The Washington times., 1913-08-16


said that Longstreet was the best
| marcher that he ever saw-that in spite
! of the fact that Jacksons men were
I habitually called the foot cavalry"
| As for fighting ability, no. even the old
Stopewan Brigade itself could surpass
| them. All the men of the organization,
| from Armistead, Garnett Kemper, and
| Corse. the brigadlers, down to the hum
| blest private, felt proud to belong to
| the Virginia division. There were other
| Virginia regiments brigaded with the
| different regiments of other State
! troops, but Pickett's was the only di-
! vision of the army TO which none but
/ Nirginians were admitted. Its officers
were as jealousy exclusive in admitting
| men to their ranks as they were proud
| of its reputation for efficiency and cour-
age.
Grafton, like many of his fellows,
| would rather be a private under Pickett
| than an officer under some one else
| His was the first regiment of Armi-
stead's brigade. The brigade lay at ease
| with two others-Corse's brigade, to its
eternal roget, was in the rear guard
ing communications-on the reverse
slope of certain hill on the afternoon
of July 3. 1863. The men lounged under
the trees awaiting the order to advance
In front Of them the crest of the hill
which afforded them concealment and
shelter blazed like a volcano and thun-
dered like a tornado The response
from the opposing hill was even greater
! and the roaring from hundreds of can
non shattered the heavens and shook
the earth.
Pickett's men were waiting the order
TO advance, eagerly awaiting. Across
the ridges and valleys surrounding
] little Pennsylvania town for two days
their brothers in arms had been fight
I ing a desperate battle with the army of
! General Meade. Lee had not succeeded
in routing that army, but on each day
: in
Confederates hoped to crown their
achievements by piercing the center OF
the Army OF the Potomac, driving IL
asunder, shattering il and driving IL in
dlsorderly retreat on this. the third day.
OF the most Titanic conflict which had
been .waged upon the continent
The word had been passed among
Picketts men that Lee expected these
Nirginians 10 lead the assault. that he
depended upon them; and without loose
ness of tongue or braggart bOast-which
i'll becomes the veteran-they expressed
1 themselves as firmly resolved not to
fail him. They knew that no child's
play lay before them. The army they
were to be hurled against had usually
been badly commanded during its exist
ence; its units had frequently been
placed in untenabIe positions; 1t had
often been sent on impossible errands;
by unskille1i, imprac ctica BILE officers; but
whenever there was any real fighting TO
DE uOHe anu IL Hdd come In actual con-
tact with the Army of Northern Vir-
ginia, its struggle had called out to
the last limit the manhood and the
courage Of the great men who followed
the st. Andrews Cross.
Just how tremendous was the tack
10 which they had been assigned they
could not realize on that side of Sem
iHary Ridge on which they lay. Some
OF them laughed and jested. Some 15
them played games. Others passed the
time in more quiet pursuits. There were
riany men in many moods in such an
army, but when the time came ne who
talked would fight neither more nor
less determinedly than he who had been
$ lent The man who WAS sad would
20 into battle with the same resolution
as the man who was glad.
Philip Grafton was one Of the uuiat
rIcn. One woman can usually fill the
heart of a man. but present 10 him
before every battle were two, Ariadne.
his wife in tn" quiet home at Rich.
mOnd: Kathleen KirkWoOd in the one
In York. There across those hills be-
lOnd that distant crest whence came
the hurting shells lay the home of the
Northern giyl Like shuttle his mind
went back and forth between Virginia
ard PenHsylvania. He had seen Afiadne
few tines although he might have
81 en her great many more than he
haT If he had 50 willcd But he gladly
Welcomed the press Of duties which
- bl MN WIN the army, and only upon
lare occasions did he ask for "a fur
l"ngh 10 Richmond.
Often times when the army was near
the capital ATiadne would have ridden
bcnninell out 10 see her husband but
she had learned that Philip did not
approve q: women in camp. and his
iipEtest wsh was law to her She too.
had bided her time. The two years
lad made Of he. not a soldier. bur a
woman. The privations that afterward
came TO the South at that time had
not been keenly felt by the people of
that land. There came a time wher
The women denied themselves the neCes-
salieS Of life to feed the soldiers and
some starved Ia death to put bread
n the mouths of the men at arms but
that time WAS still in the future. There
we're. of course. many luxuries with
which the women Of the South were
forced 10 dispose. and the number OF
these daily increased with the growing
s.ringcuCy Of he life-thrOttl'ng block
wGs Vet, an abundance. Graftons wife
to live in, and. Chiefest of all human
Dressings work to DO.
She had developed amazingly Dhvsi- |
call and mentally. especially in the
last year. Grafton. living on the reverse.
slope Of Seminary Ridge AT Gettysburg,
reflected that he had no; seen her for
nearly a year. How pretty she had
been when he last looked upon her,
E,- WAS WONDERING how she looked now.
Si.- would be beautiful woman some
day he thought, and she was his. MOI
one could be more completely devoted
to another than she to him. II he could