly awaited a
Confederate victsry as pretext for
the recognition of the independence
of the Southern Confederacy. The
populace of the greatest of the East
ern states, irritated and alarmed by
the unequal enforcement of the draft,
had risen in riot, and for four days
anarchy held possession of the i'm
perial City of New York. 1t was the
darkest crisis in the nations history
and the saddest hour In the sad life of
Abraham Lincoln.
On the morning of July second. the
opposing armies lay in battle array at
Gettysburg. From South to North,
distance of two miles, stretched the
Union lines on Cemetery Ridge from
Big and Little Round Top on the south
to Culp's Hill on the North. On the
extreme left, protecting Round Top
was posted Sickles' Brigade, and
slightly in it's rear and protecting the
artillery, stood the First Minnesota.
During all the previous day the car
mage ragged and when evening fell the
advantage lay with the Confederates,
five thousand Union soldiers having
been captured. On the afternoon of
the second day Sickles advanced his
Brigade a half mile to the peach Or
chard, leaving Round Top and the
Union left practically unprotected.
Longstreet who was in command of
the Confederate right saw his oppor-
tunity and Immediately charged the
brigade of Sickles. For two hours
the men of Minnesota beheld the con-
t1ict, realizing its Importance and i'm
potently awaiting the result. At last
the Union army is seen to waver, the
gallant Sickles after having perform
err prodigies of valor is stricken from
his horse, apparently wounded to the
death, the Union army is in full re-
treat. pursued by the enemy cheered
on and led on by Longstreet on
foot. hat in hand, charging the Union
left. In five minutes our flank would
have been turned and Gettysburg
would have been the sepulchre Of the
Union. But from the front rides
Hancock the Superb, thunderbolt of
war. One glance is enough. Spur
ring his horse to the First Regiment
What Regiment is this?" he de-
mands; THE First Minnesota" an
swers Colvill. Charge those lines"
came back the command. Before Col
will had time to give the order the
First Minnesota made the charge
Two hundred and sixty-two against
five thousand, dashed across the open
space, swept by the murderous fire of
the rebel artillery. Down the slope
they rushed and at it's foot with bay
onets struck the first rank of the enc
my. The impetus of the charge was
such that the men of Minnesota ran
through the first line of the rebel ad-
vance without firing gun and deliv-
cred their first volley at the second
rebel line, at distance of not more
than thirty feet. Paralyzed and ap-
palled the nemy faltered, its advance
was stopped, the five minutes were
gained and Hancock at the head of
struck the rebel ranks
like a whirlwind and scattered them
like frosted leaves. Two hundred and
sixty-two men had charged with COL
Will, forty seven returned with their
wounded, their flag and a squad of
rebel prisoners. History records no
other deed like this. Before it Their
mopylae pales into insignifcance and
Balaklava is merely a blunder. The
only parallels in history for the First
Minnesota at Gettysburg are in
scribed upon the pages of our coun-
try's story that tell how Crockett and
his men stood and died behind the
blood stained walls of the Alamo and
now on that summer day, Custer of