Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1869-11-26

Editor Free Pres, { Tina:
Permit me to say a few words in regard t,
Genera Sickes al Gettysburgh. In your articl'
criucisiug the assertion Of General Grout. YOU
state that General Slocum with the 18th Corn.
reached Cemetery Hill before General Sickle-
THIS believe TO be a mistake, and the testimony
Of Howard, Hancock, and Sickes before the
Congressional Committee. shows it TO De go
Hancock testifes that on the death Of Reynolds,
General Meade ordered him (Hancock) to pro-
coed 10 the front, and assume command of al the
troops there, which he did. relcruC the field az 9
O'Clock P. IN, and finding the let, 81 and lth
Corps occupying the position. he testdes that
the lighting was then practically over, and That
General S.ocum arriving shout o. 'ci0cL p ~
he turned the command over 20 him. A. senior
officer. This i corroboraiei by the testimony Of
all the commanders present. Inc testimony all
goes to show that Sicsles arrived Just in time 70
make secure the position Howard hsd taken on
Cemetery Ridge; ami undoubtedly prevented ano-
Their attack on the already beaten and iatiguet
men of the LIST and / lth Corps.
There are no facts which show that Lee did Lot
intend TO force the ridge that same afternoon,
but on the contrary, every thing indicated an
immediate adSance-iioward had but one dirt
sion, in line on the Ridge while the enemy vas
pushing cur skirmish line " carairu, whcr the
appearance Of the Third Corps showed them that
W were IN force, and they des.siel
To be sure, no fighting occurred that even
ing; but was not the timely arrival Of
SicSles and mis- corps the only reason why
Cemetery Ridge was not swept clean by the
Rebels, and the army compiled to form line Of
ba;te on PIPE CrscF. with the loss OF the lst
and llth Corp and their artillery
Sickles merely obeyel orders, but he did it
with ufrrrIfu Had ~eruut besrl 40 rtror.-F
General Grout would not have bie3 10 make
" Gallant Dan - par ercclieEcc," the -ucc1ler
Of the First and Eleventh Corps on Wednesday
night.
As for the second day, looking at the move
ment Of Gen. Sickles as a change OF position
fortunate or unfortunate, Is regarded the gen
eral position TO be taken in the battle, there are
various opinions. Ii may have been wrong. or .
right, no matter, he WAS left by Gen Meade TO
use his own discretion. He did 50, and was an
proved by Gen. Hunt, chief of artillery on
Meade's staff
The great difficulty about the whole matter
wss this Gen Meade had maize no arrange-
meqts to fight battle At GetYsburgh. did not
inferd 10 DO SO. On The contrary, orders had
been drafted, and were in the hands Of the chief
Of stsif, designating the rt.te each corps wa.
to take TO Pipe CreeA D." and also instruct
ing the engineer and signal corps. to proceed to
that line and make the nee, ssaTy arrangements
fo' It's occupation by our army. But the move
mept Of Sickles made It, not perhaps impossible.
but certainly very injud.cious, and demoraHzing.
10 retire before the enemy.
The army c09id have retired. on the first lsv.
because the enemy were not concentrated They
hAd not formed any general line, and under
these circumstances, would not have dared 10
pursue in detached columns, not knowing the
locality OF our forces
There is no doubt from the testimony ofmauv
cheers but that Gen. Meade would have done
80, mad h 6aOcR hour Imminent 1rqs an engage-
neHt What would have been the result Of this
retrograde movement
1t would have left uncovered our TANKS on
both sides. Lee could have m1yej north with
ispuuity He could have jarown his ARMY
long the Potomac. cIt our line> Of c0mmuu.ca-
ion, and menaoe1 Washington, and compelled
IL nnauy 10 attack him il his 9,rg position
Looking at 1t In this light. ,-as not tie ad
Aoce OF the ID corps, a "a blessing Ia disguise
MS / no; the testimony OF Gen. Dan Sickles.
'ut OF other general officers who were present
N the held Did not the end justify the means c
ithough they may have been unwittinrly an C
lied. Had il not been for this We would have n
iad Nc Gsftys5Hrgh. a field that added no Urle t
.ory to our arms. 20 inserbe on our banners d
Honor 10 whom honor i due T f