The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-07-02
CANNON SMOKE
AGAIN SEEN AT
BLOODY ANGLE

Continued from gage one)
and South began officially with
dull thunder of guns on Gene
terry Ridge where the greatest
battle of the Civil war ended long
ago with Just such a hammerine
of cannon against the broken but
still charging ranks of P'ckett's
brigade.
There is a stone wall there and
little copse of trees toward
which Pickett's bright sword
pointed one hot July day when
the men Of Robert E. Lee Surged
to their high water mark of mill
tary success. Bronze and brass
and marble mark the spot now,
but the guns spoke there again at
noon in hot flashes that told more
of how men fought and died there
than any carved stone will tell.
The guns and tanks and the
stiff ranks of men in khaki were
no more like the war remembered
by the aged men encamped across
the field than an eight-inch shell
is like minnieball.
This was a stern modern model
of warfare lined up along the hill
side. The FIVE tanks rumbled down
the road the men of General
George Meade followed rs years
ago when thew moved up to meet
the challenge of Lees veterans
from the Army of Northern Vir.
ginia. A low flying airplane dump.
ed message among the tanks and
out from behind the grim line
flashed the flag-marked automo'
bile of Secretary of War Harry
Woodring.
On the hillside a thin sword
flashed high in the air and the
quick flare of cannon fire echoed
it's sweep against the sky. Again
and again the sword glistened
brightly and again and again the
smoke puffed up among the trees
in a 19-gun salute. Officers snap
ped to attention as the automobile
drew up to headquarters tent
where Major General Henry Glib
bins, Major General James X,
Parson, commanding the third
corps area, and others, awaited
the secretary.
Woodring, in floppy Panama
hat and grey suit, set the pace as
they strobe along the old stone
wall over which ArmiStead once
carried the Stars and Bars - and
paid for that brief moment with
his life-and stood before the
troops drawn up below Bloody
Angle. The flags and guns came
up in a brief salute and the
STRAINS" of the Star Spangled
Banner sounded across the battle
field.
Woodring had been quartereo
at Gettysburg during the World
war and the scene was familiar to
him, but he had a great time in
speeding the veterans camps. he
went first to the Confederate
camp, where old cronies talked in
high, cracking voices before their
tents without knowing the signlt'
icance of the military tread of the
secretary, the generals and thell
aides.
But Woodring got a warm re-
ception in the mess hall, wnlcn
he entered from the kitchen door
Capers C. Jones, go, and Paul NJ
Sanguinetti, 90, of Alabama, SIT
ting with G. A. Hulk, 81, of Flor
ida, invited him to their table
while the news photographers
crowded around.
Jones squinted his dimmed eyes
and cupped his hand to his ear
"I'm one of the Jones boys from
Alabama" he squeaked. What
are YOU secretary of"
Only when an explanation had
been shouted in his ear did his
hand go out. "Well," he said,
"shake my hand. We fit the Yanks
but | extend the hand of peace"
Woodring heartily shook hands
and sat beside Sanguinetti.
81 may steal some OF your
food" he joked with the old vet
eran.
That's nothing" Sanguinettl,
who was once adjutant general OF
Alabama, replied, "The Yanks
stole our chickens once"
In the Union camp Woodring
was cornered by George N. Lock
wood, 90, of Los Angeles, who
complained that the invitation he
received for this reunion wasn't
signed.
81 don't like unsigned invita-
tions," he said. Woodring auto
graphed it for him.
Not until later did he meet
Commander General John M.
Claypoole of the Confederates,
and Commander 0verton Mennett
of the Union camp.
Woodring, Claypool, Mennett
.and Governor George Fl, Earle of