New-York tribune., 1876-08-11
GETTTSBURG.
LETTER FROM GEN GEORGE SYKES.

4 SOLDIERS srATrNFST--IIR DisCLAINs hkGLECI
or DUTY ~ BEHALF OF HIS rRooFs-HIs posi-
nos DURING TIE BATTLE.
To the Ed.tor Of The Tribune
SIR: rhc July number OF The IiGHdc hoHHly OF
this year contains article on the Campaign ana
Battle OF Gcttysbrrg," by Gen. o. o. Howard, L. ).
Amy. in which he reuoat7 > remark attributed 10
nc by some staff officer oi the Third Cops, quoted
in ,he testimony Of tler -. B. Bmey, in Vol. y OF
the testimony befpTo the . Committee on the Con
duct of the Var" 3lr :. T. Bates, in hi. History
Of tho Battle Of Gcttysblrg,' laaSes room Tor the
same he,rsay renInrk, though 70 do him justice ho
do, not seem TO bel ye ever made il. Both tles"
pal licatious being of recent date, now emphatic
ally DEM a. did ia December, 1865, in The Wash
in Jor Chro,ire tho truth OF that statement, and
feel assured that TO military men at least the few
TACT. shall present viii prove ts impr3babiiity and
wicked injustice.
On the II Of July. 1868, ny command ttI'h
Corps Amy Of the Potomac arrived on the field Of
Gcttysburg about u. H., via jlcSneiryto"h an"
Bouauchtoru having left lianoTer ~ sunset the
psyiUus C,,ning. il Wa, at once posted on the cN-
tronle ri.h; Of our line, whore with tho iWcuih
, C,rrs under Gen Socum. il vas intended to attack
Ewell The attack having been abandoned. owing
to th, uufayo.Ibl, uatIrc Of the ground the fNth
Corps was mas.od ~ reserve, about II o. IN, ON
Roe. Creek, we,' g. ia, Baltimore turnpike. While
awaiting the DE-. Gus of the enemy. | received III
.'ructions from Gen. Meade 10 support 'ho ihi'd
,t,rr, lGca. Si,klrsj with brigade should he ask
ior IT, ana In obedience thereto Weeds Brigade. So,-
cnd Division was detailed for this d9ty. Tio sixth
/ Corn, had not then reached the field. and my
command was th, only ore not the line Of battle,
/ I an +. ti-fai Gen Muldr intended only . single
brigade o De- held ready, because lce5 point OF a.
'ack wa. Itlil an "rtain. tP t"3 p In' when Cen
Meade desired to SEE mc withoihef 'c'pS c"ihhAho-
ers uo call had 5'cl made upon me eithor oy "rn'
/ sickle, or Gem Bisa"y. No necessity for u had
arisen. / rode 10 Gen. Ao.do'- headquarters on the
Ian'yiown road. aud "hlI' mere p'i'' M'ad'' ''-
coming convince th't Hl' i''' ""' ''e ','''' %
Los H't'sh' "'ii'' L' ~ ''''N .5 ""''' ,''t'
20 th't nam Hh' '.'.'' ~ ~ H'l '''1''"'' ''''
soldier KNOWS b'', ms "'"'' ai''i''''" ''N I'''
one hpm The are '"nr'' hnt ans not """'' '"".
either ""n sick cS or Cen. B'rn'y A"'" 'i H. "''
"a subsequent hoHr OF ia" "aF ."ry "% h','
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I ,L f,co Of ,,b,, I b.ro s,,t, which car he spb
..,ti.toI L,, ,I,cors of all Grades tben preseut
Gen. Eir,cy. eight months afterword conld repeat
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