The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-04
80 Veterans of Immortal
Bridage of Pickett Again
Charge Over Famous
Battle Ground
CHEERS FROM MEN IN
BLUE GREET GREAT
ONSLAUGHT OF PEACE
Inspiring Scene Captiyates 0nlookers
as Handful of Heroic Veterans
Again Follow Tattered Dixie
Banner Over Famous
Bloody Angle

Gettsyburg, Pa, July "A handful OF
men in gray re-enaeted today the charge
of pickett across the field of Gettysburg.
Up to the slope of cemetery ridge where
death kept step with them in SO, i5O vet
Grams of the Virginia regiments of that
immortal brigade made their slow parade.
Under the brow of the ridge in the Bloody
Angle where the Philadelphia brigade
stood that day, was a handful in blue,
scarcely larger waiting to meet the on
slaught of peace. There were no flash
ing sabres. no belching guns, only eyes
that dimmed fast and kindly faces be-
hind the stone wall that marks the angle.
AT the end, in place of wounds or prison
or death. were handshakes, speeches and
mingling cheers.
Led by Bentley
The veterans in gray marched for a
quarter of a mile over the ground that
they traversed during the charge. They
came up the slope in column of fours,
irregularly, but responsive to the COM
mands of Mai. w. w. Bentley of the
Twenty-fourth Virginia, one of the few
officers of either Pickett's or the Phila-
delphia brigades present. Ahead of them
marched band and well down the
column was faded Confederate flag, its
red field pierced with many holes, its
cross bars dim and its shaft colored with
the sweat of many man who died that
II might fly high in the last desperate
effort to pierce the union lines. Its prog
ress was slow and painful for the timothy
on the field was high and its plowed sur
face was not easy for world weary feet.
ID to the Nerv edge Of the stone walt
covered now with tangled vines, shaded
by. trees and peaceful as a summer lane
thcv marched in the hot sun while the
band played 'sDixie." There they stood
for half an hour while their comrades
In blue peered across at them.
Form Behind Walls
The blue line formed behind the walls
Overhead floated a faded standard of the
Second army corps. Behind them We're
the statues of the Philadelphia brigade
and the Fourth United States army bat
terry. where General Armistead 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 wreaths; the stars
and stripes was unfurled and the
crowd that came to watch burst into
q cheer. Representative J. Hampton
Moore of PENNSYLVANIA made a long
speech and Major Bentley answered
him on behalf of the south. The vet
vided by John Wanamaker. They
crowded over the stone wall. shook
hands and the charge was over There
was many a picturesque figure in the
line that came up the slope. W. H.
Turpin of the Fifty-third Virginia APP
+.
day OF the charge. His feet We're bound
I'm cloth, he had an army blanket
strapped to his back and he calmly
smoked a long-stemmed corncob pipe
But 1000 Returned
There were Is regiments in Pickett's
division that day in 63 and the his
tories say that 5000 men charged across
the field Every field officer was killed
or wounded except one lieutenant col
onel and two-thirds of the line off
GERS met the same fate. OF the 5000
who charged only about 1000 returned
TO the Confederate position. The Phil
adelphia brigade numbered about 1900
men and lost 453 In killed and wounded
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
resentatfves and nine senators headed
by Vice President Marshall and Speak
er Champ Clark.
One practical suggestion came from
the meeting. Governor Cox, in the
course Of his address, urged that the
National Soldiers Home at Johnson
City, Tenn, be turned over to the Con-
federates for use as home for the
veterans who fought under the south
ern flag. The audience voiced it's APP
proval by tremendous applause
Vice President Marshall was the first
speaker In his speech he said:
"This occasion wipes out the last of
the Mason and Dixon line AS Bob
Tavlor once said. there is now no diff
ference between the north and the
south except cold bread and hot bis
cult"
Speaker Clark made his usual hit with
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