BATTLE OF ANTIETAM
The men were quietly sleeping after a most fatiguing march, and many no doubt dreaming of their homes along the Atlantic and Chesapeake, and others of their beautiful mountains and beautiful valleys, and in their dreams, perhaps, felt the warm kiss of their loved ones. All at once the long roll was sounded, and these visions vanished as they awoke and realized that grim war was still rampant. The division was ordered, about 1 A. M. on the morning of July 2d, to pack up and make ready to march, and while doing this it was rumored along the lines that Hood's division of Texans had been repulsed in charging Cemetery Heights at Gettysburg with frightful loss, and that it was the intention of General Lee that their division should charge the strong position as a forlorn hope.
About 3 A. M., on July 2d, the division began to move towards Gettysburg and marched as rapidly as circumstances would permit, as the roads were blocked with wagons, artillery, and the wounded of both armies. At length it arrived at about two o'clock in the evening within two miles of Gettysburg and immediately went into camp. While they were doing so a courier rode up and informed the officers that McLaws' division of Georgians had just made a charge on Cemetery Heights and had been repulsed with great slaughter. This division, together with Hood's and Pickett's, made up Longstreet's corps, and it seemed that each of his divisions was to have the honor of making an assault on Cemetery Heights. General Pickett now informed his men that he had orders to hurl his division against this position on the next day unless the artillery should succeed in dislodging the enemy.
On the following day this division took position in line of battle directly behind the Confederate artillery line on Seminary Ridge, with a line of timber between, and had orders to lie down. General Lee had massed in front of the division about 120 pieces of artillery, and they were to open on Cemetery Heights and endeavor if possible to dislodge the enemy. This cannonading began about noon, and was answered by the enemy with a hundred pieces. A more terrific fire has never been witnessed by man than occurred there on that July afternoon. The earth was shaken by its roar, such as probably the younger Pliny mentioned in his description of the eruption of Vesuvius when Pompeii and Herculaneum were destroyed. The sky was black with smoke, and livid with the flame belching from the mouth of the cannon.
During all this cannonading Pickett's division was lying awaiting it to cease. Round shot whistled through the trees, shells burst over their heads, dealing destruction within their ranks. The shot and shell from their enemy's guns that passed over the artillery invariably fell in the ranks of Pickett's division, which seemed doomed to destruction without even the opportunity of firing a gun. While this cannonading was going on, General Armistead and the other brigade commanders passed along in front of their respective commands informing their men that unless the artillery succeeded in dislodging the enemy from Cemetery Heights, they were to charge this position. Although this had been tried by the respective divisions of McLaw and Hood, and in each instance had been repulsed with great slaughter, yet they seemed determined to win for Virginia and the Confederate states a name which would be handed down to posterity in honor, and which would be spoken of in pride by not only Virginia but by all America. In this particular they succeeded, for not only have their foes accorded them a crown of laurels, but England spoke words of praise for these men, whose Anglo-Saxon blood nerved them to such a deed.
All at once the terrible cannonading ceased, and the stillness of death prevailed. General Pickett rode along the line informing his men that the artillery had not succeeded in driving the enemy from their strong position. Word was passed down the line from the right that they were to charge. All were on their feet in a moment and ready; not a sound was heard; not a shot was fired from any part of the field. The command, "Forward!" was given, and in five minutes they had passed through the strip of woods that lay between them and the artillery, and as they emerged from the cover and passed through the artillery line the artillerymen raised their hats and cheered them on their way. They also passed through Lane's brigade of Wilcox's division, whose men were waiting for orders to support the charge. General Garnett was leading the center, General Kemper on the right, and General Armistead was leading the left of the division with a swarm of skirmishers in front. The smoke had cleared away and revealed the long line of the Federal position on Cemetery Heights, which was about a mile distant.
When the Federals observed the advance of Pickett's division, which they had anticipated, they opened fire, which at first ranged over the advancing columns, but before they had marched half the distance they began to get range on them. The Confederate lines advanced steadily and in full confidence. A band on the extreme right continued to play "Dixie," "The Girl I Left Behind Me," and other familiar airs of the day. The division was marching directly towards Hancock's position, this objective point having been given Pickett by General Lee, but after passing through Wilcox's division in waiting Pickett caused each of his three brigades to make a half-wheel to the left. This, being well executed, was attended with some loss of time.
The Federal artillery soon began its death work of destruction. Pickett's division had been quite near this grim monster before, but on this occasion he seemed to be pressing on them steadily and closely, which was enough to make the bravest quail under his ghastly appearance. The Federals seem to have exhausted their ammunition in some places in the artillery lines. This being discovered by Pickett, gave him courage, and he caused his division to move up quickly. Crossing several fields inclosed by strong fences, he at length reached the base of the elevation. He once more changed his direction by a half-wheel to the right, halting to rectify his lines. His division pushed on, but great gaps were being cut in his lines by the grape and canister from the Federal artillery, causing such wide openings that the division had to be halted and dressed first to the right and then to the left, obliquing and filling up the lines. They were now in close range of the Federal lines and were being fired upon from behind a stone wall, and their ranks were fast melting away.
"Death was upon every breeze,
And lurked in every flower."