The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1880-08-15
A "REMINISCENCES OF HANCOCK.
An Eyewitness AccOrds Him th<
Homer of the Gcttysburg victory.


Brevct Brig. Gen. !. William Hoffman, in
paper read before the Historical Society of
Pennsylvania last March, makes the follow
ing statement which is none the less con-
vincing because of its unimpassioned tone.
After narrating the action in which his
regiment (Fifty-sixth Pennsylvania) of
Wadsworth's division had been engaged
from about 10 in the morning until near in
the afternoon, (July l. 1862 and after relat-
ing that Wadsworth's division retired after
receiving orders " to do so, Gen. Hoffman
continues:
Gen. Wadsworth's division moved to the
rear by way of the railroad embankment at
the northwest angle of the town, and while
crossing it suffered considerable from fire of
the enemy now on Seminary Ridge. While
passing through the town our progress was
necessarily slow; the streets were full OF
wounded men. When the head of our col
umn reached the Baltimore road it came in
contact with the troops of the Eleventh
| Corps, and our progress was checked, and
although but momontarily, still IL caused
large loss in prisoners at the rear OF the col
umn, which was intercepted. Soon the two
columns surged together, and all Organiza-
ton was for the moment gone. The current
moved south over the Baltimore road to the
foot of the northern slope of Cemetery Ridge,
| which comes north in n broken line from the
| Round Top mountain some three miles south
of Gettysburg, to within half mile of the
| town, then curves to the east and ends i'll
the elevation known as Culp's Hill.
II became evident, as we moved up the slope,
that we were approaching point where the
Typographical features of the locality would,
| in some measure, compensate for the absent
corps. But where each individual brigade
or rcgimental commander should reform his
command, whether upon the right or upon
the left, seemed to be difficult subject to
decide, the orders received were constantly
conflicting. Under these circumstances, we
moved up the slope, and at the crest met n
group OF mounted officers, among them, one
rhose qualities were such as emiaemiy. .fted him
for Me criticui hour. He saw before him a
commngled mass of troops, troops of the
army whose fortunes he had shared from its
| birth. lie knew that the discipline that has
been instilled by him who had organized
them into an army--that grand, undaunted,
indestructible Army of the Potomac-was still
within them. Directing this division to re-
form upon the right, that one upon the left,
it was but n short time. and he had wrought
order from chaos. This accomplished, he di-
rected the occupation of Culp's Hill. The
NH was sOon occupied, but llot II iiiGHcit too
soon.
The Seventh Indiana, of our brigade, de-
tached in the morning for special duty, as
have stated, and not engaged in conflicts with
the enemy, rejoned us as we We're reforming
in the cemetery, and being compact organi-
cation, it was sent at once to form n line OH
Culps Hill. Mai. Grover, its commanding
officer, established line from the pinnacle
down to the foot of the eastern slope, and
on his way back to his centre encountered
and captured scout of the enemy, who had
crossed tho hill before the line was cstab-
lished, and was on his way back when cap
turcd, with the report that the hill was not
occupied by our troops. Growers line OF
pickets was soon reinforced into u line OF
BATTLE which, on the following evening, sue
cessfully repulsed the desperate assault made
by the enemy to capture the Hill.
has aimays seemed to me Mat Me merit .to,
restoring order anil HE. foresight in directing Mf
occupation Of Cmp's mn haze .iaHed to be July
approximately those mho hnce urihcn upon N.
subject. Without Culp's Hill in our posses.
sion we could never have held onr line on
Cemetery Ridge on the second and third days
of the battle.
That line on Culp's Hill became the high,
water lire of the tidal wave of the Rebellion,
that far North had human slavery again car
ried her shackles, and from that lineit ebbed
back, back to AppomatOx.
Mr.. President, and members of the His
torica Society, whose special province it is
to collate and make record of all that concerns
the history of our great State, the events
that transpire within ber borders, the deeds
of her sons, Idesire to place myself upon recoro
miM yon as saying Mathe officer to mhom Ihart
aliuaed as huping rendered such inesfimabie SER
rice on that memorable erening IS a son Of Penn
, syirania. Ills name is Winfield Scott Hancock