New-York tribune., 1922-07-02
Gen. Pickett's
Charge Staged
For Harding @

For Harding g
CONTINUED from pags one)
fitted with hot and cold running water
by Marine Corps plumbers.
After brief rest there and hand
shake with Major General F. Lejeune,
Brigadier General Smedley D. Butler
and other Marine Corps generals, AS
sistant Secretary of the Navy Roose-
velt and Governor Lee S. Trinkle of
Virginia, the Hardings were driven
across the lowland.
Watched From Tower
The Presidential party mounted the
steps of the steel observation tower
that commands view of every phase
of the four days fighting. From that
vantage point they could see the forces
representing the Confederates moving
into position. Each division was
marked by blood red flag with white
center. Now and then a horseman was
silhouetted against the skyline, then
curtain of smoke shut off the view
of the Confederate position. When the
acrid cloud from the two-hour cannon
settled over the valley, All artillery
piece roared. 1t was a scventy-five, a
single battery of which would have won
Gettysburg in '63 for the side possess
ing it. Then another cannon banged
that was shortly before o'clock At 5
the red battle flags could be seen
through the haze Of smoke, the six
thousand marines were waiting in the
places occupied by Pickett's fifteen
thousand men preliminary to that
charge.
Then they began to move forward,
using the outworn massed formation of
the Civil War, and for the watchers
there was thrill as though the ghosts
more for another try for victory
AS did the Confedcrates, so the ma
rines to-day advanced in a column,
shoulder to shoulder, in two lines, the
rear rank eighteen inches behind the
front After the first brigade came
second, few yards behind, and behind
them still another, so that there were
six lines of men stretching along
mile front.
Charged Stone Wall
Moving out of the smoke to-day tho
veterans Of Belleau Wood seemed to
find great JOY in the work which lay
before them. They advanced to the
Emmitsburg road before they began
fire. For while they loaded and fired,
with complete disregard of the fact
that they were supposed to be using
muzzle- loading guns. Their chief idea
then was to make q noise, but as they
advanced up the gentle slope of the
wheat field that lay before them and
crossed Plum Run all was changed.
Ahead of them was the low stone wall
behind which crouched their enemies
"a host of photographers-and behind
these was q roped-off space crowded
with a gathering of enthusiastic spec
tators.
Never a man fired blank cartridge
until he had stood upright, or as nearly
so as was necessary to load the rifles
of the Civil War days. Then firing
from one knee they advanced 1t was
then that the Marines gave their shrill
veterans of this encounter, score of
old men who watched with critical in
terest every step of the maneuver
Yipping they came on, rapidly thin
ming force moving ahead of field of
wheat stubble that was sprouting q
new crop of twisted forms, badly
wounded men by the look of them.
Lieutenant Proves Actor
Then the wall. One young lieuten-
ant was struck down by an imaginary
bayonet thrust as he was about to
leap this obstacle and sprawled across
it, legs on the rebel side, head on the
Yankee side, sword blade stabbed into
the earth. No mere soldier this; here
was an artist.
A slender company cleared the wall and
rushed almost to the roped-off specta-
ors, still firing their blanks with all the
earnestness of battle action and with
ing in real pain when they fell. Some
red stained bandages.
shivering yellow pup, with tail
tucked into its dragging belly, crept to
the side of one of the fallen marines
who lay spraddled out with his closed
eyes to the sun. The pup licked his
face sympathetically once, twice, then
the stricken "Confederate" leaped to
his feet and rejoined his fighting but
now retreating comrades.
ut was a grand show" President
Harding told Major General Lejeune
Monday the marines are going to
stage the charge as it should be un-
and other accessories. Tomorrow
there will be religious service, which
the Harding party will attend before
resuming the trip to Marion.
Freed of Double Murder Charge
WASHINGTON, Ca, July DIR. ].
G. Saggus, charged with the murder of
his wife and Of his neighbor, Charles
Wilbanks, whose widow he later mar
ried, was freed to-day at a prelimi-
nary hearing before Magistrate Harry
Smith