The Battle of Gettysburg, 1863

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Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Company, 1891 - History - 178 pages

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Page 24 - Others were pointing and laughing at Hood's ragged Jacks, who were passing at the time. This division, well known for its fighting qualities, is composed of Texans, Alabamians, and Arkansians, and they certainly are a queer lot to look at. They carry less than any other troops ; many of them have only got an old piece of carpet or rug as baggage ; many have discarded their shoes in the mud ; all are ragged and dirty, but full of good-humor and confidence in themselves and in their general, Hood.
Page 136 - Michigan, was struck, scarcely ten feet away, by a ca'nnon ball, which tore through him, extorting such a low, intense cry of mortal pain as I pray God I may never again hear. The hill, which seemed alone devoted to this rain of death, was clear in nearly all its unsheltered places within five minutes after the fire began.
Page 136 - Horses fell, shrieking such awful cries as Cooper told of, and writhing themselves about in hopeless agony. The boards of fences, scattered by explosion, flew in splinters through the air. The earth, torn up in clouds, blinded the eyes of hurrying men; and through the branches of the trees and among the gravestones of the cemetery a shower of destruction crashed ceaselessly.
Page 12 - But in a larger sense we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it far above our power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.
Page 28 - He generally wears a well-worn long gray jacket, a high black felt hat, and blue trousers tucked into his Wellington boots. I never saw him carry arms; and the only mark of his military rank are the three stars on his collar.
Page 155 - His rear guard, however, was attacked by our cavalry, and suffered considerable, loss. Thus ended the rebel campaign north of the Potomac, from which important political and military results had been expected. Our own loss in this short campaign had been very severe, viz...
Page 33 - ... the blast of the bugle, and the clanging of bclU. The streets were lively with men, who were either returning from a night s work on the fortifications, or going over to relieve those who were toiling there. As the sun rose higher the excitement gathered head. All along the streets were omnibuses, wagons, and wheelbarrows, taking in trunks and valuables, and rushing them down to the depot, to be shipped out of rebel range. The stores, the female seminaries, and almost every private residence,...
Page 28 - General Lee is, almost without exception, the handsomest man of his age I ever saw. He is fifty-six years old, tall, broadshouldered, very well made, well set up — a thorough soldier in. appearance; and his manners are most courteous and full of dignity. He is a perfect gentleman in every respect. I imagine no man has so few enemies, or is so universally esteemed. Throughout the South, all agree in pronouncing him to be as near perfection as a man can...
Page 136 - The storm broke upon us so suddenly that soldiers and officers— who leaped, as it began, from their tents, or from lazy siestas on the grass — were stricken in their rising with mortal wounds, and died, some with cigars between their teeth, some with pieces of food in their fingers, and one at least— a pale young German, from Pennsylvania— with a miniature of his sister in his hands.
Page 147 - Meade, and beginning on the right, I instructed the chiefs of artillery and battery commanders to withhold their fire for fifteen or twenty minutes after the cannonade commenced, then to concentrate their fire with all possible accuracy on those batteries which were most destructive to us — but slowly, so that when the enemy's ammunition was exhausted, we should have sufficient left to meet the assault.

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