OCR Text |
Show li A LETTER THAT WENT TO GEN. II PICKET'S SWEETHEART FROM I , THE FIELD OF GETTYSBURG Bj T 1 B It will l)i llfty years on July slnco B Iho lialtlo of Gettysburg began, and B , llio annUcrsary Is celebrated iu tho B ' July American Magnzlno with an ex- B inordinary Illustrated story of tho B struggle by Kdgar Allen Forbes. Tho B tattlo lasted tliree days and, hs ev- B e:ybody will recall. General Pickett B made hla famous charge toward Hie H i ', nnd of the third day This chargo Bti conclndcd tho battle and Indirectly BJ I J determined tho ontcomu of the war. H I j Tho following oxtract from tho artlclo B'j which is herewith reprinted through H . j Uio cou.lcsy of Tho American Maga- H , unc. gives a dramatic plcturo of Pick H rtfs charge, and of tho final ovents leading up to tho great catastrophe H that overtook tho Confederacy. At H this point In tho nhrratlvo 1'lckett Is H Just leaving Longstreot to go Into H , battlo. BJ ' "Thero was ouo touch of humanity H In the parting between I'ickott and BJ ' I,ongtrect that has Just como to light BJ ' after fifty years. It humanize tho H hero of that daring cbargo to know BJ that he whs much la lovo. As Pick- H ctt turned to go, ho placed In Long- BJ street's hands a letter addressed to H x brown oyed Virginia girl who yet BJ lhrcs. And this was tho postscript BJ ' which he had written in the brief BJ Interval between tho cannonade and BJ tho chai go. BJ "Now, my darting, 1 go; but reniem- BB bcr always that 1 love ou with nil BM my heart and soul, with every liber BJ of my bulug; (bat now mid forever I K- am yours yours, my hcloed. It is B8 almost thruo o'clock. M) soul rcach- BM es out to yours my prayers. BB "Now tli Hiuoku of guns lifts like BB a great curtain, and discloses to tho BB eyes of tho whole Army of Hie l'oto- BM mac the sulilimest spectacle of tho H Clrlt Win'. BB "And how pitifully cruel It wtp, BB Tho long may lino had to coor ill- BB most a mile of open ground before BB It could use its guns but It was with BB In the ruugo of the leplenlslicd I'll- BB ton batteries from tho start. BB ; "lhe Union gunner. began en It BB' with solid shot; ns tho silent lino Bfl draws nearer, they change to burst- BB' 1 Ing shell luul s'lrapnel. The Virgin- BB lans fall liko sheaves beforo tho stek- BBl lo. hut Iho ranks silently clo.iu. About BB! j midway the lino Is ha'teii nml dross- BB I cd under lire Then It moes slowlv BB forwntd In the f.ico of a storm of can BB Ister (hut literally mows Rient sec BB tlous to tho ground. Hut tho shatter- BB I brigades rteserv0 their hllgnment, HB i oblique to tho left, and sweep against BB (he tttuno wall from which now come1 BB Hie cruel miIcjh of the Infantry BB "Tbo high wu'er marl: of the charge , HB was reached by Arm'stead's brigade i BB' j of Virginians With his k sup upon ihe BBj . po'nr of Ills sword to guide his men BB like thu Helmet of Navarre, he press- BB I "I fnr beyond the fence, rushed tho HB batteries and fell dying beside the BBl fVis "iat 'l0 '""' taken So despernto Bl was the lighting hero Hint twenty BBf Confederate 'lings were captured with- BJ . f a space not u hundred ards BBli square. BH "Pickett's division lost 2.SSS men BH tilled and wounded, of wnom 1,191 BV 'ere from Armlstead's brigade alone. BB, The death which spared not his three HHB brigadiers passed over Hie consplru- BB, ons lender with his long black hair. BBl' a'"' "l0 vo'o that had sent tho men BJ across the field of blood gavo tho BJ romniMid to fall back. And Just at BBl that hour far away to tho southward BBJ Cram and Pembnton woro standing BBl together under a treo, arranging tho BBs details of tho surrender or Vlcksburg. HHs "Of all tho descriptions of Pick- BBl ett's great charge, that of tho great HH t human Inte-est Is tho latest his i. letter to tho Virginian grll who later beeamo bis wlfo: I "You never saw anything liko it. They moved across that field of death 'as a battalion marches forward In mander In front of his nommand, leading and choorlng on his men. Two lines of tho enemy's Infantry wero driven back; two lines of guns woro taken nnd no support camo. "Ah, If I had only hnd my other two brigades, n dlfforent story would have been Hashed to tho world . . . Seven of my colonols wero killed and ono was mortally' wounded. Nino of my lieutenant colonols wero wound ed and thrco lieutenant coioois wero klllod. Only ono field oluccr of my wholo command, Colonel Cabell, was unhurt, and tho loss of my company oulcors wns In proportion. "As tho tumult and tho shouting die, and eyo turns away from Pickett and tho bloody field nnd seeks the Chieftain who haB lost. From an em-Inenco em-Inenco overlooking tho heroic battlo ground, tho Bon of Light Horse Harry Har-ry Lee has seen tho hopes of tho lino of battle upon drill, each com-ett, com-ett, who comes slowly up tho slope head ho rides forwnrd to meot Pick-Southland Pick-Southland porlsh. With uncovered with tho pitiful remnnntB of his broken bro-ken legion, the tears washing tho grimo of battlo from his cheeks. Leo's fnco Is calm nnd gives no hint of tho emotions within his breast. It whs all my fault, ho says. Now help me to save that which remains. "At midnight a cavalry officer In charge of tho rough wagons that woro gathering up tho mangled men waited at tho General's tent. At last tho gray outline of 'Traveler' appeared In tho dim moonlight, and I.eo wonrlly dismounted. This has been a sad day, (eneral! ho said, and then leaned against ills horse, In utter oxhaustlon, seemingly unmindful of tho other's presence. "You aro much fatigued, General, said ttho cavalry otllcer. "Oil, It's too bad! It's too bad! ho otclalmed. Then ho gavo tho last eommnud of the day and It concerned concern-ed the wounded men who had fought in vain nnd whoso moans wero tho Mlseiero of tho Lost Cause. "Tho olllcer went to his harrowing tnsk nnd 'Traveler' was lea away by an oidorly. Then tho Captain of tho Confederacy, with his soul exceeding so lowfu', drew back the naps of his tent and entered tho valley of his Oethsemano alone. "And he wont forward n little and fell on his face . |