The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1914-07-20
P|CKETT'S CHARGE
IS REVIEWED FOR
THOSE Who SAW IT
CONFEDERATE VETERANS GIVEN
SEATS OF HONOR TO HEAR
MRS. PICKETT.
LARGEST CHAUTAUQUA
AUDIENCE HEARS Or. MILES
Same Speaker Will Lecture This A.
ternoon on "TalIow Dips"-"There
Was Only One True Light and That
Was Christ, all the Rest are TaIlow
Dips" he says-Address is About
Famous People.

1t was a touching scene when the
Old Guard, consisting of white-haired |
Confederate Veterans, crowded up to
shake the hand of Mrs. Pickett, the
widow of one of the Souths favorite
military heroes and the leader of the
greatest infantry charge in the annals
of war.
Mrs. Pickett delivered her historical
lecture on the Battle of Gettysburg"
which included a vivid description
of the famous Pickett's charge.
Through the lecture the veterans lis
tened eagerly, some bent forward,
others with hands cupped to ear, so
as not to miss word Of what she
said.
There were five whose faces fairly
glowed as she told the story of how
her husband led the charge on the
i"Yankees." They were ON that battle,
field and saw tie charge. They fought
the battle over in iiiefiiory as she told
the story. They belonged to a Missis-
sippi regiment which stood close by
the brave Virginians and they proba-
bly, owe their lives to the fact that
their General did not call them into
that charge.
Their names are ]. B. Eure, ]. A.
Pack, both of Barksdale division; J..
W. Faires, of Rhodes division and s.
R. Brandon of Hills division and ]. R.
Pattison.
Mr.. Pack came from Ellisville and
Mr. Faires from Laurel. Mr.. Brandon
was courier for Gen. A. P. Hill, at
Gettysburg. 1t was he who carried
the famous message from General Lee
which stopped the trains from cross
ing the river at Williamsport on the
eve of the great battle.
Their enjoyment of the lecture was
keener than that of anybody else.
"She told the story better than I could
have" one of them said, "and l saw
it with my own eyes,"
Two Could Not Attend.
Even more pathetic than the sight of
the veterans as they crowded around
Mrs. Pickett after she had spoken is
the fact that some of the veterans
could not be present on account of the
rain. Judge Walls of Hattiesburg and
j. c. Griffin of Laurel, who had their
hearts set on hearing the story of
Pickett's charge by his widow were
unable to be present and had to stay
at home. Mr.. Griffin, who lives at
Laurel, was the color-bearer of the
Thirteenth Mississippi regiment and
had been preparing to attend ever
since he heard Mrs. Pickett was ON
the programme of the Chautauqua.
In the rush to be the first to shake
the hand of Mrs. Pickett among the
veterans one feeble old soldier fell
and was too weak to rise. A dozen
rushed to pick him up and allow him
to be presented to Mrs. Pickett. The
veterans were there, some on crutch-
es, some with canes and others lean
ing on the shoulders of their grand
children. They were given the seat
of honor around the base of the plat
form.
Mrs. Pickett's lecture was vivid in
its description and historically cor
rect. In spite of the heavy rain which
fell on the tent the entire time she
was speaking she could be heard by
all. 1t made everyone proud to be
called Southerner.
A Spark in Every Soul.
The largest audience which has been
in the Chautauqua tent since it was
erected here last night heard Robert
Parker Miles. It was also the largest
audience DR.. Miles has had in his
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