The cheeks flush, the voice falters, and something like a fiery mist
blinds the eyes. What comes back to the memory of the old soldiers who
saw that fight is a great picture of heroic assaults, ending in
frightful carnage only,--of charges such as the world has rarely seen,
made in vain,--of furious onslaughts, the only result of which was to
strew those fatal fields with the dead bodies of the flower of the
Southern race.
And we were so near succeeding! Twice the enemy staggered; and one more
blow--only one more! promised the South a complete victory!
When Longstreet attacked Round Top Hill, driving the enemy back to
their inner line, victory seemed within our very grasp--but we could
not snatch it. The enemy acknowledge that, and it is one of their own
poets who declares that
"The century reeled When Longstreet paused on the slope of the hill."
Pickett stormed Cemetery Heights, and wanted only support. Five
thousand men at his back would have given him victory.
There is a name for the battle of Gettysburg which exactly suits
it--"The Great Graze!"
You must go to the histories, reader, for a detailed account of this
battle. I have not the heart to write it, and aim to give you a few
scenes only. In my hasty memoirs I can touch only upon the salient
points, and make the general picture.
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