The New York herald., 1875-12-27
THE BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG.
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Eesented General Won stenwehr as executing the i'm
bortant work Of tortifying Cemetery Hin his own
Judgment and responsibility and that ignored your
hgsncy In the matter Now, what the factsf will
Auote my exact language. The nrst sentence OF the
Paragraphs In which treat OF this subject is this
N1But there labor which being executed at
khs time under the direction of General Howard which
proved Of vital Importance in the final cast OF the
pattie-it was the Terrifying OF Cemetery Hill And
Eurther on | say;"When Howard came up he len ono
division under General Alexander Won Stenwehr upon
Ehs hill with directions to have II posted most advan
Eageously 70 hold the position and to cover retiring
Troops" Then go on 70 describe how your order was
carried out and say, lyon Steinwenr was an accom-.
pished SOLDIER 40 Is not this fair Acknowledgements
bf your authority and direction In the matter, and Is
hs impression you seek to convey to the reader IN the
kein OF manly criticism2
On page rs say y:-"Schemmelhnnig, too, while at
4empting TO stay hs troops and hold them up 70 no
Eight was taken prisoner but subsequently, managed
40 escape and reioned his commando Upon this you
comment as follows s:-''Schemmelhnnig was nos la1en
prisoner Having been accidentally separated rom ms
troops in the town. he hid himself among some phes OF
Boards and finally joined US after the nBue was over
General SchemmehnnIg Is dead ana II Is an unortu-
hate circumstance that principal matters OF con-
aroversy pertain 70 men who are more But during
the whole General Schemmelnnng bore himself as
q gallant officer In the final campaign before Charles
kon he rs represented having conducted the opera
Bous with signal ability and Skill AT Gettysburg he
ananfly led his division out upon the most exposed
part OF the whole line and held his position there
olutoy under terrific fire OF artillery and infantry
enough TO make the stoutest quailand until crushed
IN by vastly superior numbers oil the enemy In the
town he surrounded and according 10 your own
showing was in The enemys lines, and hence pris-
oner You say, ~ never mean TO detract from an
who q Major General, the commander OF corps,
and who assumed to support the mantle OF the gallant
Reynolds that day. 20 far out of your way TO
attempt TO cast stigma upon the name OF General
l5ohemmeldnnig
Union army ascended Cemetery Hill tney were met by
stan officers who turned tho Eleventh corps TO the
unto position along the summit Of the ridge stretching
out on either hand from the Baltimore Pike" Your
criticism is this:-''The two corps were met BY my
stan of1cersn had said 'by stan ohccrs leaving
NO implication but that they were your stan oflcerA
But you have raised the question VIII here state
that the or 1865 happened 10 be going up
the Baltimore Pike, and when just outside the town OF
Gettysburg and before reaching the Cemetery gate
.met MAJOR Harry 7. Lee, who pointed out 70 me the
identical spot the afternoon Of that terrible
day he sat upon his horse and directed the Eleventh
corps TO upon the side and the FIRST to the
other And who Major Loe2 Was he stan
ioicer OF yours? No, he OF the staff OF General
Doubieday the commander OF the First corps II
springs from envy when your iniormers attempt TO
: 10 o HOWARD"
Finally on page sS said TIT that Howard At
n council Of corps commanders, held. at Chancelors-
vile Just before tho army retired across the river
voted remain and fight, giving reason that the
ynisconduct or his corps forced him always to vote
For assauitng, whether II was the best thing 70 90
done or notD Your comment upon this is as fol
voted hght and did every general officer then
except General Sickies. He opposed for political
reasons as ne stated Now for the evidence Tho
records show that General Couch dig not vote TO fight
General 5ocum not present, neither was General
Hancock present. nor Of course, General Sedgwck who
with by Tar the largest corps in the whole army was al
ready General recrossng, because
he feared that the enemy would attack and would not
allow the movement TO be executed The Inference
would draw from your auson to General Sckles does
that officer great injustice The following extract from
General Hancocks testimony sets that matter in It's
lf.hf IA xvkA nuNc ahnnt
Sickles' testmony:--i heard that tho question OF
Washington urged as TO what effect IL would have
upon the country should il fall in consequence of our
perslstng IN that operation IL was thought that,
aside from military reasons would have bad effect
upon the future OF the country should we persist in the
fight and be beaten so badly that Washington should
fall in consequence; whereas II we recrossed the river
would be enabled preventany such result ltermed
them political reasons in that respect only from the
OBJECT the fall of Washington would produce in our
Ao0IlIry we'll as Europe II was not IN reference at
all 70 partisan politics, but merely us the general
policy ana effect npon the country II appears, there
fore General Sckes, instead Of being actuated by
low partisan m6tfpe as would be inferred from
Sish senss uaA''of0 Of public ai,y apd patriotism
But all this s immateral, only as showing thelpcoW-
pietencss and inaccuracy of your statement Now as
to the testimony of your vote, on page rs, vol
J., on ''rhe Conduct of the War for 1861 General
Buttcrhed, Chief of Staf to General Hooker, Com
mander- Chief of the Army of the Potomac is re-
corded testfying foilows -"General Howard
was in favor Of moving out and attacking the enemy.
He remarked he felt though the army in It's
present position by the disaster his corps and under
any and all circumstances he should favor an attack.
/ may say that everybody considered that General
Howard would favor an attack under any circun-
stances in consequence OF aspersions that had
been cast upon his command, the Eleventh corps-he
desired 70 retrieve their reputation My statement
pbove, which you pronounce untrue was founded upon
this testimony, and will leave It to the candid reader
TO Judge whether it not fair statement of the
matter herein contained II is the business of a chief
,of stan 20 keep minutes OF councils of war;
and Il Is presumed that his testimony was correct
I have considered all the material points of
your letter and have adduced tho evidence upon
which the statements in my book rest which you
question. | cannot yet SEQ any reason to change
modify any OF them. on the contrary, my confidence
In thor accuracy Is confirmed That you endeavored
TO do your duty at gettysburg according your ability
have doubt and IL have not given you much
credit IN gaining the victory you deem you
titled because q careful consideration OF all
the evidence did not warrant me in awarding more.
Raanectfully yours SAMUEL. RATES