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Top Picture:

The Battle of Gettysburg - General Crawford's Charge on the Rebel Line

From a Drawing by Mr. A. R. Ward

Bottom Picture:

The Battle of Gettysburg - Attack of the Louisiana Tigers on a Battery of the Eleventh Corps

From a Drawing by Mr. A. R. Ward

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The Battle of Gettysburg

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          Harper's Weekly publishes three more illustrations of the Battle of Gettysburg. The top picture shows us Longstreet's Grand Attack upon our Left Centre, from a sketch by Mr. A. R. Ward. This battle was fully described in our last paper, and we extract that portion of the account which refers to Longstreet's attack:

          After much solicitation from his subordinates, General Lee permitted General Longstreet to send his grand division on a charge upon the cemetery. The Federal soldiers were on the alert. They were hid behind their embankments, some kneeling, and some flat on the ground. The Confederate artillery opened. It was as fierce a cannonade as the one the day before, but instead of being spread all over the line, every shell was thrown at the cemetery. Experienced soldiers soon divined what was coming, and in every portion of the Federal line the cannon were directed toward the v alley in front of the cemetery. All were ready. Amidst the furious fire from the Confederate cannon scarcely a Federal shot was heard. The artillerists, implements in hand, crouched in the little ditches dug behind their cannon. With arms loaded, the infantry awaited the charge.

          It soon came. From the woods of short, scrubby timber and the rocks near the seminary there rose a yell. It was a long, loud, unremitting, hideous screech from thousands of voices. At the yell the Federal cannon opened. Soon the enemy's columns emerged from the woods. They came on a rush down  the hill, waving their arms and still screeching. They climbed the fences and rushed along, each one bent upon getting first into the cemetery. The cannon roared, and grape and canister and spherical case fell thick among them. Still they rushed onward, hundreds falling out of line. They came withing musket-shot of the Federal troops. Then the small-arms began to rattle. The Confederates approached the outer line of works. They were laboring up the hill. As they mounted the low bank in front of the rifle-pits, the Federal soldiers retreated out of the ditch behind, turning and firing as they went along. It was a hand-to-hand conflict. Every man fought by himself and from himself. Myriads of the enemy pushed forward down the hill, across into the works, and up to the cemetery. All were shouting, and screaming, and swearing, clashing their arms and firing their pieces. The enemy's shell flew over the field upon the Federal artillerists on the hill above. These, almost disregarding the storm which raged around them, directed all their fire upon the surging columns of the enemy's charge. Every available cannon on the Cemetery Hill, and to the right and left, threw its shells and shot in the valley. The fight was terrible; but despite every effort the enemy pushed up the hill and across the second line of works. The fire became hotter. The fight swayed back and forth. One moment the enemy would be at the railings of the cemetery; then a rush from the Federal side would drive them down into the valley. Then, with one of their horrid screeches, they would fiercely run up the hill again into the cemetery, and have a fierce battle among the tombstones. It was the hardest fight of the day, and hundreds were slain there. Reckless daring, however, will not always succeed. Several attempts were made to take the place, but they were not successful; and late in the afternoon, leaving dead and wounded behind them, the enemy's forces slowly retreated upon their won hill and into their woods again.

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          The bottom sketch by Mr. Waud, shows us an Attack of the Louisiana Tigers upon a Battery of the Eleventh Corps. The Tigers made the attack as fiercely as usual, but our men stood t heir ground stoutly, and repulsed them with a heavy loss in killed, wounded, and prisoners. The middle picture exhibits the Gallant Charge of Crawford's Division, to which in great part the success of the day was due. An eye-witness writes:

          You have no doubt heard of  the gallant charge made by the division under Crawford's command. It contributed very materially to saying the left of our line in that fearful struggle. The enemy had massed his troops on Crawford's left. The Third Corps (Sickles's) had been engaging  him but were overpowered; several guns had been lost. Two divisions of the Fifth Corps (Sykes's) had been also engaged; but nothing could withstand the pressure of the enemy, and these troops gave way. Several thousand arms had been lost. On came the enemy in a dark mass, across the ravine. At this moment, while the fugitives were rushing through Crawford's ranks, he ordered a charge. He was drawn up in the line of battle, and in column of division. His men, with loud cheers, rushed forward. Crawford himself rode to the front, and, seizing the flag of the leading regiment, encouraged the men. They dashed in; volley after volley was poured into the enemy's ranks. The 'Bucktails' got ahead, and drove the enemy back across the ravine, over the stone-wall, and through the wheat-field, retaking our ground and an immense quantity of arms.

          "The left of our position was saved by this charge, and we remained masters of the field."

          The General Crawford who led this gallant and most efficient maneuver is well known throughout the country as the surgeon of t he garrison of Fort Sumter under Major Anderson.

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