, 1880-08-02
Its Management During Engage
Incnt5.
Controversy Between Gems. Han.
cock and Hunt,
Tho Baltic Of Gettysburg Mndo
mn Illustration.
How Hancock's Plan Made VIelory Cost Many
Ltycs, and Nearly Los! tha Day.

NcUIBhHlAntNIl OF lne Army" 0t Inc t6f1y-
fill, Congress were ut work collecting "un-
tertal to govern them 1T their Iabors, nco1,-
troversy arose between Gen. Hancock anil
Gen. lleNryJ. Hunt, one of the most skilltnt
and experienced nrtllery officers III tho world,
In relation To tic best method 1T hnnlllng. or
rather of commanding, the artillery. Of tho
nr1ny. Gen. Hancuck Advocated tho nt,acll-
ineht Ut tito artillery OF tho several cOrl,s,
divisions, br1gades, ETC., tu be- commanded by
tue officers Of the several organizations In tho
saiic manner as were The otlIer arn!s Of tho
service, the Infantry antl Cavalry wien so nt-
tachch.
Gen. Hunt, WHO waa for time Chief of
Artillery Of the Army of Tho Potomac, MnIi,-
tainctl that, to bH Most et1lcicnt,s 1t was best
TINT the nrslllery Of M army he commanded
bya single officer, hinlse1f subordinate, Of
course, t0 tho army commander, but 10 lin
alone. III
Tic controversy was not carried OH direct
" between the two officers, but WIS embodied
III letters TO Gen. Burnside. Duringils prog
ress some facts ln relation to the battle Of
Gettysburg were brought out which arc Of
great interest ut this time,
uANcoCK's PLAN.
Gen. Hancock illustrated Ills plan Ms fol-
lows:
las mn Instance III point when this system
was intcrfercd with, mny state here TINT at
Gettysburg, during the last ttays OF tho bat
tic, Wien. commanded tho left centre of our
army, there was portion of my liMe Of,
which there WIS no infantry, and while the
CneMy's great ca,ttlunnde was III progress,
just previous to their grand assault. roacto
that point and found that tic guns OF battery
pUstud there were silent, although other bnt-
s'rtar. Va h.. wv 'u @ G,',as ''o"y; n.,;,., seis
oiaers oy my Clilef VI AFtlliery to
the commander Of tho battery, which hnp.
pened to belong to. the reserve artillery Of
thu - ~ ~ ', ,i,o o' s;,,s ~. " ,,a
.'at part VI .ilo .Il'e oaens 1ae assaN'. uAem
ltMpG'.t!ing. to oneil tlre ut once, SO TINT u
Woil!d appGar 70 the enemy thnt TINT polAt
nb!e, on account OF there being 10 infantry
ttiete, that tue enemy Should select That poAt
M tor tilclr nttnsk. la1S Draer 4 way taot 0oeye.!.
@ w9s ars III at ro ontgTy ,S f e1
9t t't artillery Of TIC ARMY OF the Potomac.
then RIDE to the battery myself, and was
ctah',,ty cnt!nps!eFa to trfate force on nly
nMn !iale o1 Maltio peloIe coliin .ca1lse i1e
have been held Responsible il tle event of
me loss q tho llne Willi1 tlle thlgl OF Aftll-
aiK3,t,, ~ /, ~ tat "v" ""'c A"'t ~ iespoA-
''o''''' =" ''.us n'.'s s'oa., '.... -
:. oES' t.s nust nkFLlsp
70 THIS chnfEe, WHICH 10 says may Imply
sf rt a 'fast'g grsa gsnrt IL t II us sows at
thG enemy'a r!nll of the battl9 was fully I'LL
tlc!patetl by Gsn. Myatle, ai,tl nrephrations
wsfe Ie Recod,te Y, Il!ey Wsre ee4rly ry
Hancock, 9ntt thc vleiSry witch might have
been won by tae sacrifice oi feWer lives wMs
H1atie to cost tic blood OF thousands, and
came near, even nt tliat price, proving Il de-
teat tes yswar G1 s I1s'1 s;iato Gen. Meade as.
sumcd TINT the etlelny would first open n
tMrlnlis artillery iiro along llis wholc linz,
!iopl,lg, 10 driw tMe ire nf ihe Union hut
,SriHs n a y, ren !s VIZ w. T. f, ~ e9tis
WAY exhausted, when thu Rebel Infantry.
which WI; already ,nassetl for the PURPOSE.
wv 70 @ ci.afge ncflss eho halt.l!fla OF
stsFSsf srtss en eas I tros ssG Gc i" an fGse
'!is cl'tef nf 9rti!lery, Eaye hls ortlglsaceonl;
not to fire until iftaeM or. twenty minutes
had elapsed nlter tl1e Rebel latterles opened.
practice atMl reserve ut lenst onc-hnaf their
!0ng-rA:lgu ammunition for tho expected
Rebel charge.
VIII! this explanation tho following en-
tract from Con. ilunt's letter wifi bu Under
seo1d nn4 Its pprtlnency unprecedented:
HANCOCK stLEXcEs MS OWN NArTEny.
,uSo soon ma thc ntItll,lnpnl l,attnrrs ! Ind
nrHureE n 1yra tti,t II, nf,aI {nn f.,r.I. r,.sf
as 81, w , W." KY a ~ aso na M H',M 1s. aa
@ mecessary oiviers to the ariIlsry @ W slri,lr IND 5
following Tia assault. ,fi,o ei,ol,ly adyai,csd.
',mt Il, rnlr",,,s H ~ atIoct bnt r. Mna: H.,
h"st form..tnn IT, saw. iI,am ~ fr ~ Tia aif.nto e
ri nnr nrtiiIurv hrr Wrf:iIvrnw s ni,aa.sti' ~
r;,ce' nnd lis shnE tnro thrnlirh tl,nfr rn,,1,s
causing them to ublioiIe towartt Hazards
batteries. 10 my great surprise md cltngrln,
for never shw tlnor opportunity to display
Tue power 9f tho arm md se'l,ra tleeisiyo re;
suits from 1t, liazaru's guns were silent, alHl
tho heavy eroSslire l,ael relied upon to slrtyo
the enemy back or throw hts traps Into dts,
order, and so deliver them comparatively
Ssy ,Fsy t" our nfamtry ws 'lHt ob!alncl:
nearly eq,Inlly divided liito two 1nasscs, tho
erpssre of %hich would ayo .ouo!el 70. s ts M
powrr Ut dur artillery defense WIS W reduced
81 lizards silelico 10 q fourth Of villa. it
ought to, have hscn. But II was too iata TO
pushed somewhat ont Of his direct rourao,
hy tile tiro Ut Mct;iyrny's CUTS. hut, .tlIls
l>re not being supplemented BY ltA:nnl'S, his
pTOIFE5S WIS untutGKG{l Until no GnlnG