The Lamoille news. (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1877-1881, 1880-10-27
'LAIM FOR HANCOCK
DISPROVED.
PIE "HerO OF Getty sbnrg" that
Democrats Say He Is.

'sF*I ~ ''N'"i ""N ShS oNeSAhpt " CidlH
S In what was done by others is no
|.z44hry to his own fame as a good soldier
,ad most unjust to his distinguished
.aA1s des on that field.
Ikf Democratic claim for General Han
az B that he selected the battlefield a
occupied Cemetery Hill as it
.er4eint, and established the Union lin,
d Ilt face of the advancing SoutherI
)emt<racY. A careful examination of tn,
fleIz, dispatches, circulars and reports
oyerIng the history of that battle, show
hat Cemetery Hill, the key of the whole
osition, had been strongly occupied, by order
| General Howard, by Steinwher's entire
vision and three full batteries, four hours
efore General Hancock came upon the
eld, and in fact, half an hour before
'enerai Hancock, according to his own
fiicjsI report, left General Meade's head
uarters, thirteen miles in the rear, to ride
J The feld.
While General Hancock claims that he
it'd orders to establish the line on Gene
IL Ill, his own official report, speaking
{ occupation of this point, thus admits
aef 4eneral Howard had previously taken
ion of it. "The position on the
'aIa<rn edge of Gettysburg, overlooking
II avn and commanding the Emmetsburg
I'd Wneytown routes and the Baltimore
'tpfike, was already partially occupied
4 arrival by direction of Major General
|oFA<d." Such is General Hancock's own
'la|tI testimony upon the point out of
heh ihe Democrats, first misled by John
( fQfney, are now trying to make SO
|acd capital. The official records show
'ElheF and conclusively that what General
|Ancock was pleased to call "partial
tuYation was of sufficient strength to
'yef ihe withdrawal of Reynolds troops
ID two divisions of the Eleventh Corps
o'n the front of the town, and to repulse
e onlY assault which the rebels saw fit to
Ake Eaat day upon the position, and all
y De[ore General Hancock arrived upon
(leaefal Howard's report, which is sus
lQsd 6y those OF all on the ground with
Y. z|9wS the following facts: The news
Geaeral Reynolds death was brought to
afIeEAI Howard at Il:30 A. M. of the first
y. He assumed comm md at once, and
4 lIrat act was to ride over the ground and
cIde that Cemetery Hill should be occu
g as The KEY to the Union position, and
twelve clock Steinwher's whole division
ID three batteries were ordered to take
sition By 1890 P. M. Before one o'clock
= two remaining divisions of the Eleventh
'rps had passed on through the town to
9 reliefpf General Reynolds hard-pressed
oopa IL p. NJ. General Doubleday had
en oEaered Dack TO Cemetery Hill, and
. mlnntes later all the troops in front of
g town were ordered to fall back, while
htI16 70 the same point. At 4:30 P. M.
- e3lumns were ascending Cemetery
Il II some disorder, caused by the
1NdIng of columns from different roads
. ~ narrow streets of the town. The
lol1 Movement was, however, effectually
Tered by the line previously establishe d
3a0eral Howard on Cemetery Hill, and
feAel line, (which pursued and pressed
g the assault, was repulsed, and did not
pnl safe to make an attack again that
jaat ~ the time of this repulse, and when
ling for the day was over, General
anqosk came upon the field from General
Hsaf headquarters and took part in
naalxtIng the formation of the lines
Ee'zl 20 strongly established. The report
Etzaeral Howard, which agrees with
q9a 9l his division commanders and those
41ral Reynolds troops, as we'll as with
M Generals Meade and Halleck, thus
81 the arrival of General Hancock ::
zfal Hancock came to me about this
lose of the assault) and said General
81 bad sent him on hearing the state of
7aI14 that he had given him his instruc-
g. bile under the impression that he
q senior. We agreed at once that
Is no time for talk, and that General
'1z9ek should further arrange the troops,
81 ICE the batteries upon the left of the
z|flz1ere pike;while / .should;take the right
Ins anne. In passing through the town
1qz many prisoners, but the enemy per-
'Ez|a6 the strength of our position on the
e|Eatmade no further attempt to renew
4 Cement that evening. About Z p
Ierals Sloeum and Sickles arrived al
s etery. A formal order was at the
4 e time put into my hands putting
3eqefH Hancock in command of the lef
put General Slocum being presen
90 azlllor, turned the command over t,
|zilz 4Id resumed the direct command o
o. |eventh Corps, whereupon Genera
'7slI9ock repaired to the headquarters o
ae1z1@l Meade.
The case which the Democrats ar
10 make for General Hancock as th
|'s 6p selected the battlefield at Gettyf
go nd established and maintained tn
|1 Cemetery Hill, is made still mor
al|llelIlt by the following extract from b
y port relating to time subsequent |
- ks'el assault on Ceme' Hill and til
aoznps*tion Of the Union lines after tf
aaS pulse of the enemy for the da,
ssuek@ Hancock says: