The New York herald., 1922-07-02
Meade Would Know the
Ground by AirpIane Photos


quickly upon the best place to fight
AS it turned out, Meade found HIM
self by the fortune of war in a nearly
impregnable position. Lee. had he
realized that situation. would probably
not have abandoned his original plan
Of fighting a defense battle, to become
the aggressor.
Manervers This Year
Will Study All Conditions
In planning for the Marine Corps
maneuvers this year the officers OF
the corps made a special study OF the
conditions under which Longstreet
made his famous advance against
Ger s:c.3 ,.idge on the afternoon of
JUL }. OF which Pickett's charge was
the most spectacular feature. I have
obtained from Captain John E. Craige,
on duty at Marine Corps Headquar-
ters. a description of the way Pick
ett's division would have made it's IA
nous charge in 1868 if it had pos
sessed modern weapons and equip
ment.
"On the night of July Lee held a
consultation with his generals said
Capt. Craige," and decided to attempt
the next day to break through the
Union lines. In making this decision
he was probably still unaware that
he was opposed by the whole Union
army and believed that he still had a
numerical superiority. Accordingly. he
ordered Longstreet's corps, which had
IN Iya, IN, IN - ,t-
tack the Union lines about half way
up the shank of the fishhook Pick.
ett's division. reinforced. was as
signed for this assault; ten brigades
III all, with total strength of about
$4,000 men, although Picketts divi-
sion proper consisted Of the Virginia
Infantry Division, of about 4.500 men.
To support this attack Lee placed in
position 140 guns, which, for that
time, was an unparalleled artillery
concentration. To meet this attack
the Union forces hastily reinforced
that portion with as much artillery as
possible and a considerable number Of
infantry.
"At about noon the cannonade COM
n;enced and at ] o'clock the guns
opened in earnest and fought what
was for those days, an unparalleled
artillery duel. For nearly an hour the
artillery blazed away; then the Federal
fire slackened. Thinking that the
Union guns were disabled, Gen Alex
ander, Longstreet's artillery COM
mander, sent word for the infantry to
advance, and, shortly before o'clock,
and commenced their charge Of i'm
mortal memory. Their appearance was
the signal for the reopening Of the
Federal. artillery in it's full force.
Formed shoulder to shoulder and
in a line more than a mile long, the
brigades three deep, one behind an
other, Pickett's infantry formed tar
get which 1t was impossible for the
gunners OF 1863 to miss. The range
was about one mile. and bursting shells
Of all calibers plowed great holes in
the lines Of advancing men. The dis
tance to the objective was about a
mile and the way lay over ground
rugged and broken beyond description.
AS the Confederate infantry advanced
their lines closed up, shoulder to shoul-
der, after each bursting shell, filing
up the gaps left by the men wiped out.
as the front lines slowed up the brig
AIDES in the rear closed up on them, un-
til, when the distance was about half
covered, the assaulting line consisted
of a mass of men six deep extending
nearly a mile in front of the Union
lines. The Union rifle fire then began,
t~k,s 4. t,. frn-
quent.
Armed only with muzzle loading
rifles, the troops in the civil war were
unable to fire while charging, as a man
cannot load such a rifle while charg-
ing: consequently they were unable to
cover their advance with their own
fire from the riflemen of the Union
troops In spite Of all obstacles. Pick
ott's men held on until the Union lines
we're reached. Here, however. they
were met hand TO hand by the un-
wearied Union troops and. after a
short struggle. driven back toward
their own lines. Even in defeat, how
ever. they retreated in good order.
still offering with their massed lines
g. target which 10 was impossible for
the Union men to miss.
Great Loss of Life in
All of Pfckett's Divisions
'Tn the charge Pickett lost from
his Virginia Division OF about 4,500
men. more than 1900. while other or
eanizations suffered almost in pro-
portion. The total Confederate losses
during the battle we're approximately
10000 out Of total Of about 10000.
while the Union army lost about 49,
900 of total of about $4,000.
This was Picketts charge as 1t
actually occurred.
Even with the weapons of the civil
war It was not a wise plan Of offen-
sive and It had little chance of success
from the first. Pickett was ordered
TO attack force almost as strong as
his own, posted in positions Of great
natural strength. To get at them he
had TO cross a long stretch OF broken
and difficult country. exposed to ter
riho enemy fire. Even had he sue
ceeded in ousting the Union forces
which occupied the front lines he