Elon J. Farnsworth

National Archives

A tragic footnote to the carnage of July 3 occurred in the farm fields and woods south of Big Round Top. Elon J. Farnsworth, a newly appointed brigadier general, led his brigade of Union troops to Gettysburg and into his first and last battle. Born in Livingston County, Michigan in 1837, Farnsworth briefly attended the University of Michigan before he left the school and joined General Albert Sidney Johnston's "Mormon Expedition" in 1858 as a civilian foragemaster. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Farnsorth enlisted in the 8th Illinois Cavalry, commanded by his uncle, with the rank of 1st lieutenant. Assigned to headquarters of the cavalry corps, Farnsworth served faithfully on the staff of General Alfred Pleasonton, who probably was the chief sponsor of his sudden promotion to brigadier general on June 29, 1863, the day before the battle of Hanover, Pennsylvania.

General Farnsworth spent the next several days with his brigade on various assignments and flanking duty until the afternoon of July 3, when he was ordered to make what became a hopeless charge into the rear of Confederate General John B. Hood's Division, resulting in his death. "Farnsworth's Charge" as it has come to be known, was primarily made by the 1st Vermont Cavalry under the command of Lt. Colonel Addison W. Preston. Captain Henry C. Parsons, commanding Company L, 1st Vermont, accompanied Farnsworth that day. Fifty years later, Parsons returned to Gettysburg and spoke on his experiences at the same location where they took place. Following are the highlights of his speech of July 3, 1913:

"It is remarkable that the most deliberate and desperate cavalry charge made during the Civil War passed so nearly unnoticed that the attention of the country was first drawn to it by reports of the enemy. The charge was directly ordered by General Meade and immediately after it was made he sent a congratulatory dispatch, and yet when the report went up that Farnsworth was killed and the regiment that he led all but annihilated, this order was withheld from the Official Report. The friends of Farnsworth attacked Kilpatrick for having ordered a wanton waste of life and he remained silent. If the charge had been on any other part of the field, or at an earlier hour of the day, it would have commanded wide attention. As it was, it was witnessed only by the enemy and by the few men at the batteries.

"After the repulse of Pickett, Meade's attention was drawn to an apparent movement of the enemy's troops towards the right. His left wing was peculiarly unprotected. Law's brigade was firmly lodged on the side of Round Top, and the valley to which Longstreet's eye turned so eagerly was open. An order reached Kilpatrick to hurl his cavalry on the rear of Law's brigade and create so strong a diversion that Lee's plan would be disclosed. At the moment of receiving this order Kilpatrick's forces were widely scattered. Custer was fighting with Gregg, the Reserve was with Merritt, the 5th New York was on the skirmish line, nothing was within striking distance but the 1st West Virginia and the 1st Vermont. The 1st West Virginia was sent across the open fields and against the 1st Texas Infantry and was repulsed after a second charge with great loss. The first and third battalions of the 1st Vermont were sent under cover of all the guns that could be brought into position over fences, through timber and up rocky sides of Round Top directly in rear of Law's brigade. They received the direct enfilading fire of three regiments, and of a battery of artillery. They drew two regiments out of line and held them in new positions, breaking the Confederate front and exposing it to an infantry charge if one had been immediately ordered. So bold was their assault that the Confederates received it as the advance of a grand attack, and finding themselves exposed to infantry in front and cavalry in the rear, were uncertain of their position.

"The whole number who rode in the charge was about three hundred. Their casualties were sixty-five. Their prisoners were one hundred and twenty. They rode within the Confederate line nearly two miles and the regiment, instead of being annihilated, is reported as having taken part in subsequent engagements.

"The Cavalry under Kilpatrick went into position on the left… about noon of the third day. When the cannonade that preceded Pickett's Charge opened , General Farnsworth rode out … and I think Kilpatrick joined him. I was sent for and at that moment saw a long skirmish line moving towards us and crossing the high rail fence that surround(s) the Bushman farm. I was ordered to take a squadron, charge this line as foragers and if I drove them back to ride to cover of the stone house and wait for orders or support. As soon as the cavalry appeared the enemy fell back behind the fences and we rode down, receiving their fire, with the loss of one man and two horses. I immediately ordered Lieut. Watson to take twelve men, to ride out and throw down the fences and expected (a)signal to charge. They rode out under a fierce volley, threw down the fences and reported to me, 'Your order is executed; (George S.) Brownell is dead.' Their skirmish line fell back in confusion, a squadron was sent to my support but the order to charge did not come. We remained some time in this advanced position and saw part of the magnificent movement towards Little Round Top. When recalled, we rode back under fire without loss. Kilpatrick came towards me with spirit: 'Captain, the jolliest fight I ever saw; four men with revolvers riding down a line of infantry delivering their fire and driving them back; you are a soldier.'

"I was at last able to say: 'You are mistaken, I was not there. I did not even see it. Send for Lieutenant (Alexander G.) Watson and thank him.'

"There was an oppressive stillness after the day's excitement. I rode to the front and found General Kilpatrick standing by his horse. He showed great impatience and eagerness for orders. The great opportunity, which was to have hurled his two brigades across the open fields upon the right and rear of Pickett's broken columns had been allowed to pass. As I turned away an orderly dashed by shouting: 'We turned the charge, nine acres of prisoners.' In a moment an aide came down and Kilpatrick sprang into his saddle and rode towards him. The verbal order I heard delivered was: 'Hood's division is turning our left; play all your guns; charge in their rear; create a strong diversion.'

