90 Nortn Carotina Troops, 1861-’65.

and take in that line which five minutes ago was so perfect.

Just then a Federal officer came in view and rode rapidly
forward bearing a large Federal flag. The scattered Fed-
erals swarmed around him as bees cover their queen. ‘In the
midst of a heterogeneous mass of men, acres big, he approach-
ed our left, when all guns in front and from right and left
turned on the mass and seemingly shot the whole to pieces.
This hero was a Colonel Biddle, who (if he were otherwise
competent) deserved to command a corps. It was with gen-
uine and openly expressed pleasure our men heard he was not
killed. The day is not ended, but the fighting in our front is
over, and the Forty-seventh dressed its line and what re-
mained of it marching to the place whence it started on the
charge, bivouacked for the night, intoxicated with victory.
Many were the incidents narrated on that beautiful, moon-
light night.

On the 2d we were not engaged save in witnessing the mar-
shaling of hosts, with much fighting during the day, and at
night a grand pyrotechnic display, this being the struggle on
the slope of Little Round Top for the possession of the hill.

On 3 July the Forty-seventh was put in the front line pre-
paring to make that celebrated, but imprudent charge, famil-
iarly called Pickett’s charge, though just why called Pickett’s
instead of Pettigrew’s charge, is not warranted by the facts.
And why it has been said that Pettigrew supported Pickett
instead of Pickett supported Pettigrew, is also incompre-
hensible. It is certain that the two divisions (Pettigrew led
Heth’s Division to-day) started at the same time, in the same
line. Pickett’s distance to traverse was shorter than that of
Pettigrew. Both went to and over the enemy’s breastworks,
but were too weak from loss of numbers to hold them. Pick-
ett’s Division was perfectly fresh. Pettigrew’s had just
passed through 1 July in which even its commander (Heth)
had been knocked out.

If further witness be sought, the respective numbers of
dead men in the correctly recorded spots where they fell, sup-
ply it. But let it be distinctly understood Pettigrew’s men
appreciate that it was not the brave Pickett and his men, who
claimed for themselves preeminence in this bloody affair.