The Washington times., 1913-08-19


" ously unscathed amid that car
mage, was leading them back.
Fain would he. too, have
lain beside Garnett and Armistead
on that high water mark Of Confeder-
ate valor, on the crest Of that heaven
kissed hill which the passions Of men
had turned into an inferno. There are
times when to live and go back are
the hardest duties of a soldier. 1t takes
more heroism sometimes TO retreat than
TO advance. 1t was so when Pickett led
back the poor remains of his shattered
battalions. In the charge organization
had been necessarily lost Regiments
had been swept away. Companies had
been deCimated brigadeS had been
shattered, officers had been killed The
few of subordinate rank who survived
ran to and fro among the group of men,
toiling terribly, laboring like Tltans to
bring some sort Of order out of chaos.
The assault had ended in a dreadful
confusion of intermingled men and
guns, but the retreat was not rout.
Even in that hail Of fire the men re-
membered that they were soldiers and
seconded the pleas and orders OF their
officers as best they could. 1t was, after
all something like a battle line which
toiled up Seminary Ridge TO the place
they had left an hour-one short hour
before: a torn. irregular, blOOd-stained.
broken rank, but, thank God, II was a
hghting force still
Most Of the men we're weeping. the
tension being off. Well they had shown
themselves men. they had a right to cry
like women. There were movements in
hot haste along the Confederate lines.
Batteries We're advanced. Other troops
were brought forward and stretched out
in long. thin ranks 10 fill the places Of
the dead and missing, in anticipation Of
the return shock, the return charge.
Men looked with bated breath at the
blue lines upon the hill waiting each
instant TO see masses treadlng over the
bodies of the slain lying so thick in the
valley and advancing toward the shat
how could they meet il?
Galloping mp ut ms great gray horse
into that confusion burst a soldier alone.
He neither checked sterd nor drew rein
until he was in the middle OF the heav-
ing. painting. sObbing. chaotic mass Of
Tetreatlng men.
IT'S my tault.' he cried in his deep
splendid voice Its my fault ! take
the blame You have done nObly.
want all true men now. Face the other
way. Those people will soon be upon
US We must show them that we can
defend as we'll as attack. Face the Othe:
way. There must be no further retreat.
It's ali my fault
They were breathing hard, those ex-
hausted men They had little strength
for words, but as Robert Lee. with a
face like iron, such a figure Of repres-
sion as men had not often seen. but
with his soul upon his lips. magnan-
imOusly assuming the burden Of defeat,
rode back through his faithful Nir-
ginisns, they turned and cheered him
like mad. Now the black horse meets
the gray. There Is a fierce OutCry, Il
passionate protest from the commander
who has seen the flower of his division
20 down 20 utter destruction. Why was
he not suppOrted2 Where were the
other men? Why was such a brilliant
opportunity OF success allowed TO fail
OF fruitOn? Who was AT fault?
''I, alone am to blame" said the
deep voice Of the great captain, calm
ing his excited subordinate. You have
dorre magnifiCently. Virginia is PROUD
of you No more now. The time for
discussion is not yet Let all brave men
rally. We must be ready to fight. We
rnrst make secure our own lines"
So, riding 70 and fro, the heroic fig
ure of the great captain brings order
out of chaos and nerves his broken
sobbing men again to confront the
foeman and hurl him back should he
assail the line The Army of the Po-
tomac, came not. Meade gave no or
der Its opportunity and his were
gone. Fate knocks but once on any
mans door. Meade's chance did not
present itself again. He lost his gold
en- moment when he held his eager
war hounds in leash. The Confeder-
ates waited throughout the long
afternoon but there was no move
ment from the other hill The last
ditch is a great place in which to die
The men in gray were not dead, but
they We're against the wall. The lead
er Of the men in blue had had enough.
He did not wish to rouse the madden
ed lion from his final lair. Perhaps
after all he decided wisely when he