Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1913-07-04
Virginia Veterans Cross Tim
othy Field and March Up to
Bloody Angle Where Fed
erals Held Stone WALL
HANDSHAKES GREET
ASSAlLANTS IN GRAY
Stars and Stripes and Stars
and Bars UnfurIedi Much
Speechmaking INDUCED in
by Orators Present
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Gettvsburg Battlefield. Pa, July 3'
"A handful of men in gray $50 IN
an re-cnacted today the charge of
Pickett across the field Of Gettysburg
mn the slope Of Cemetery ridge where
death kept step with them IN 90
they were veterans of the virginia
regiments of that immortal brigade
Under the brow of the ridge in the
bloody angle where the Philadelphla
brigade stood that day was handlui
I'm blue. scarcely larger waiting 10
meet the onslaught Of peace. There
were no flashing sabrcs no guns
roaring with shell. only eyes thdt
dimmcd fast and kindly faces behind
the stone wall that marks the angle.
At tho end in place of wounds or
prison ar death. were handshakes
speeches and mingling cheers.
The veterans i'm gray marched for
q quarter Of. mile over the ground
that they traverscd during the charge.
They came up the slope in columns
of fours, irregular but responsive 10
tho commands OF Major w w. Bent
lev of the 24th Virginia, one of the
few Officers of either Pickett's or the
Philadelphia brigades who were pres
ont. Ahead Of them marched a band
and we'll down the column was a
faded confederate flag its red field
pierced with many holes, its cross bars
aim and its shaft colored with the
sweat of many a man who died that
IL might fly high in the last desperate
effort to pierce the Union lines It's
progress was slow and painful for the
timothy in the field was high and its
plowed surface was not easy for world
weary feet Up to the very edge of
the stone wall covered now with
tangled vines, shaded by trees and
peaceful as a summer lane, they
marched in the hot sun while the band
played Dixie" There they stood
half an hour while their comrades in
blue peered across at them.
The blue line formed behind the
walls. over their heads floated a
faded standard Of the second army
corps. Behind them were the statues
Of the Philadelphia brigade and the
Fourth t. S. army battery whore Gen
eral Armistead died in the midst Of
the guns, killed, the histories say, by
q shot fired by It's dying commander,
Lieutenant Cushing.
AS the men in gray formed in a
long line facing the wall, the stars
and bars and the flag of the second
corps were crossed in amty; the stars
and stripes was unfurled and the
crowd that came to watch burst into
a cheer Representative J. Hampton
Moore, of Pennsylvania, made long
speech and Major Bentley answered
him on behalf Of the south. The vet
Grams in gray were given medal
provided by John Wanamakcr They
crowded over the stone wall, shook
hands and the charge was over. There
was many picturesque figure in the
line that came up the sloGe.
w. II. Turpin, of the 53rd Virginia
appeared in the uniform he wore on
the day of the charge His feet were
bound in cloth. he had an army
blanket strapped to his back and he
calmly smoked a long -stemmed corn
cob pipe.
There were fifteen regiments in
Pickett's division that day in 68, and
the histories say that 5000 men
charged across the field. Every field
officer was killed or wounded except
one lieutenant colonel and two-thirds
of the line officers met the same fate
OF the 5000 who charged only about
1000 returned to the confederate po-
sition.
The Philadelphia rigade num-
bered about 200 men ana lost 453
in killed and wounded.
Governors day" in the big tent was
a great success Interest was added
to the occasion by the presence Of "a
congressional committee of twenty
one representatives and nine senator's,
who came here this afternoon from
Washington, headed by Vice President
Marshall and Speaker Clark.
one practical suggestion came from
the meeting. Governor Cox, Of ohio,
in the course Of his address, urged
that the national soldiers home at
Johnson City Tenn, be turned over
to the confederates for use as a home
Tor the veterans who fought under
the southern flag. The audience
voiced its approval by tremendous APP
plause.
Vice President Marshall was the
llfst speaker. His address was in the
nature of a Fourth Of July Grafton.
He said in part.
1T would be in vain to speak of
right or wrong on this occasion. This
celebration could only happen in
America. Nowhere else in the world
could men who fought as bitter foes,
fifty years ago. meet, clasp hands in
orotherly love, as they are here to-
day This occasion will perhaps be