The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1913-01-30
nBARKSDALE'S LAST CHARGE"

nBARKSDALE'S LAST CHARGE"
At a meetiag of R. J. Hancock Chapter,
United Daughters of the Confederacy, held
in this place on the 21st instant-the birth
day anniversary of the immortal Stonewall
Jackson-Mrs. J. P. Mccain of VAUDEVILLE
was received as member of the chapter
on the record of her grandfather, Gen. VIM.
Barksdale -one of the bravest men that
ever stood in the forefront OF nations
life. He commanded the Third Brigade OF
Major General Lafayette McLaws Division,
Longstreet's Corps. His brigade consisted
of four Mississippi regiments and Vir-
ginia battery, namely, the Thirteenth,
William Barksdale, colonel; Seventeenth,
W. D. Holder, colonel; Eighteenth, T. NJ.
Griffin, colonel; Twenty first, Benjamin G.
Humphreys, colonel, and E. S. McCarthy's
Battery.
At the mention of the name of the in
trepid Barksdale, how the memories OF the
fateful days of the early sixties come
trooping. We see him at bloody Malvern
Hill, where, to quote from the official re-
port of Major General John B. Magruder,
his "galant brigade, not quailing for an
instant, advanced steadily into the fight. -
Again, at fredericksburg, where his SUI
perb Mississippi riflemen stubbornly held
the enemy at bay and prevented the laying
of their pontoon bridges across the Kappa
hammock River until, in obedience to Or
ders, he reluctantly withdrew his brigade
from the position it had bravely held for
several hours. And so on down the battle
list until he fell leading his gallant Mis-
sissippians Where the battles wreck lay
thickest" at Hateful Gettysburg.
AS Confederate soldier Gen. Barksdale
has left glorious legacy to his children
and grandchildren and people worthy to be
handed down to the future historian for
unsurpassed bravery and loyal support to
the cause of the Southland.
Under the heading. Barksdale's Last
Charge" some years ago Fountaine Maury
told how heroically Barksdale died and
paid this touching tribute to the gallant
leader and his immortal brigade Of fighting
men, which we quote in full as follows:
The last rays of the rising sun glinting
from the mountain tops around about
Gettysburg on the morning of July 2, 1868
discovered the enemy in full force drawn
up in line Of battle along the heights be.
You'd the Emmetsburg turnpike. Far te
the right rugged, impregnable Round ToE
rose in its awful majesty. To the left ane
farther off Culp's Hill reared his grim visag.
ed front, and the ridge between the two, al
though sown with the tabled dragons
teeth, literally bristled with bayonots.
The enemy had been met in his owl
country, he had selected his own battl
ground, and with the precision of soldie
he had selected we'll. Meade, however
had made one mistake. Instead of deploy
ing his line along the top of the ridge be
tween Round Top and Cups Hill, he mad
a detour into the valley about half way be
tween the two near the Peach Orchard, an
Longstreet was ordered to attack this sail
ent, and, swinging his right around Roun
Top, to fall upon the enemy's flank.
Hoods Division was ordered to max
the assault on Round Top, and Barksdal
to attack the salient and drive the enem
from the valley.
About O'Clock the final order came
"The lines before you must be broken an
the enemy must be driven from the fielo
Let every officer animate his men by hi
personal presence on the front line. Nov
forward at once and swing to the left.
The brigade was then in readiness to move
Humphreys commanded the right win
directly behind the Peach Orchard; Carte
commanded the left wing; Holder an
Griffin held the right and left centers.
Three hundred yards in front, passin
hard by the Peach Orchard, ran the turn
pike from Emmetsburg to Gettysburg.
Behind this the enemy's first line We
deployed, supported by the batteries Q
the elevation behind and in the Peach On
chard. The Washington Artillery opene
fire on the line behind the turnpike.
puff of white smoke, a livid flash from tt
heights beyond, the thunder of doze