Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1913-07-25
STIRRING STORY
OF THE REUNION
Majcr Whitman, Confederate Soldier,
Tells of Second Visit to Famous
Battle Ground at Gettysburg.
Cone flag, one land, one heart,
one hand,
One nation, and the Star Span
gled Banner evermore. ("

That was the finale of the
greatest and bloodiest battle
ever fought on any continent.
The star of the hitherto invincible
army of that great military
chieftain and Christian gentle
men, Gen. r. e. Lee, began to
fade, after invading the soil of
an ever increasing foe at the
head of an army that had never
known defeat, with the fullest
confidence in the ability Of their
chieftain to lead them again to
victory, with bouyant and elated
spirits and a consciousness Of
the justice and right of their
cause. They formed their line of
battle on Seminary Ridge with a
determination not to yield until
the last armed foe expired. Be
fore them that fateful plateau
stretched away to Cemetery
Ridge, the Round Tops and Culps
Hill, where 80 thousand tried
soldiers and 2l2 pieces of artillery
awaited the final movement of
Gen. r. E. Lee. The first and
second days engagement had re-
suited favorably to the Southern
arms, for Gen. Meade was forced
back to Cemetery Ridge. When
during the night of July End, he
intrenched his position, made
the Round Tops more defensive
by Gen. Meade's people build
ing breastworks out of the loose
stone for the men to lay behind,
that nature had already made
impregnable. Great boulders of
many tons were placed by ma
lures hand promiscuously around
the Round Tops, the defenses of
which were in natures fortress,
the key to the battle field. On
the morning of the 3rd of July
the sun arose in cloudless sky
over that grand Blue Ridge
mountain that stood asilent SEN
tinel of that field of carnage and
boodshed, and cast it rays over
those silent sleepers who had
slept upon their arms during the
night, and refreshed and pre-
pared for the drama of the day.
Who of that vast army would
live to behold another sunrise, to
send message to the mother,
the wife, the sister at home, who
were awaiting anXiously and
whose prayers were ascending to
heaven for their loved ones if
possible to be spared, a message
of victory or defeat?
The soldier awakened by the
bugle call, true to his God, his
country, and his comrades, look
ed to the rising sun, welcomed
its genial rays and in silent
prayer, with eyes raised to heav-
en-, he besought the Great Ruler
of all to spare his life and grant
success to his arms, and be re-
turned to his loved ones at home,
but "Not My Will But Thine be
Done" With his breakfast over
he was ready to obey orders and
commit his life to the chances
of war. Such was the heroism
of the true soldier. That thous-
ands were left on that sanguine
field to answer to the bugle call
of the resurrection, is a sad COM
mentary on the fruits of war.
During the night Gen. Lee and
Gen. Meade were making pre-
parations for the final conflict,
Gen. Lee preparing to attack
Meade's entire line; Gen. Stuart
was to cut his way thro the fed
eral calvary, attack Mead's right
center, Gen. Lee to attack ST.
multaneously, Gen. Picket to at
tack Mead's center, Gen. Long
street to support and attack
Mead's left, occupying the Round
Top by Gen. Warren.
At the same time Gen. Mead
was preparing to attack Gen.
Lees entire line, but Lee made
the attack first. Had Lee known
Mead's intentions and permitted
Meade to make the attack, plac-
ing Lee on the defensive, the
result of the battle would have
been the reverse. And as Presi-
dent Lincoln said to Gen. Sickles
a victory on Northern soil by Lee
meant the recognition of the
South by England and France
and the loss of Washington City
and perhaps the end of the war.
For many of the federal soldiers
who were at Gettysburg said
they had enough and were ready
to quit, so it was Chance that
gave Mead the advantage on the
fatal 3rd day of July, and the
flower of Lees army massacred
in that bloody charge made by
Gen. Pickett on Mead's ceae2
Those who were engaasan =