The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-07-04
RECOLLECTION OF THE WAR
BETWEET STATES
Continued from page thirteen

day had been promptly followed up.
or if Longstreet had attacked when
first ordered the Confederate victory
would have been complete. bur fate
had decreed otherwise. and. 50 after
doing all that men Gould Go, the Con
federate army retired to Virginia. A.
though the C~onfederateS We're no. sue
cessful at Gettysburg. they retired n
good order and Gen. Meade (who COM
m2nded the Fedora army DAD MT
dare to attack Lee.
After the failure of the COnfederatas
to drive the enemy from their posi-
ton on the afternoon OF the @rd ot
July they did not retreat at once but
remained on the field that night aal
all the next day. and only began their
retreat on the night of the 4th Of
July, and the enemy dared not par
sue for two or three days. When our
| army reached the Potomac river ID
was so swollen by recent rains that
it could not be forded, and the army
remained on the north bank tor sew
eral days ready for any attack which
Meade might make. but he very wise
~ made none. He we'll knew that Lee
still had an army Of so, 900 Of the best
soldiers in the world who would repel
any attack that might be mad. Tor
like a wounded lion at bay thee would
turn and rend their pursuers.
In this great battle at Gettysburg
32.983 were killed and wounded. Think
for a moment what this means. as
many men killed and wounded as
there are men. women and children N
any one OF a majority of the Couutl@5
in this State. The ConfederateS lost in
killed 1852 and the I'ederaIs @115.
While the former lost in wounded H.
7O1 and the latter 14.529. As usua.
in all the great battles fought by L. :
9PmV nr,r North "a rnijna tvnpn- sui
fered a heavier loss than those of 49,
other state. OF the Confederates kill
ed 40 were North Csrolinians, ~"
Georgians, 399 Eirginians. 25S Mis-
s~issippians. PIT South Carolinians and
2O4 Alabamians. The three brigaaes
which suffered the heaviest loss We're
Pettigrew's composed entirely of
North CarOlinianS. DaVisS composed III
three MISSISSIPPI regiments and one
North Carolina regiment. and DAME.
North Carolina brigade. Although -
much has been sal in praise OF Pi@s-
ett's men at Gettysburg. and we d.
not question or wish TO detract from
their heroic conduct. vet one Norm
Carolina regiment tthe 26th) lost mora
men killed and wounded than any H"-
brigade in Pickett's division. and q aT-
gade is composed of -four or five req
ments.
After the rrturn Of the army 80
Virginia zen. Lee wrote To j lf--A" .
Davis rendering his resignation. "h#f'
Of course the President refused 10
PIT Lee was willing to taxi upon
himself the blame of the failure - VIII
a victory at Gettysburg. which blame
was not his but another's.
Few persons have any idea Of t
IN army is encountered on its mar n
by its wagon train. composed OF iHtiF
undred wagons. anbulanCeS. ets t'h
the retreat from Gettysburg. wH#a
! was conducted over muddy ROADS lt
rainy weather. the ARM was greatly
encountered not only with the ~ds't
train but with the ambulance ann
other vehicles loaded with the Wp-"3-
ed. This train was seventeen MUGS
long. and the sufferings Of the wHuHj-
ed We're indeScritable. JOlting along ~
rough vehicles over rough roads. win
no attention 10 their wounds. th'@
wounded soldier experienced al -
horrors of war To the fullest eH"nt -
Is a wonder that any Of them ever
reached Virginia alive