Mcdermott

//**New York Gazette **// //**

Pickets Charge 7/3/1863  **//  //**On July 3, 1863was the worst and best day ever for us the union. It was around 12:30 PM when I was talking to General Hancock. The **// //**Confederats let fore at us with cannons. We were not ready at all. Because General Hancock told them that they are to restless and tired to do anything today. Well Hancock **// //**was wrong. We fired and fired with are cannons. We could not see there line till about 2:00 I was watching through my telescope when I saw the confederates charging through the field. I saw them coming up over this noel and there was lot of them. I staid at camp with Captain Thomas chamberlain. There were 11,000 confederates charging into the high grass towards us. We lined up and waited to they got closes enough and we charged. We were scared. Cannons were going off every where. Guys blowing up. There lines were getting smaller on the confederate side. We hid behind the stone wall. We couldn't stop the confederates but we were blowing them up everywhere. There were bodies laying every where. Blood and guts were every where it was discusting. It was very nasty. We waited very patiently to the confederates get closs enough. We were shooting every thing all are utility shells and cannon ball. They looked like little chickens trying to get over the fence. We rose from the stone wall and let out fire they dropped one by one. By 4:00 there were only like 5,000 of the enemies left. It was Brutal general Hancock got shot and he quoted, “I will not be moved intill to encroach has been decided get me a determent before I bleed to death”. They charged at are line of are stone wall. Then the one guy on a horse and we shot a cannon ball at him and it was very nasty. I felt bad for his horse. They charged with this guy that had a hat on his sword. They got to the wall and we shot them all and we charged with are bannats. They stabbed them there was blood every where. Then I was talking to General Meade when a cannon ball came toward us it was bad. They turned are cannons on us. But we charged back. The field was just full of bloody confederates. It wasn’t a field anymore. It was a grave yard. I wouldn’t want to be the guy to clean them up. We took prisoners there was not one person standing just us the union. We won the charge. They were gimping through the field the wounded confederates. It was stinky and it was a mess. It looked like there were going to charge again but they didn’t. We won the pickets charge. **//