The west shore., July 01, 1888, Page 353, Image 7

THE WEST SHORE.
hard-tack and fresh bacon, without coffee. They had
scarcely finished their meal when the thunder of one
hundred and fifty cannons shook the air, as the ene
my's artillery opened the final act of that great strug
gle. For two hours this terrible rain of iron fell, and
then there was a lull in the storm. In a few mo
menta column after column of the rebel gray left
the cover of the woods and marched into the open
epace fronting Cemetery ridge. On they came, sweep
ing away the federal skirmish line, as their columns,
in magnificent battle array, swept down from Semina
ry ridge, and into the valley below. It was, indeed,
a great sight to see this, the flower of the rebel army,
marshalled for one more effort to gain a victory over
their foes, who so stubbornly, the day before, had re
pelled their repeated and bravo assaults.
They seemed to have gathered all their strength
for this grand assault, and under cover of their artil
lery, which now opened fire again with redoubled fu
ry, hurling shot and shell into the lines of blue post
ed along the crest of the ridge, they continued their
fearless march. As the advancing line neared the
base of the ridge, the line of blue, which up to this
time had remained under shelter, now moved down
the hill to meet the enemy. It was a counter charge,
and with yells which sounded above the noise and din
of battle, the Union troops charged down upon their
old enemy, while the one hundred and fifty cannon
posted on the ridge opened a deadly enfilading firo
into the charging column of the rebel troops. With a
clear, ringing voice, the commanding general of the
rebels urged his men forward to meet the line of bluo
which was now fast approaching them. On they
rushed, but only to go down before the deadly firo
from twenty thousand muskets, which was now poured
into their bleeding columns.
Regiment, brigade and division were brought to
their support, but it was of no use, the tide of battle
was against them, and after an hour of most desperate
and heroic fighting, the like of which the world has
never witnessed, what was left of the Confederates
returned to the friendly shelter of the woods from
which they had come.
What a sight met the view, when the smoke of
the awful conflict had passed from over the field of
battle, exposing the thousands of dead and dying
strewn over the grassy slope!
Prominent among the many brave regiments that
assisted in repelling Pickett's great charge, was that
of Colonel Harrington. He commanded on foot, bar
ing sent his horse to the rear early in the morning,
and during the engagement the old hero, with sword
in hand, led his men into the very jaws of death, they
sending their well-directed volleys right into the face
of the enemy, and at one timo charging the lite
bringing off several hundred prisoners. In ono of
these charges the brave old man was shot in the right
arm, abovo tho elbow, tho ball passing through and
causing a painful wound Ho staid on tho field until
tho enemy was repulsed and then made his way to
tho field hospital, where his wound was dressed and
ho was mado as comfortablo as was possible under
tho circumstances.
A leavo of absenco was granted him, and early the
next morning ho started for his home, to pans in tho
society of his family tho few weeks of cnforctxl ab
senco from duty. Tho first intelligence of him re
ceived by his relative and friends, who were anxious
to know how ho had fared in that great struggle,
which had been so fatal to thousands of bravo men,
was his sudden appearanco in their midst When his
familiar form was seen alighting from tho train, a
cheer went up from tho score of men who hapjoncd
to bo at tho depot, and from that point to his homo
his journey was a triumphal procession, augmenting
in numbers and enthusiasm as it passl through tho
villsgo streets, until tho colouel was safely delivered
to tho caro of his astonished wife and daughter.
With a final 41 three cheers and a tiger," tho crowd
dispersed. A few days later, at tho carneat solicita
tion of his townsmen, tho colonel met them in an
open grove, at ono of thoso delightful basket picnics
whero everybody is welcome, and, with his injured
arm in a sling, told them tho talo of tho battle, re
hearsing, a graphically as jxwtaible, tho incidents of
that memorablo struggle, and stating what in his
judgment would bo tho result of so glorious a victory.
Tho colonel's wound healed so rapidly uudT tin
influence of homo and friends, that in six weeks be
was back again with his command, hi men retiring
him with hearty cheers of welcome and affection.
Andersonville 1 There aro living May wen who,
when tho bated narno of AndersonvaMo I mentioned
in their hearing, look round in terror, and with bated
breath fancy they hear occo moro tho having of tho
blood bounds, as with their keen scent they followed
tho trail of an escajM! prisoner, who had dared tho
dangers of recapture and a horrible death by being
torn to pieces by thews bloodthirsty bmt. It wu
well known by tho prisoners confined In this holo of
death, that few, even after they auabl In gaining
tho outside of the stock!, evT reached tho L'nlou
lines; and yet, with a full know! !,;o of this, scarcely
a day pa! that some one did I1 1 maU tho attempt
Will the authors of all that t nil suffering ever
receivo forgiven'-M from tho (ir ,t (Jod who watches
over tho destinies of men? I Uiak not Will tho
thousands of victims of this uU inhuman crusty
ever forgive tUo who were lUfcau of tUir suffer-