GETTYSBURG 1863.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1824, 9 August 1913, Page 6

GETTYSBURG 1863.

ITS JUBILEE. CELEBRATED IN AMERICA. TFousht on July 1, July 2, ond July 3, bouweeu Army ■of tlio Potomiac Ufa-lor-General Georso G. Meade) and Army of JTori.lioni VirEiin-ja (Lioaten-ant-Genoral Robert K. Ijee. Tlio - Rt-renztli of the Northern Army was ' 104.CC0. llro Southern strength Is not known, as tho regimental rosters wero not kept on account of tlie hurry of Lee's retreat back into Virginia after the battle. It was probably about i eO.OCO effoctives.l American files to hand -by the mail contain long accounts of tho celebration of the jubilee of tho .Battle of Gettysburg, which dabbled the little Pennsylvanian town in blood in 18G3. For more than a generation it has been tho custom to hold old soldiers' reunions annually on this and other fields, paying a reverent visit to tho national soldiers' cometerics. At Gettysburg tho graves lio very thick, and tho sceno where tho old men who bore arms in '63 met must have been a touching one. Unfortunately tho American newspaper accounts are marred by very wretched history, and various moonshine stories of Gettysburg, clipped from tho American press, are now finding their way into New Zealand journals. There are, for instance, in these accounts, frequent refercnees i to "the assault on the Bloody Angle." ' There was no "Bloody Angle 1 ' at Gettysburg. Tho spot which bears that namo belongs to the battlefield of Spottsylvania, which happened a year later. The story of Gettysburg is chiefly remarkable now because historians are inclined to think that it .embodied the world's greatest infantry charge, viz.: tliu charge of Pickett's Virginian division (4900 strong) on the Union centre, on tho third day of carnage. The palm for the world's greatest cavalry effort has long been assigned to Von Brcdow's charge at Mars-la Tour in 1370, but there have been doubts as to what has really been the most gallant effort ever mad© by infantry—that is by infantry in tho open field. Tho attack of 'fortifications by infantry may bo classified as a separate enterprise, and hero tho merit of English infantry (Badajos) and Japanese infantry (Port Arthur) stands alone. But, viewed purely as field work—and field work by starving, bootless, ragged men—Pickett's charge will, no doubt, arrest the attention of historians for all time. While tho artillery duel of 300 guns which preceded tlio charge was in progress, Pickett's men cooked and ato the usual meal—green ears of corn crushed between stones, worked up into a pasto, and toasted on ramrods. It had been tho staple meal for months and years, and men could hardly bo cxpected to bo at their best when marching 'and fighting on such wretohed 'food'. Their opponents, tho Union, army, wore about 104,000 strong, and strongly placed behind stone breastworks on a ridgo nearly a. mile distant. On the first; day of tho battlo tlio Southern commander-in-chief, Robert E. Lee—somo think him tho world's greatest _ generalhad heavily assaulted th® Union right, and driven it iji. On the 6econd day an equally bloody assault had been delivered on th© Union left. For tho third day he meditated a telling blow at tho Union centre. Pickett's men wore to lead. His 4900 men wero to mop up tlio wholo fire of the Union army for three-quarbors of a mile, mako a breach in their line, and then, on the instant, 15,000 fresh men from another corps wero to bo poured in after them. It.was a good plan, but, unfortunately, owing to faulty staff work, the expected reinforcement of 15,000 men was not forthcoming at tho right moment, and Pickett struck unsupported, and was crushed.

Tho distinguished commander of tho Southern right wing (General Longstreet), to whoso army corps Pickett's division belonged, was out-and-out against Loo's plan, but objections raised on tho actual field of battle seldom do good. -Lee, in after years, only made ono allusion to Gettysburg, lie stated: "I have no doubt that, with proper concert of action,' we would havo. succeeded." Where such experts differ tho layman fas no means of deciding whether Pickett's charge was tactically right or wrong. Longstroot describes his feelings as tho charge began:— "That day at Gettysburg," he states, "was ono .of tho saddest of my life. I foresaw what my men would meet, and would gladly -have given up my porition rather than dhare in the responsibilities of that day. It was thus I . felt when Pickett, at tho head of 4900 brave men, marched into view over tho crest of our own position, and began his descent of the slope in front of us. As ho passed me he rodo gracefully, with his jaunty cap raked well over his right car and his long brown hair, nicely dressed, hanging almost to his shoulders. He seemed rather a holiday soldier than a general at tho head of a column which was about to make one of the grandest, most desperate assaults recorded in the annals of war. Armistead and Garnett, two of his brigadiers, were veterans of nearly a quarter of a century's experience. Poor 'Dick' Garnett was just out of hospital and was riding in an old blue overcoat buttoned to his chin, and looking very wan. Both brigadiers seemed absorbed in tho formation of tho men behind, and in tho bloody work beforo them. Tho troops advanced in well-closed ranks and with elastic step, their facca lighted* with hope, "etc." They were of course received with an exceedingly heavy artillery fire, over ICO cannon pi axing on them. As a target they could hardly bo missed as tho whole charge was massed in echelon of regiments from the left and really presented a solid block for tho Union artillerists to aim at. The nature of the charge had in fact been forseen by the distinguished officer (Henry J. Hunt) commanding the artillery of the Union Army, and lie was ready with evpry available gun when it came. Pickett was well shattered beforo ho got into musketry range and then, jiist as ho was ready to go forward with tho bavonet, ho was smitten by volley after volley. He did not turn back, however. went straight on, and was—well, annihilated. No soldier 3of any nation could have done moro and the charge is rather roraarkable as showing from what unpromising stuff good 6oldiers can be made. Tho picture in this articlo is .from a wartime sketch, and shows some "awkward squad" (North or South) being put through their paces before they went to the front.