The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1913-07-09
Soldiers of the Gray Greet
the Blue.
NO FLASHING SABRES
NO BELCHING GUNS
Faces of the Union Soldiers behind
the Stone Walls at the ''BIOody An
gle" Take the Place of Engises of
War as They were Fifty Years Ago.

Gettysburg, July "a handful ot
men in gray reenacted today the
charge of Pickett across the field O,
Gettysburg. Up the slope Of Gem.
etery ridge, where death kept ster
with them in '63, $50 veterans OF
the Virginia regiments Of that immor-
tai brigade made their slow parade
Under the brow of the ridge in the
bloody angle, where the >Philadelphia
brigade today was handful in
blue, scarcely larger, waited to meet
the onslaught of peace. There were
no flashing sabres, no belching guns
only faces behind the stone wall that
marks the angle. AT the end, in place
r OF wound or prison or death, were
Randshakes, dpeeche sand mingling
cheers.
The veterans in gray marched for a
quarter Of a mile over the ground that
they trayersed during the charge
They came up the slope in column of
fours, irregular but responsive to the
commands Of Maj. w. w. Bentley of
the Twenty-fourth Virginia, one Of the
few officers of either Pickett's or the
Philadelphia brigades present. Ahead
of them marched band and well
down the column was a faded Con-
fedearte flag, It's red field pierced with
many holes, its cross bars dim and
its shaft colored with the sweat of
many man who died that it might
fly high in the last desperate effort
to pierce the Union lines.
Make Slow Progress.
Its progress was slow and poinful
for the timothy in the field wasshigh
and its plowed surface was not easy
for weary. feet. Up to the very edge
Of the stone wall, covered now with
tangled vines, shaded by trees and
peaceful as a summer line, they
marched in the hot sun while the
ban dplayed Dixie. There they
stood for half an hour while their
comrades in blue peered across at
them.
The blue line formed behind the
wall. Overhead floated a faded stand
ard of the Second army corps. Behind
them were the statues of the Phila-
delphia brigade and the Fourth Unit
ed States battery where Gen. Arm
istead died
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 amity; the
Stars and Stripes was unfurled and
the crowd that came to watch burst
into a cheer. Representative j.
aHmpton Moore of Pennsylvania
made q losg speech and Maj. Bent
ley answered him on behalf of the
South The veterans in gray were
given a medal provided by John Wan
amaker. They crowded over the stone
wall shook hands and the charge
was over, There was many a pic
tur6sque figure in the line that came
up the slope. w. III. Turpin of the
Fifty third Virginia apveared in the
uniform he wore on the day of the
charge. His feet were bound in
cloth, he had ain army blanket strap
ped t ohis back and he calmly smok-
ed a long stemmed corn cob pipe.
A Bloody Spot.
There were Is regiments in Pick
ett's division that day in 63, and the
histories say that 5000 men charged
across the field. Every field officer
was killed or wounded except one lieu
tenant 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 brigade mum
bered 1900 men and lost 453 in kill
ed and wounded.
Governors Day.
Governors day" in the big tent was
a great success. The enclosure was
crowded with thousands of cheering
veterans. Love of country was the
keynote of the speeches. Present was
the congressional committee Of 21
representatives, and nine senators
headed by Vice President Marsahl