The New York herald., 1864-03-16
The Battle OF Gettysburg.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD.


Tho article OF Historcus." the battle OF Getys
burg in HERALD OF the 18th instant by saying
"Some slight errors may have crept In; but this may
possibly stimulate others TO forward with
uncation." hoped, therefore, that the following
short "rectiHcation may nnd place In your columns
The FIRST statement Of .Historcusn to which give
my attention the indirect assertion that tho arrival
OF the Third division Of the Third corps, about
o'clock in the afternoon the field, put end TO the
conc, the 1st Of July and relieved the First and
Eleventh corps from imminent peril. The facts that
there fighting, light sKirmishng, after three
O'Clock In the afternoon and that General Sickles
mand did not make its appearance till nearly six o'clock
One division OF the Twelfth corps under General Geay
which "Hstoricus" says was four miles In the rear of
the battle eld had already been placed by General Han
cock the position taken up by the Third corps
on its arrival / may remark here that "Historicus'
studousy avoids mentioning General Hancock's
in his account OF tho operations Of July la
very strange mistake for "eye witness"
When General Sckles arrived at Gettysburg General
Howard not the commanding officer, and had not
been for time He first superseded by General
Hancock, by virtue of the written order OF General
Meade and Afterwards by the arrival OF General Slocum
his superior in rank The very much like the
play Of Hamlet with the part OF the Prince of Denmark
omitted.
The next statement which notice s that
Of leading generals took place, when insisted
falling back Taney.own, sc. would be interesting
to who the "eading generals referred to we're.
IL s said, indeed that General Howard who enjoys In
the estimation OF the publicl will not say how Justly
the honors Of the day had decided to from Get
ysburg But is certainly true that the leading general
Major General Hancock entertained such proposition
after no assumed command. and long before tho arrival
of General sckes had selected the lines Of battle
which the troops established they up. The
left OF that line was Roundtop Hill, and ils general d.
rccton was that OF the ridge connecting Roundop Gene
terry and Culps bills, and was held by the Second and
iistoricuen now endeavors to create the impression
that the ridge or elevated ground connecting the left OF
the Second corps was far 70 his 'front.'
scribed by "Hstorcus and precipated the battle on
most unfortunate ground. IL hardly seems possible that
when General sckes moved forward his corps the
afternoon OF the I'd OF July from s appropriate place
<he general line he excited the astonishment OF the thou
sands Of lockers on u was magnificent sight, but
cited the graves apprehension and the writer well reco
oesrs The right of bis line was enireIv dscoupec.ed
from the Second corps leaving an interval OF from one
bali TO one-euarter Of mile General Gibbon com
mandn 1.-The Second corps at this moment threw forward
into this interval two regiments OF infantry and bat
terry, which were nearly destroyed when the shock fell
on sckes' corps. kenterva was left between the
right Of the Filth corps and Of tho Third In this
poson with no connection his right or left General
sckes became engaged. Had the second and Filth corps
been moved up to conform this line tho battle would
been delivered In front OF the strong features Of tho
ground and could hardly have helped being disastrous
through the intervals above described the enemy pcne
tated with determinaton pressing until they were
checked nearly the original neon the one hank by
the Filth corps and the other by the Second 10 the
attempt 10 exlcae General Sckes hts unfortunate
position these two corps lost nearly three thousand
istorlcus asserts that General oicgles called the
heroic troops OF the second corps for SUPPORT 30. The
truth ths.0ne division OF the Second corps, under
sadier General Caldwell sept 10 report TO Major
General sykes, OF the Filth corps and posted by
of his stan ofieers This division became heavily
gagged with tue orco OF the enemy that had turned
scses' Eauk and ovefpowered. The blow then eli
General Tyres DIVISION OF the Fith corps which lost
nfiy pee cent OF It's numbers holding It's position
most obsiinatey.
General 2ook, highly compmentcd by "Hstorcus,'
conui anced brigade OF Caidwoll's division.
when night te lines where they were nrst
established and where the next days attack
ceivcd but tile gallant dead OF the 1hrd corps
Tar tO the front That large numbers or them remained
within the enemy ssines until after Lee retfeated
have no disposition to pursue further the examination
OF "Hsioricus article. fhsve endelvored
instead OF saving the army General sckes nearly ruined
IL by sad error-an uOeccountable lie must have
known that TO hold the lines he assumed the grave respon
sbty OF moving on 10 neccssated entire change Of
the positions Of the troops bis right left and
moment when the enemy had already n,sssed his
columns Tor the attack. Pray where would the
jealous defender ~ General sickles have placed tho
Second In such contingency Not ON the ground
that II held on the ID against l. ngstrect inai no
place for II. nor Is there jss dcfcnce fr the
mcuts of General Sickles. ANOTHER EYE wlrNlsS