New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-07-30

tore through their ranks. causing them to osouo %;
ward Hazards batteries. To great surprise and
cha2rin. tor never saw luer oDDJrnni;y 10 display
the over OF the artillery and secure dsci I've res - .
| from u, Hlzaro's guns were SILENT anu the
he Wy eros -HTe had relied upon to dive
the enemy hack or throw his trOyps INTO diofder
and 80 deliver them comparur veiy easy prey i Cur
in,tutry. Was nos obtained We Iad between sssohiy
anf esbtL gun. neirif eqm ~ iiYifd ntotWp fi-f"
che cross five OF which wOud b. W douo ed tn ve ~,
their combine direcs iire Ehst the sctyC power -
OiH artillery fence was req Hrd. Dy hazaros ~ NC,
o a fou OF vhlt u Ought to have been Bui it was
Tie enemy was. as stated pushed somewhat sut o.,
his direct b. the hre %. Mcfuvra- IA =. Lgt
this fire not bang supp emsntd oy fIlzlrt'. MS pro
gress was unchecked until he within cGBi-teg
range tits onslaught fierce AM SOC tie fate
line been broken here his wnOle army wou donbLlrss
have been unon us Immediately, and under ercula-
-ances whicI would have made IL almost iMpOss3e 70
RESIST hin.
NARROW ESCAPE FROM DEATH.
Had NeClyray exhausted bis ammunition during tho
cana0aade, the enemy would, IN all probability, have
succeeded clrrginQ position aud winning the bat
tie Bad Hazard been able to his fire NIGH
vray at the beginning OF the eBemys adyancc.we would
not have been In danger. As twas. escape
from defeai at Gettysburg a very ono.
10 state the cause Of THIS failure Of the
artillery 10 10 the work which, rightly used. Is could
IOnade Iicn furious one, General Hancook.as
sine re orted 70 me- noticed that the batlees Of ais
10 open at ouce. MJor Hazard internsd
nm not 60 insist UPON ms own but 10 mi. he ssad
listen, and compelled ragid reply 10 The eueBy.
He afer. as Major McGilyray ait"rward Orniei
me- gllOped to his pOItOn. dem in'iiug with
phasis, WHY he did not open MS rc = aud orJerrd him
90 open and hrc rapidly. MAJOR McGuvray,
a cool ana cear-headed officer, ,eplied thai ns mad
" received special instructions. aud tne dine nJt
come" General Hancock then d-manded from whom
he received his Instructions and replied from
chicf OF artillery" General Hancock men stated that
General Hunt had no idea OF anything Ike ms when
be rs order" 90 when Nice lyray replied that
bad predicted usr what then taking place. anc that
my orders were given to meet this very case General
Hancock
uOuade, and VIII stand iC II not replied
to-" and ordered him TO open at hits
Major McCllyray declined do the rime By
his commander. de adGeG n explanation ~ this
me- " was not under General HaneOs&'s orders, AID
cou d why second rps could not stand tho
dr. as well as the other CORDS or as vel as ny nuers,
but as considered hat your orders would
rant opened, and you directed fired slowly and De,
h5trateiy"
USELESS SACRIFICE or LIFT
The result was that when ere enemy advanced MECH
vray was prepared Tor him. but Hazard. who belonged
to General Hancocks corps, ana was therefore
compelled To obey MIN. having expended al his
long Ammunition. the ehee5 n proper Of
The artillery lost. aud heavy sacrifice OF life
tn pr &c we paid % redeem tHS great error.
No order known TO Major McGlyray or myself vas la
sued extending General HaJeocks command beyond
did he BY any act OF authority Of which l
aware maze known sach extension, nor although
Cue Nloe morning was spent Dy Slc tnehy II pacing
his batteries All he take measures Whatever IN
sequence, or issue any orders 10 Major McGnvrsy
nah actually burst ~ al It's fury. Had he done all
q
TO nave gIvea his orders on the spur Of
moment without dion certainly without
forecast and rushing into che rap sec tor Us hc played
Tue enemys game by throwing away
without taxing proper means replace IL
assault and tried O. make batteries not under
lis command commit Iue same fauJ even O. the cxtcnL
Of threatening force 10 accomplish tAis purpose.
Nor there need at any time to open fire N order
give tIe enemy the impression mat that point
strongly defended for every gun was already
pam view Of the enrny, and
the waste OF Ammunition could not
I.s civ sd ng.g m
power. &c from being undesirable
account OF their being "nO mf1uly' there
mat The enemy should select that ponr
their attack 10 was. Oh the contrary desirable. IL
would led 70 hi csrfan e. strucun, but VIII con-
TESS that never occurred 20 ME for
moment tha5 General Lee could Iave been
drawn lH such an act % folly a. 10 direct ne attack
upon this our str0n- 80 point ar when hs
truous had been defeated tlr day before General
HduCOcAs memory as 10 there DelnE no ln-autfy
there is fiut for there was plenty u InLnrY
nished reInfOrcemsuts 10 ls line when Ir assaulted
VINO WAS RESPONSIBILITY
On one point General Hancock and myself have
reached the same conclusion BAT by different proceses
I agree with him that under the circumstances
had his line been lost he " would have been ..
responsible. while the chief Of artillery ~ the
Army would have had no re- possibility IN that event"
l regret that being conscious OF ths ami there
being NJ apparent necessity Tor MS state
ment he was not content to let inc
matter resi- but has forced upon me- act OF
sefdeeuce well as Of Justice 10 General Meade, the
one man responsible Tor the " the operation
1T Gettysburg, this discharge OF a very dsagreeabe
readily suggest themselves 70 most minds avoided.
Respectfully submitted, HENRE ). HUM
Breye, VI Ij0r-Gcneral, Z. 5. A.,
Late Cnlef Of Artillery Army o. the Potomac.