Battles of the Civil War by Thomas Elbert Vineyard

Author:Thomas Elbert Vineyard
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Campaigns
Published: 2014-02-18T16:00:00+00:00

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

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