New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-07-03
The Last Desperate Attack.

] ne last desperate NttdSN'
Pretty soon the attack came-sooner,
indeed, and wider than was expected.
About one the rebel movement was de-
veloped in a thunder Of cannonading
that rolled over our army like Doom.
They had concentrated immense guam
titles of artillery-"two hundred and
fifty pieces, at least" some of General
Meade's staff officers said, on our Cen
ter and Left, and those devoted lines
were to bear the last, fiercest shock,
that, staunchly met, should leave the
exhausted rebel army drifting back
from its supreme effort defeated host.
Longstreet and A. p. Hill were TO sup
port and follow up the artillery attack,
and the reserves were with them.
Soon, from the Cemetery Hill q did
not see this, but tell it as actors in 1t
told me), could be seen the forming
columns of Hill's Corps. Their bat
teries had already opened in almost a
semi-circle Of fire on that Scared hill
front. Three cross fires thus came in
upon It, and to-day the tracks of shells
ploughing the ground in as many diIec-
tons may be seen everywhere among
the graves Howard never moved his
Headquarters an inch. There was his
Eleventh Corps, and there he meant TO
stay, and make them do their duty If
a
When the fierce cannonade had, as
they supposed, sufficiently prepared the
way, down came the rebel lines,
dressed to the right" as if for a pa
rade before some Grand Master of Re-
views. To the front they had a line of
skirmishers, double or treble the usual
strength, next the line OF battle for the
charge, next another equally strong in
reserve, If the fierce fire they might
meet should melt away the first
Howard sent orders for his men TO lie
down, and for a little our batteries
ceased firing. The rebels thought they
had silenced US, and charged. They
were well up to our front when that
whole corps of concealed Germans
sprang up and poured out their sheet
of flame and smoke. and swiftly-hying
Death; the batteries opened-the solid
lines broke. and crisped up into little
fragments, and were beaten wildly
back. our men charged; company
after company. once at least a whole
regiment. threw down their arms and
rushed over to be taken prisoners and
carried out Of this fearful fire.
simultaneously, similar scenes were
enacting along the front of the Second.
Third and Fifth Corps. Everywhere
the rebol attack was beaten back. and
the cannonade on both sides continued
at its highest pitch.
When this broke out, 1 had been
coming over from the neighborhood Of
Pleasanton's headquarters. Ascending
the high hill to the rear of Slocum' s
headquarters. l saw such a sight as
few men may ever hope to see twice in
lifetime. Around our Centre and
Left, the rebel line must have been
from four TO five miles long. and over
that whole length there rolled up the
smoke from their two hundred and
fifty GUNS. The roar, the bursting
bombs, the impression Of magnificent
power. ''all the glory visible, all the
horror Of the fearful field. concealed" a
Nations existence trembling as the
clangor Of those iron monsters swayed
the balance-it was a sensation for a
Century!
About = the fire slackened a little. in
half an hour ii broke out deadlier than
ever. and from that till 1t culmi-
mated; then, beaten out against our
impenetrable sides. 1t ebbed away, and
closed in broken, spasmodic dashes.
AT the great, desperate. final charge
was made. They swept up as before,
the flower Of their army to the 'front.'
victory staked upon the issue. In some
places they literally lifted up and
pushed back our lines, but, that ter
ribIe position" CT ours-wherever they
entered 1t. enfilading fires from half a
score Of crests swept away their col
umns like merest chaff. Broken and
hurled back, they easily fell into our