Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-09-25

bed there, word was brought to me by
some person that General Hancock ,cas seri-
ously srounded and seanted to see me. 1
made an effort to get out was lifted on
my horse and rode as far as Slocum's posi-
tion, when found was unable to 60 any
further, and dismounted there and laid
down for time
Now, why did Gen eral Hancock, him
self severely wounded but not knowing
that the chief of staff, Gen. Butterfield,
was also wounded, want to see that Off
Ger, at the close of the terrible third days
fight Let his own sworn testimony
answer. After giving a very interesting
detailed account of his operations during
the first and second days of the battle,
General Hancock says (pp. 4O7-s):
"On the third day, in the morning, the
deal engaged. About or 2 o'clock in the
afternoon the enemy commenced terrific
cannonadc, from probably 120 pieces of
ing Cemetery Hill with Round Top, the
left centre commanded By me. That line
consisted of the 1st, Cd and Sd corps Of
achich Ihad the general command. lcon-
manded that ,ehole front. General Gibbon
commanded the ed corps in my alb
sence, Gen. Newton the 1st corps, and
Gen. Biney the Sd. That command con-
tinued for probably an hour and a-half.
The enemy then made an assault at the
end of that time it was a very formidable
assault, and made, should judge, with
about 1S, 900 infantry. When the columns
of the enemy appeared it looked as if they
were going to attack the centre of our
line, but after marching straight out a lit
tic distance, they seemed to incline little
to their left, as if their object was
to march through my command and
seize Cemetery Hill, which l had no
doubt was their intention. They attacked
with wonderful spirit; nothing could have
been more spirited. The shock of the
assault fell upon the I'd and Sd divisions of
the ed corps, and those were the troops,
assisted by small brigade of Vermont
troops, together with the artillery of our
line, which fired from Round Top to Gem
etery Hill at the enemy all the way as they
advanced. The repulse
was most decided one, and that decided
the battle and was practically the end of
the fight. Ipas ao0unded at the close Of the
assault, and that ended my operations with
the army for that campaign. l did not
follow it in it's future movements
"QuestiOn: And that also en- ded the
fighting at Gettysburg
':Answer: That practically ended the
fighting of the battle of Gettysburg.
think it was probably an unfortu-
nate thing that was wounded at the time
was, and equally unfortunate that Gen.
Gibbon was also wounded, because the ab-
sence Of prominent commander who
knew the circumstances thoroughly, at
such moment, was great disadvantage.
1 think that our lines should haze atluanced
inamediatelu, and I beliere ace should hare
arOn great rictory."
And that is why General Hancock,
wo'...led and unable to pursue the enemy
after the close of the third days battle,
sent to Gen. Meade and to his chief
of staff, Gen. Butterfeld, such pressing
appeals to follow up the enemy.
The testimony of Gems. Sickles,
Warren, Gibbon, Birney, Crawford,
and other distinguished officers, is all
to the same effect-that Hancock select
ed the point at which to give battle on
July lst after the death of Reynolds {:
that he did his duty nobly" on July
I'd; that the decisive assault WAS made
by the rebels Oh our left centre, COM
manded by Hancock, Oh July Sd; that it
was not until after this terrific assault by
the Ccnfederates had been repulsed, and
the battle of Gettysburg practically
ended, that Hancock, terribly wounded,
was carried from the field, after making
a last appeal to Meade and Butterfield
to follow up and capture the retreating
enemy and win "a great victory
With these indisputable facts before
their eyes, to say nothing Of the eulogis-
tic resolutions passed by Congress, the
Pennsylvania Legislature, the Philadel-
phia city councils, and other corporate
bodies, is it not amazing that paper
like the Germantown Telegraph should
permit its partisan bias to SO falsify his
tory us to deny even Hancock S presence
on the battlefield of Gettysburg on the
third and final day of that great and de-
cisive struggle. Perhaps it is not so
that the Ner Era should catch
at the Telegraph's unsupported story,
and rehash it with editorial approval to
its loyal and intelligent readers. Whom
the gods would destroy they first make
mad.