ARTILLERY FIGHTING AT GETTYSBURG.

363

To this presently came the following reply:

“ Colonel : The intention is to advance the infantry if the artillery has the desired effect ofdriving the enemy’s off, or having other effect such as to warrant us in making the attack.When the moment arrives advise General Pickett, and of course advance such artillery as you°an use in aiding the attack.”

I hardly knew whether this left me discretion or not, hut at any rate itseemed decided that the artillery must open. I felt that if we went thatfar we could not draw hack, but the infantry must go too. General A. It.Wright, of Hill’s corps, was with me looking at the position when thesenotes were received, and we discussed them together. Wright said, “It18 not so hard to go there as it looks; I was nearly there with my brigadeyesterday. The trouble is to stay there. The whole Yankee army is therein a bunch.”

I was influenced by this, and somewhat by a sort of camp rumor which Itad heard that morning, that General Lee had said that he was going to sendevery man he had upon that hill. At any rate, I assumed that the question°f supports had been well considered, and that whatever was possible wouldte done. But before replying I rode to see Pickett, who was with his divisiona short distance in the rear. I did not tell him my object, but only tried togness how he felt about the charge. He seemed very sanguine, and thoughthimself in luck to have the chance. Then I felt that I could not make anydelay or let the attack suffer by any indecision on my part. And, that- GeneralLoiigstreet might know my intention, I wrote him only this: “Genekal:When our artillery fire is at its best, I shall order Pickett to charge.”

Then, getting a little more anxious, I decided to send for the nine howitzersar, d take them ahead of Pickett up nearly to musket range, instead of fol-lowing close behind him as at first intended; so I sent a courier to bringIhem up in front of the infantry, but under cover of the wood. The couriere °uld not find them. He was sent again, and only returned after our fire^as opened, saying they were gone. I afterward learned that General Pen-dleton had sent for a part of them, and the others had moved to a neighbor-'s hollow to get out of the line of the enemy’s fire at one of Hill’s batteriesduring the artillery duel they had had an hour before.

At exactly 1 o’clock by my watch the two signal-guns were heard influick succession. In another minute every gun was at work. The enemyVVei 'e not slow in coming back at us, and the grand roar of nearly the wholeartillery of both armies burst in on the silence, almost as suddenly as the full^tes of an organ would fill a church. [See p. 371.]

. The artillery of Ewell’s corps, however, took only a small part, I believe,lri this, as they were too far away on the other side of the town. Some ofthem might have done good service from positions between Hill and Ewell,Gfiilading the batteries fighting us. The opportunity to do that was the® la gle advantage in our having the exterior line, to compensate for all its

^advantages. But our line was so extended that all of it was not wellGo died, and the officers of the different corps had no opportunity to examineeac h other’s ground for chances to cooperate.