"In a moment, Farnsworth rode up. Kilpatrick impetuously repeated the order. Farnsworth, who was a tall man with military bearing, received the order in silence. It was repeated. Farnsworth spoke with emotion: 'General, do you mean it? Shall I throw my handful of men over rough ground, through timber, against a brigade of infantry?'

"Kilpatrick said: 'A handful! You have the four best regiments in the army!' Farnsworth answered: You forget, the first Michigan is detached, the 5th New York you have sent beyond call, and I have nothing left but the 1st Vermont and the 1st West Virginia, regiments fought half to pieces. They are too good men to kill.' Kilpatrick turned, greatly excited and said: 'Do you refuse to obey my orders? If you are afraid to lead the charge, I will lead it.'

"Farnsworth rose in his stirrups and leaned forward, with his sabre half-drawn; he looked magnificent in his passion and cried: 'Take that back!' Kilpatrick rose defiantly, but repentingly said: 'I did not mean it; forget it.' For a moment, nothing was said. (Then) Farnsworth spoke: 'General, if you order the charge I will lead it, but you must take the awful responsibility.' I did not hear the low conversation that followed, but as Farnsworth turned away, he said: 'I will obey your order.' They shook hands and parted in silence. I recall the two young generals at that moment in the shadow of the oaks and against the sunlight, Kilpatrick with his fine gestures, his blond beard, his soft hat turned up jauntily and his face lighted with the joy that always came into it when the charge was sounded. Farnsworth- heavy browed, stern and pale but riding with conscious strength and consecration… two men opposite in every line of character, but both born to desperate daring.

"The direction of our guns was changed… (and) the artillery duel began. A shell shrieked down the line of my front company a few feet above their heads, covering them with leaves and branches. We rode out in columns of fours with drawn sabres. After giving the order to me, General Farnsworth took his place at the head of the 3rd Battalion.

"As the 1st Battalion rode through the line of our dismounted skirmishers who were falling back, they cried to us to halt. As we passed out from the cover of the woods, the 1st West Virginia were falling back in disorder on our left. A frantic horse with one leg torn off by a cannon ball rushed towards us for protection. We rode rapidly to the left and then to the right, across a depression at the left of a stone wall. The sun was blinding and Captain (Oliver T.) Cushman, who rode at my right, shaded his eyes and cried: 'An ambuscade!' We were immediately upon the enemy, and the deadly (Confederate) volley was fired, but it passed over our heads. It was the most concentrated volley I ever heard. Taken by surprise, they had shot over us. With the head of the column we cleared the fence at the right and formed under cover of a hill. The 3rd Battalion under Major (William) Wells, a young officer who bore a charmed life and was destined to pass through many daring encounters… moved out in splendid form to the left of the 1st Battalion, and swept in a great circle to the right around the front of the hill and across our path, then guiding to the left across the valley and up the side of the hill at the base of Round Top. Upon this hill was a field enclosed with heavy stone walls. They charged along the wall and between it and the mountain directly in the rear of several Confederate regiments in position and between them and the 4th Alabama. It was a swift… charge over rocks, through timber, under close enfilading fire. The rush was the war of a hurricane. The direction towards Devil's Den. At the foot of the declivity the column turned left, rode close to a battery, receiving the fire of its support, and swept across the open field and upon the rear of the Texas skirmish line. Farnsworth's horse had fallen; a trooper sprang from the saddle, gave the General his horse and escaped on foot. Captain Cushman and a few others with Farnsworth turned back. The 1st Battalion was again in motion. The enemy's sharpshooters appeared in the rocks above us and opened fire. We rode obliquely up the hill in the direction of Wells, then wheeling to the left between the picket line and the wall. From this point, part of my men turned back with prisoners. The head of the column leapt the wall, into the open field. Farnsworth, seeing the horsemen, raised his sabre and charged as if with an army. At almost the same moment his followers and what remained of the 1st Battalion cut their way through the 15th Alabama, which was wheeling into position at a run and offered little resistance. We charged in the same direction but on opposite sides of the wall that parallels Round Top and within two hundred paces of each other.

"Sergeant (George H.) Duncan, a black-eyed, red-cheeked boy, splendidly mounted, standing in his stirrups, flew past me with his sabre raised and shouted: 'Captain, I'm with you!' and threw up his left hand and fell. My horse recoiled over his dead body, my men swept past and I was a moment alone on the field. The enemy ran up crying 'Surrender!' as if they did not want to shoot me, but as I raised my sabre a gun was planted against my breast and fired; my horse was struck at the same moment and broke frantically through the men, over the wall and down the hill. Corporal Waller overtook me from the left and riding close supported me on my horse. As we rode on he told me how Farnsworth and Cushman fell together.

"I doubt if an order was given beyond the waving of a sabre after the first (order). The officers rode at the front and the men followed and as the officers fell the men pressed on more furiously. In that charge the private in the last file rode as proudly as the General. Farnsworth fell in the enemy's lines with his sabre raised, dead with five wounds, and received a tribute for gallantry from the enemy that his superiors refused. There was no encouragement of on looking armies, no cheer, no bravado. There was consecration and each man felt as he tightened his sabre belt that he was summoned to a ride of death."

H. C. Parsons, July 1913