Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-19
By Edmund Rice, Brevet Lieutenant
Colonel. u. S. A.

The brigades of Harrow, Webb and
Hall of Gibbons division. Hancock's
Corps occupied the crest on Cemetery
ridge July 3. The right of Halls and
the left of Webb's brigades were in
clump of trees called by the enemy
the salient Of our position. and this
grove was the focus of the most fear
full cannonade that preceded Picketts
charge. One regiment, the 72d Penn
sylvania, in Webb's command, was a
little in the rear of the left of it's
brigade; two regiments. the 18th
Massachusetts and AID New York, Col
A. f. DevereuX commanding, of Halls
brigade, were In rear of the right of
their brigade.
From the opposite ridge, three
fourths of a mile away, line of
sk1rmlshers sprang lightly forward out
of the woods, and with intervals well
kept moved rapidly down into the
open fields. closely followed by line
of battle, then by another. and by yet
IA third. Both sides watched this
never-to be forgotten scene-the gran
deur of attack of SO many thousand
men. Gibbons division, which was to
stand the brunt of the assault, looked
with admiration on the different lines
of Confederates. marching forward
with easy. swinging step. and the men
were heard to exclaim: Here they
Gomez Here they Gomez Here
comes the Infantry"
Soon little puffs of smoke issued
from the skirmish line. it came
dashing forward, firing in reply to our
own skirmishers in the plain below,
and with this faint rattle of musket-
ry the stiffness was broken; never
hesitating for an instant, but driving
our men before it. or knocking them
over by a biting fire as they rose up
to run in. their skirmish line reached
the fences of the Emmitsburg road.
This was Pickett's advance which
carried a front of 500 yards or more.
/ was just In rear of the right of the
brigade. standing upon large bowlder. in
front of my regiment. the 10Th Massachu-
sets, where, from the configuration of
the ground. / had an excellent view of
the advancing lines, and could see the en-
tire formation of the attacking column.
Pickett's separate brigade lines lost their
formation as they swept across the En-
mitsburg road, carrying with them their
chain of skirmishers. They pushed on to-
ward the crest, and merged into one
crowding, rushing line. many ranks deep.
AS they crossed the road Webb's infantry,
on the right of the trees, commenced an
irregular hesitating fire. gradually in
shrapnel and canister from the batteries
tore gaps through those splendid Virginia
batta.ionS.
The men of our brigade. with their
muskets at the ready, lay in waiting.
One could plainly hear the orders of the
officers as they commanded. Steady,
men, steady! Don't fire. and not a shot
was fired at the advancing hostile line,
now getting closer every moment. The
heavy firing on the right in Webb's
brigade continued.
BY an undulation of the surface of the
ground to the left of the trees. the rapid
advance of the dense line of Confederates
was for moment lost to view; an In
slant after they seemed to rise out of
the EARTH and SO near that the expression
on their faces was distinctly seen.
Now our men knew that the time had
come and could wait no longer. Aiming
low, they opened a deadly concentrated
discharge upon the moving mass in their
front. Nothing human could stand it,
STAGGERED by the storm of lead. the
charging line hesitated, answered with
some Wild firing which soon increased to
a crashing roll Of musketry, running