Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-12-13
SAVED DAY At GETTYSBURG

pose him by two to one. If the line
had been forced, the way would be
open to Hancock's rear and the
Army of the Potomac would have
been cut in two.
The head of the attacking column
had long since passed the spot
where Miller and his eighty men
were hiding in the woods. Miller
grasped the situation. Turning to
his lieutenant, William Brook
Rawle, of Philadelphia, Captain
Miller said:
81 have been ordered to hold this
position, but if you will back me
up in case l am courtmartialed for
disobedience, ] will order charge. 4"
The lieutenant replied that he was
always ready to pitch in rhe
captain gave orders to rally his
men, and as soon as the line was
formed the little squadron fired their
carblnes, dashed out of the woods
and hit the enemy's column about
two-thirds down from the head.
Millers charge struck the Con-
federates at full right angles. so
unexpected was it, and so impetu-
Gus, that it went right through the
gray column, throwing it into con-
fusion and cutting off, for a time
one-third of the strength of the
supporting force.
The shock was so great that the
Confederate column wavered. Gus
ter rallied his men in front; Hart.
of the First New Jersey, who had
been in the woods at Miller's Iert.
ordered a charge similar to that
which he had just seen, and
Treichal and Rogers, on the other
side of the Confederate column
with squadrons of the Third Penn
sylvania, attacked the enemy's right
flank.
In a short time the gray SQUAD
rons, broken and discounted. were
streaming back to their old position
ana wade Hampton was wounded.
Miller's squadron, which had cut
off the rear of the attacking column
was carried by it's own force
through the enemys line to Rum
meps lane.
Here hand-to-hand encounter
occurred between some of Miller's
men and Confederates who were
slow about leaving. After the bat
tie Mr.. Rummel, the owner of the
farm, dragged thirty dead horses
out of the lane, which was only a
few hundred feet in length.
Exciting and interesting Incidents
occurred within the next talf hour
but the real battle was now over
The head of the Confederate
column, losing the support of the
rear Third, was soon drifting back
in disorder.
The attack had failed, and when
Picketts charge struck the Union
center tile men in the cemetery had
nothing to fear from the rear. and
after one of the most desperate
lights III history, repulsed the Con-
feG"rate attack.
AS showing the sacrifice at which
Captain Miller made this heroic
charge, when he had pierced the
enemy's column, he turned toward
Breathead's batteries. These. the
very guns which only two days be-
fore had shelled Captain Miller's
own town of Carlisle, were on an
eminence above RummePs lane.
The guns were silenced, because
the receding wave of Confederates
made it impossible to operate the
battery without sweeping the South
ern lines themselves.
Miller didn't see any of his own
men around him, but thought that
If he charged up the hill toward
the battery, his men would see MIN
and follow. In that case it would
have Aeen an easy task to take the
euNA But so great had been the
havoc in his squadron while cutting
through Hampton's column ana in
the fight in the lane, that only four
of his men were left to support him
In the charge of the battery.