in as little time as it
requires to write the simple sentence that tells it. Gibbon's old
division took fifteen stand of colors.

"Over the fields the escaped fragments of the charging line fell
back--the battle there was over. A single brigade, Harrow's (of which
the Seventh Michigan is part), came out with fifty-four less officers,
and seven hundred and ninety-three less men, than it took in! So the
whole corps fought; so, too, they fought farther down the line.

"It was fruitless sacrifice. They gathered up their broken fragments,
formed their lines, and slowly marched away. It was not a rout; it _was_
a bitter, crushing defeat. For once the Army of the Potomac had won a
clean, honest, acknowledged victory."

General Pickett's division was nearly annihilated. One of his officers
recounted, that, as they were charging over the grassy plain, he threw
himself down before a murderous discharge of grape and canister, which
mowed the grass and men all around him, as though a scythe had been
swung just above his prostrate form.

During the terrific cannonade and subsequent charges, our ammunition and
other trains had been parked in rear of Round Top, which gave them
splendid shelter. Partly to possess this train, but mainly to secure
this commanding position, General Longstreet sent two strong divisions
of infantry, with heavy artillery, to turn our flank, and to drive us
from this ground. Kilpatrick, with his division, which had been
strengthened by Merritt's Regular brigade, was watching this point, and
waiting for an opportunity to strike the foe. It came at last. Emerging
from the woods in front of him came a strong battle-line followed by
others.

FALL OF GENERAL FARNSWORTH.

To the young Farnsworth was committed the task of meeting infantry with
cavalry in an open field. Placing the Fifth New York in support of
Elder's battery, which was exposed to a galling fire, but made reply
with characteristic rapidity, precision, and slaughter, Farnsworth
quickly ordered the First Virginia, First Vermont, and Eighteenth
Pennsylvania in line of battle, and galloped away and charged upon the
flank of the advancing columns. The attack was sharp, brief, and
successful, though attended with great slaughter. But the Rebels were
driven upon their main lines, and the flank movement was prevented. Thus
the cavalry added another dearly-earned laurel to its chaplet of
honor--_dearly earned_, because many of their bravest champion