The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1880-09-17
for tho Victory mt gettysburg.


In addition to the fact that even the greatest
of historical events are always more or less OBJ
secured by inaccurate marathon there II, at pres
Ont n special purpose in the work which some
persons have In hand Of msstating the history
of the conflict at Gettysburg, for partisan ad
vantage. Tho part Gen. Hancock had III that
heroic battle Ii 10 be set out IN relief leaving the
parts which other soldiers took, In obscnrity,
ana going even farther than this, there are pre-
tcntiunS made IN his behalf which altogether cN
aggcTau his real claim la notice, and ovcrstate
the amount Of credit he II entitled 10. or such
sort Ii the very cStrayagant representation which
the Northern allies now makes as tn the grail
tudc due Ia Gen, Hancock. Tncy instst that this
80 far oycTshadOws all other considerations of
political conviction. Devotion Ia principle, or
preference as to public policy, that dropping
these entirely, II II the duty Of voters 10 support
| Gen. Hancock simply on account Of "hs' ser
vice NJ Gettysburg. IL does not, however, need
| much acquaintance with history, or Il very critl'
cal analysis of this prctention, In order to Hce
how shallow ana inconclusiyc IL IL. A complete
reply lies III the unanswcrabc fact that whatever
Gen. Hancock'S claims to gratitude might hc,
| no compensation Of them could be demanded
which involved the sacrifice uf the public Inter
| este. Whatever might be due him from loyal men
II would not be- pay able In the honor, tho peace,
or tho welfare OF the country, neither he hor his
| friends have right 10 demand that for his ser
vice at Gettysburg, the American people should
| elect him President. This Ia demand totally
Inappropriate and unreasonable, II made In good
| faith by any one; IL shows that they confound
| the duties Of citizenship with the suggestions
| Of personal gratitude, and underate the value Of
| the political principles by which governments
| must proceed, II II proceeds at all. The mnn who
| yields them Tor narrow or personal reasons ;
gratitude Ia u soldier would be III expressed In
| surrender Of the nation To those who would mis-
| use or degrade its government
| Hut, as To the battle Of Gettysburg. The great
| fact II that the Victory was due no one man the
| triumph Of the national arms was due To many
| men; II was, indeed, the victory Of the army oi
the Potomac, whose discipline, and training IN
| war. came to iruitiOn a.; no generation, however
skillml, could have beaten Ice on that field with
| raw and unframed army nnd cOrrcspOndingly
| when the line On Cemetery Ridge had once been
| formed, II was the valor 0i the war-trcd yctc-
| RAM, more than the military knowledge of the
| commanders, which held II triumphantly against
| every assault. Who decided 10 make the stand
| NJ Grttysburgy undoubtedly Itcy noldB, when, on
the ilrst day he made the light against the arriv
Ing forces OF Hill aud Ewcll, at the cost OF his
own life. lie exceeded Nhe spirit, II not the let
ter, OF his order from llicn. Meade. But lac had
| already seen hat the magnificent defensive pO.
| siton behind him was That which the whole
| army ought to take, and no was holding oil the
| enemy until the other divisions could get up
| In Fastening forward the head OF his column IL
| the PLANE beyond the town, his quick military
| eye had taken In nt glance the figure OF that
| rocky bulwark around Gettysburg, ~ u vantage
| ground where the army could most layOrnbiy
| receive battle, and In going out To oppose rests
| lance 10 the ncar-apprOaching enemy. and allSw
| the army time tn concentrate, he was doing what
Gen. Meade would approve, Reynolds had men
| tally marked. During the first day llancoCk'r
share began. lie did not select the Gcttysbur.
| lines, but he stayed the rapid and confused re-
| treat Of our troops through the town; brought
order out Of chaos called officers to their stations
and men to the ranks and ~ saved the army
| from decentralization and disaster rhia IL TO his
honor, for II belongs To him; bcyond THE, when
| Hancock, with the aid Of Gen. Howerd, Warren,
| and BufUrd. had placed the troops which were OH
hand, the battle of the second and third days was
| one whose vibtOry you could not ascribc 10 any
| one man. Meade, cool, cautious, and stcadfast,
came up IN the night and was In command dur
| Ing the two great days Of the conflict. All his
| troops were up by the morning OF the "a OF July
| except the Sixth corps. led by Gen SedEwick,
| and thcrc, having come like heroes - miles In
| twenty hours, eager to join their comrades and
share the perils of the encounter. Hancock.
| twice or thrice on both days handled his men NJ
| that were almost decisive. Warren, who took
| tho responsibility of placing Ntnccnt's brigade
| there, In the very instant OF time, rs Hood y
| men came charging forward tn break through
this vital point, and take our whole In reserve.
| Hunt, who handled the artillery so well; Craw.
ford, who charged nj the head Of the Pcnnsylva-
| mia reserves, and completed the confederate
| discontinue ut the end Of the second day; How
| ard with Wadsworth and Green, desperately
| defended Cemetary Hill and Cups Hill Will
llams and Shalcr who after hours OF hard lighting
| drove out the enemy from the Judgement they
had gained. All these must be regarded as
worthy of prominence and entitled TO special
| thanks. We have not mentioned any of the
| here rs who so calamity defended the advanced
| line of sckels on the second day. or sustained
| the terrible onset of Pickctts charge on the
| third; Chamberlain, Of Maine, with his brigade
| commander, Vincent; Gen. Weed, the heroic
brgadier In Ayres' division: Ilazlitt, OF the bat
| terry, York, of Montgomery, Humphreys, the di-
| vision commander, who handled his med brave.
! 10 aud skilliully; Hays, Gibb0n. Webb, Stannnrd
| and others, who were In the thick of the fighting
| on the third day, in the rcpulsc of Pickctt-all
these must be put In the front of picture which
| attempts TO do any SOFT Of justice to the heroes
| of the battle Of Gettysburg simple cnumer-
alton of some Of the details Of the battle and a
| few of the names Of those who won IT, shows
| sufficiently what We desirc-that TO ascribe the
victory To any one man, Is unfair tn him and un-
| just t. scores of others The whole army of the
| Potomac, at the end Of the conflict had lost 1884
killed and Is, 1873 wounded. Is. +. DAVIS,