Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 32.djvu/196

 184 Southern Historical Society Papers.

Captain John Holmes Smith was with his regiment on the right wing of Pickett's charge, under Kemper, and struck the Federal line to the right of where General Armistead made the break. The soldiers of Kemper there took the Federal entrenchments, and re- mained about twenty minutes in possession of them. Twice cour- iers were sent back for reinforcements. Slowly, but surely, the details of this magnificent exploit of war come to light; and the more brilliant does it appear. Slowly, and surely, also do the evi- dences gather that point toward the responsible agents of the failure that ensued.

Respectfully,

JNO. W. DANIEL.

COLONEL RAWLEY MARTIN* S ACCOUNT.

LYNCHBURG, VA., August n, 1897.

Commander SYLVESTER CHAMBERLAIN, Buffalo, N. Y. :

My dear Sir, In the effort to comply with your request to describe Pickett's charge at Gettysburg, I may unavoidably repeat what has often been told before, as the position of troops, the can- nonade, the advance, and the final disaster are familiar to all who have the interest or the curiosity to read. My story will be short, for I shall only attempt to describe what fell under my own observ- ation.

You ask for a description of the "feelings of the brave Virginians who passed through that hell of fire in their heroic charge on Cem- etery Ridge." The esprit du corps could not have been better; the men were in good physical condition, selfreliant and determined. They felt the gravity of the situation, for they knew well the metal of the foe in their front; they were serious and resolute, but not disheartened. None of the usual jokes, common on the eve of battle, were indulged in, for every man felt his individual responsi- bility, and realized that he had the most stupendous work of his life before him; officers and men knew at what cost and at what risk the advance was to be made, but they had deliberately made up their minds to attempt it. I believe the general sentiment of the division was that they would succeed in driving the Federal line from what was their objective point; they knew that many, very many, would go down under the storm of shot and shell which would greet them when their gray ranks were spread out to view, but it never occurred to them that disaster would come after they