New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-10-18
A CLAIM F0R HANCOCK DISpRoVED.

NOT THE HERO OF GETTYSBURG" THAT DEMO-
Gratis SAY HE $50 WHOM THE CREDIT OF 'sE-
| LECTING THE FIELD AND DRIVING BACK THE
SOUTHERN DEMOCRACY REALLY BELONGS.
| lBY TELEGRAPH TO TIE TRIBUNEl
| WASHINGTON. Oct. 17.-Chairman Barnum's re-
cent address to the panic-stricken Democracy re-
peats the incorrect claim which his party has so
persstently made that General Hancock was the
! hero of gettysburg Certainly he was one OF many
of them but the attempt to claim for him what waS
done by others is not necessary 10 his own fame rs
q good soldier and is most unjust to his dlstln-
! guished comrades on that field.
The Democratic claim for General Hancock
is that he selected the battlefield at Oettys-
burg. occupied Cemetery Hill as its key
point. and established the Union line IN the face OF
the advancing Southern Democracy careful eX-
animation of the orders dispatches. circulars anu
reports covering the history of that battle SHOWS
that Cemetery Hill, the key of the whole position
I had been strongly occupied, by order OF Geheral
Howard, by Steinwher's entire division and three
full batteries four hours before General Hancock
came upon the field and in fact, half an hour before
General Hancock, according to his own official re-
port left General Meade's headquarters, thirteen
miles in the rear to ride TO the field
While General Hancock claims that he gave or
ders To establish the line Cemetery Hill, his own
official report, speaking of the occupation OF this
po,nt. thus admits that General Howard had pre-
viouslv taken possession of It. The position on
the southern edge Of Gettysburg, overlooking the
town and commanding the EmmettsDuTg ana
| TaneytOwn routes and the Baltimore Turn
pike. was already partially occupied on my
arrival by direction of MaOrGeneral Ho Tard."
Such is General Hancock's own official testI-
mony upon the point out Of which the
Democrats. first msled by John w Forney, are now
irving to make so much capital The official records
show further and cOnclusively tnat what General
Hancock was pleased to call partial oceupa-
t,on was of sufficient strength to the with
dlawal of Reynolds's troops and two divisions Oh
the Eleventh Corps from the front Of the town. and
to repulse the only assault which the rebels saw mt
to make that day upon the position, and all this be-
! fore General Hancock arrived upon the field.
| General Howard's report, which is sustained by
those of all on the ground with him. shows the fol-
| lowing facts: The news of General Reynoldss
| death was brought to General Howard at 1l:3O a.
| IN Of the first dav. He assumed command at once,
and his fist act was to ride the ground and
decide that Cemetery Hill should be occupied as
! the kew to the Union position, and at II O'Clock
| Steiuwher's whole division and three bat
/ teries were ordered to take position there
and to hold it. This force was in posi-
| ton by 1890 p m. Before l e'clock the
two remaining divisions of the Eleventh Corps had
nased on through the town to the relief of General
! Rcypolds's hard-pressed troops. At p. H. General
Doubleday had been ordered back to Cemetery HUI,
and ten minutes later all the troops IN front OF the
| town were ordered to fall back, while fighting, to
the same point. At 4:30 p. m these columns were
ascending Cemetery Hill in some disorder, caused
| by the crowlng of columns from different roads
into the narrow streets Of the town. The whole
/ Iy
line previously established by General Howard on
| Cemetery HILL and the rebel line, which pursued
and pressed Oh to the assault, was Iepulsed and
did not deem it safe to make an attack again that
! day.
Inst tie time Of this repuse and when the fight
| inn for the dav was over, General Hancock came
upon the field from General Meades headquarters
! and took part III completing the formation OF the
lines already SO strongly established. Ibe report of
| General Howard. which agrees with those Of his
division commanders and those OF General Rev
nolds's troops as well as with those Of Generals
Meade and Halleck. thus refers to the arrival of
| General Hancock
General Hancock came 70 me about this time lcose ot
the ASSAULT and sad General Meade had sent niIn on
hearing the state OF affairs that he had gwen linn DIS
Instructions while under tue impression tnat ne was my
fime for talk and that General Hancock should
further arrange the t1fooSs tba and paGe
| nike while [ should take the right of the same In IA
very short time We put tine troops M pOsu0n In pass
nr thrnugn the lost prison RS, DuJ the
eomv perceivng the strength Of our position on tue
heirnt made 10 further attempt 10 renew the engage
mrnt thar evening. About ~ Generals olocuh ana
sekles arrived at the cemetery formal order was at
| the same time put into my hands putting General
| rancDck IN cOmnani Of The lett WlnSi put General
Sortn ein present and senior, turned the command
! over to hin and resumed the direct command Of che
Eleventh Corps whercupOn General Hancock repaired
/ 10 the headquarters OF General Meade
But the case which tue Democrats are trying to
make for General Hancock as the one who selected
the battlefield at Gettysburg, and established and
maintained the line Cemetery Hill, Is made still
more difficult by the following extract from his own
| report relating 10 a time subsequent 10 the rebe
assault on Cemetery Fill and the completion OF the
Union lines after the final repuse OF the enemy fol-
! tine dav General Hancock says
| shortly after addressed a communication TO the
| Totor.(eneral cOmmandlng sending u by Captain Par
krr of INV staff giving in detail the Information IN my
nossessiOn and informing him that the position al Get
fvsburg was very strong having Tor It's disadyan
1gc that II might easily be turned and leaving 10 nlin
Tho rcsponsbfy whether the battle should ne rought al
Grttvg burg "A the place first selected Dy hlIn'
These are points which mi ght properly be intro
duced INTO the next Democratic bulletin on Get
tysbuTg