Amidst the area covered by Little Round Top to the northern edge of the wheat field, the Battle of Gettysburg raged on. From the vantage point on Cemetery Ridge, Federals could witness the bloodshed and chaos of the valley.
From the fighting at Peach Orchard and Cemetery Ridge, Shelby Foote details the horrors and heroism of these monumental moments of the Civil War.
Barksdale’s soldiers from the deep south came eastward from the woods toward the orchard where the federals were. A civilian from Chambersburg asserted, “those from Mississippi and Texas were more vicious and defiant”.
The charge of Barksdale’s soldiers on the Peach Orchard was agreed upon by both sides to be an impressive one, with a Union colonel remarking it as “the grandest charge that was ever made by mortal man.” Troops captured four of the guns and a thousand prisoners.
After the strong presence of the southern troops in the orchard, Foote’s account vividly portrays Barksdale’s command, “Forward, men! Forward!” with his long white hair streaming behind him, and he urged his soldiers to proceed half a mile toward Cemetery Ridge. However, when they arrived, Hunt had positioned a formidable defense of forty guns alongside the crest. Moreover, Meade shifted troops southward to reinforce the efforts of the batteries.
The crest defense proved effective as after the southern troops went charging through the first line of artillery, Barksdale’s men had to pull back, leaving half of their men dead or wounded. Foote highlights how the battle cost had been significant, with over one-third of the men hit amongst two divisions. Despite the significant losses, Longstreet still contended it was “the best three hours’ fighting ever done by any troops on any battlefield.”
“Stars in Their Courses” pages 139-142
Orwell’s “Politics and the English Language”
- I did not use unnecessary words.
Strunk & White’s Elements of Style
- The article uses definite, specific, concrete language
Comments