The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1874-09-25
General McC1nclIess.

Last week we had about concluded. saws
the Lifberh ian (Pittsburgh) of the 10Th. to
take the Gazette of this city to task for i'm
pugning the military record of General
Wm- McCandiess, of Philadelphia. a can
didate for the Office of Secretary of Inter
uai Affairs in this Commonwealth but that
venerable sheet was too deeply engaged in
bandying billingsgate with euntempor-
+ airy, and seemed to enjoy the discreditable
industry too well TO be interrupted. Not
wlthstanding its sneak from journalistic
amenity, we will try to gladden. it bv de-
scribing zone of those brilliant things that
Gen. McCandless did during the war"
We assert on the authority of no less a
parsonage than Col. II. A. McCov. Chief
| Clerk to Surveyor General Beath. who is
now the political opponent of zen. McCan-
dless, that during the tremendous struggle
Tor the possession of Round Top Mountain,
overlooking the field of Gettysburg on the
memorable 3rd of July, 1863. Gen. (tben
Col.) McCandless, commanding the Firs.
Brigade of the immortal PENNSYLVANIA Re-
serves, changed the front of his gallant
! column almost to the rear, in the face of a
most deadly musketry and artillery fire.
with precision unequaled on dress parade
To quote from Sypher's s'Iiistory of the
pennsylvania Reserve Corps" (page 46D
in further illustration of the result of this
superb movement:
"The onset was terrible. The rebel GEN.
erals threw themselves at the head of their
troops, and, with sword in band urged them
to the conflict. They we'll knew background
must be held, or the advantages gained must
be lost. The Reserves, however, were fight
ing on their own soil. with their backs 20
their homes; it was battle for tho safety of
their families, the defense of their State
the honor OF their country, the glory of their
unSullleC banner and the re putation of their
most beloved commander. What motives
these, for men to die bravely, or to survive
an honorable death with an untarnished
famel No foe could withstand a charge i'm
PEELED hy hearts thus nerved TO the combat
First, the officers cheering on their rebel
hosts, fell beneath the uuerriag fire of the
Bucktails, and the hostile column was snead-
lily broken and hurled back 10y the bayouets
of the First brigade
W Ill the Gazette dispute the fact i?
The same paper asks again
Did he ride his gallant charger up to the
mouth of Haming batteries, or fiercelv bear
DOWN on serried ranks OF infantry or po
rushing through the flame of musketry car
rylng victory on his banners, and coufu,j ION
10 the rebels? Diu he? We want to know"
The last sentence, ''we want to know
displays veIdancy that savors suspicious
ignore especially in view of the facts
that not one Of the proprietors or attaches
OF the Gazette had the manhood To ioin the
ranks OF The Union army, pieferring phys
zeal salvation in the stay-at-home-Ioud-
mouthed-b -bandbox- brigade. But no mat
ter-we will answer.
Gen. McCandless did ride his gallant
charger at the head of his Second PennsyI-
wanna deserves up 10 the mouth of flaming
batteries, and fiercely bore down on scrried
ranks oi Infantry, and went rushing through
The flame OF InusKetry, if not carrying VIC
tory on his banners and confusion to the
foe, at least proving to the world that not
only his heart but his head was in the
cause for which he fuught-that lie was.
what the GGzeHe dare not deny, a brace
man.
There is another statement made about
Gen. McCandiess which is looming into
prominence. Il is, that he left the army
ana went home. 10 this we answer: Gen.
McCandIess served the three years of his
enlistment with the Reserves with sigual
homer, and if the G0zette pencil-slingers
could say the same it would give them some
reputation for personal bravery, Of which
calumnious attack on known soldier
precludes even the bare possibility.