New-York tribune., 1882-04-08
HOWARD AND DOUBLEDAY.

FIGHTING GREAT BATTLES OVER AGAIN.
GENERAL HOWARD REPEIs THE CRiriois"s IN
GENERAL DouBIEDAYs BooK-How lhh BAL
TlEs OF CHANCELLoRsvuLE AND dhIl lfsDoi''
WERE FOUGHT.
iynoM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF TIE TKiDONh'I
WASHINGTON, April 5.-ln the course OF CON
versation with General .. u. howard recently a
TRInrNr correspondent asked him If he had reau
General Doubledays book, "Chancellorsvlle ana
Gettvsburr" General Howard replied that he had
not but that he had seen the review of 1t IN lHs
TRIBUNE of February "a. The conversation then
turued upon the battle of Chancellorsvlle ana 'he
part which General Towards Corps (the Eleventh
took in it. The correspondent asked:
~Is the account given by Doubleday. according
IN TIE TRIpuSE's review correct one as to your
position on the morning of the second day Y
General Howard replied: "Not having read Gen-
cral Doubleday's account. cannot say whether he
has given it correctly or not. Most wri'erS
have given it incorrectly. MAJOR Douge' ho"0'o-,
in his recent book. which by the way Is reeafdeu
as very fair review of the situation has gwen u
in his mans and in his language with accuracy.
How WAS your corps posted that morning, 1en
erali
General Deveus's division on the right, General
Schnrz,s division next substantially, with his re-
serve troops so that he could throw them 10 the
right if he wished to do so, and General Steinwehr
On the left. with his largest brigade BariowS III
reserve In fact, Barlow's brigade constituted
general reserve for the corps intended TO sup
port. The reserve batteries of the corps were Dae-
teres unassigned TO the divisions, ana they wero 81
,laced as TO cover the right flank in case OF neces-
sity."
9Did YOU have any entrenchments to protect the
reserver
"The army had not yet entrenched, as it did sub
seauently 1t did not have the tools necessary Tor
such work; but afterward we threw up entrehch
ments at short notice. 80 that all along my INES
there were entertainments, and some of them were
very fair Those of General Steinwehr were very
good Colonel Won elisa occupied the extreme
right and was entrenched to some extent, ana
then | ordered a general line of entrenchnents at
right angles TO my position, extending from the
ttoops across the open field till it struck the wood
We then regarded the wood as sufficient cover OF
itself That line according to my recollection was
obont half a mile in length. 1t was a rifle pit"
"Was Devens's division composed of German
troopsr
"A good proportion of his troops were German
Steinwehrs brigade mostly German troops"
"This was YOUR position at 10 o'clock that morn
mgr
sYes"
"What time in the day did you receive any III
formation to IelnforcemeDtsF r
AS to tie reinforcements to which General
Doubleday refers, he evidently has not consulted
the records. because they reported the day before
in the morning and not as achievements. but to
occupy the position Steinwehr held by DowdalFs
Tavern and to throw out pickets front and rear.
said l thought this must be a mistake because It
was a displacement of my troops. or course had
no objection to extending my right flank but TO
como in without any further orders and take place
already occupied by troops | thought must be
mistake and evidently it was a mistake, for they
were soon ordered away. / did not countermand
any order at all | went to the War Department
Yesterday to assure myself in regard to the tir"
when Graham reported to me, and find that it was
on Nav |. This is an extract from Grahams official
report: and it shows that General Doubleday has
not boen careful to examine the official records;
HEADo'Rs lst BRIG. LIST DIy, Sd c0Grs,
1 u march S9 oA he Sned
faiir1ins fat march, we reached our camping ground
sSCn shoTI qS i%c miles Of the United States Ford After
short rest marched again at a. M toward the isrd
9Hd s sECsqS IT. halted ar n S9 Sa up %
line of march With the rest Of the division pushing on
t ,S%a cSaneeoT He HoaseGenera Hookers
The had scarcely stacked arms wnen %a 20
Dowdals Tavern on the plank road to perform plck9t
to tie right and rear. holding the balance Of my com
maud wel In hand near the tavern. Having arrived
asTe haS1nnartes San1 Se He Informed me that his com
pcketed the right and rear and that as ne had no
orders to move and needed assistance he thought
there must some mistake in orders at once sent
Sirney Of the fact further Instructions Dur
Ing bis absence Lieutenant GsnSni reported G me Win
Drders halted my entire command near the tavern TO
nt obont o. m orders came for rapidly
a. possible and reoin the DIVISION near tne Chanceof
M hoTsv Mis- battery Which ordered to report to Gen
eraI Bi~ney After reaching the division ana
fTned Iv command in close column Of regiments in
rear Of batteries ready to support ihen or TO al
engaged with the enemy TO my 'front.' ana rg1t In m
sr 10 escane the heavy fire Of artillery which
were then subjected. Our loss was ono man killed and
IN his position we remained until daylight Of May2,
when we marched toward Dowdalls Tavern, on me inc
nIank road fg of the left through the woods until
our advance reached General Birney's headquarters
Here halted according to orders forming four h 81 my
sending the SD and lO5th Pennsylvania Volunteers 70
& se SG1 rom r Volunteers with the left Of COZ
onel Hsylnans brigade, Oh our right no
epe'''u''' '1 CHARLES K. GRAHAM,
BrigadjerG General Commanding.
RATTLE OF CHANCEILoRsvIILE-
9Tbe answer to General Doubleday is this: That
when Graham reported the line 10 my left was con
tinuous The troops under Generals Sickles and
Slocum by simply facing about leaving perhaps,
small defensive line, would have been able to re-
sist any right rear attack Again. General Devens
on the right, who had every iota OF information
that | had. had arranged his command in such
way as TO make the best fight he could, and doubt
less General Schurz had done the same Besides
SteinwehTs short line on the front, he had quite
reserve of his own ready for action in any direction
which doubtless he would have used if the circnm
stances Of the battle had permitted him. And then
again Stelnwehr had reserve besides the general