National Republican., 1880-08-07
HANCOCK as A SOLDIER.

HANCOCK AS A SOLDIER.
1t is not a gracious task to seem to be-
little the real merits of any man, and es-
pecially of anyone who has done his duty
fairly and TO the best of his ability; but
when person, or his friends for him, puts
forward a special claim for reward on the
ground of pro-eminent merit, it is not un-
fair and not ungracious to canvass such pre-
tensions and bring them to the test of the
actual record. By doing this the real SER
vices are not belittled if the criticism be
kept within the terms of the record and
all the facts be fairly presented.
In nominating HANCOCK for the presi-
dency our democratic friends were under
the impression that they would be able to
create great popular farOr in their be-
half on account of his brilliant deeds in the
war, but already they have found this ex-
pectation vain. The materials for working
up glowing enthusiasm are not abundant,
and are not so good as in the case of MCCLEL-
Lam, who, whatever he did, was the author
Of the ringing sentence, short, sharp and
" decisive" and in what he failed of doing
was always able to pretend that the force
required to do it was not allowed him by
LINCOLN. The boom goes hard, and this
because the incidents are not at hand, and
it is now too late to manufacture them.
Somehow there has existed for consid-
cradle time rather dim tradition that the
victory at Gettysburg was the WORK of
HANCOCK more than of any other one man,
but the facts as given in the official reports
and in the newspaper accounts written at
the time do not sustain the tradition at all,
and it does not appear that HANCOCK was
any more sagacious, active, comprehensive
or efficient than WARREN, HUNT, AYERS,
CRAWFORD, HOWARD, HUMPHREYS or
DOUBLEDAY. The special claims set up we
will treat in their order:
First-It is claimed that MEADE selected
him over all other generals to inaugu-
rate the battle This is an error. MEADE
did not expect there would be any battle at
Gettysburg, and had disposed his forces
with view to battle on the line of Pipe
creek. He had sent REYNOLDS to the point
of collision, and on hearing of his death, and
not liking HOWARD, he sent HANCOCK to
take command, because he was the only
corps commander at headquarters. 1t is
proved that this was done not out of special
preference from the fact that HANCOCK
was ordered to turn the command over to
SLoCUAf when the latter arrived, and did so
within two and one-half hours after as
suming it.
Second-It is claimed that HANCOCK Sc
lected the ground for the battle and made
the arrangements of troops which enabled
us to win the fight. The claim is clearly
without foundation. MEADE, in his official
report says that about o'clock first day
of the battle) HOWARD deemed it prudent
" to withdraw the two corps to Cemetery
Ridge HANCOCK officially informed
MEADE that he arrived ON the ground al
4.30 o'clock. Now, as MEADE gave the
credit to HOWARD for selecting Cemetery
Ridge, where the next two days fight was
made, and as HANCOCK reports himself not
there until half an hour after HOWARD had
commenced placing his troops there, the
claim of HANCOCK falls past recovery but
to this should be added the circumstance
that MEADE, in his official report, did not
l4ltuNlbh WY ol'N''i 'H'i'~A'' ''''NA NAiAiNi'
HANCOCK to marked distinction.
1t is now known that the ground selected
was the very best for our troops to be fount
in all that region, and to be regarded ~
the one who saw this beforehand ant
pointed it out is certainly an honor wortl
coyeting. But there is nothing to show
that General HANCOCK appreciated thl
position at all, All the evidence is tn,
other way. lie sent word to MEADE tha
"the position cannot well be taken; it is
"positiOn, however easily turned.n
al think we can retire; if not, we can flgh
here, as the ground appears not unfavor
liable with good troops" That is all II,
says in praise of the ground, and he doe
not advise his chief to make any stanC
there, and only admits the contingency 0
fighting on the supposition that it may b
found impossible 10 retire No one coul,
possibly infer from this tame recommenda
ton that HANCOCK before the battlo kney
how valuable the position was. Iii
genius, whatever ii may be, was not equa
to grasping that situation. MEADE sen
him with orders to report on the natur
Of the ground and its adaptation for
fight, and HANCOCK knew that MEAD
was much ogtated on the question Of
good selection of ground, and yet HANCoCI
commends it more for its possibilities 70
getting away from than for its merits as
position 10 be held. ave can retire; but
"not, VIC can fight" Surely there is moth
ing in this language to remind as G
NAPOLEON, or even Of MILLER at Lundy'