The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-06-19
GETTYS BURG.
General Hofmann Replies TO the Cd Wiseonsin's
Claim.
To the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE:

Your correspondent, f. c. Phillips company
A, ID Wisconsin infantry, in your issue OF May
%, speaking for that regiment and quoting
Colonel Daily. Colonel Otis. General Calls, and
the Hon 9. N. Woodward, proves nothing but
the simple matter that Cutters brigade was not
seen by these officers on the morning of July /,
1868 These officers, If correctly reported, are
willing to swear, and to risk their reputation
for sanity upon the point, that General Cutler
was IN error when he wrote TO General Curtin
and stated that 1t was my fortune to have
been IN the advance on the morning of July
Ist." Thus Endorsed, your correspondent claims
that the seth Pennsylvania rest their claim to
the opening fire solely upon this letter. Sir,
that is correct, they did do so, and they never
would have offered any other evidence than
that letter, for they never dreamt that within
less than a decade after the general had been
laid to rest, there would rise up such a body of
honorable men in the State Of Wisconsin and
attempt to rob the 56th Pennsylvania of the
hOnors that it had received at his hands. The
56th is challenged TO produce other evidence!
Well, sir they viii furnish it! For where
there is truth there is usually also some corrob-
Grating evidence to be had.
The trouble with those representing the I'd
Wisconsin in your columns in this matter is
simply this: they have been laboring under the
delusion that Meredith's brigade led the col
umn that morning, and with no other ground
(shown) for this erroneous supposition than the
fact that they did not see Cutters brigade nor
know where 1t was when they looked up the
road towards Gettysburg. They have repeated
the statement that they could see the road in
front of them for over mile, and for that dis
lance there were no troops on the road. This
is no doubt true, but what does it prove? This
simple fact only: that there was that much dis
lance between the two brigades, or rather be-
tween the rear of Halls battery and the head
Of Meredith's brigade. 1t viii be shown pres
emily where the battery marched and why it IS
mentioned here. Its survivors are no doubt
fully competent TO take care of it.
CUTTERS BRIGADE PASS MEREDITH's.
Cutters brigade bivouacked on the Both of
June on the south bank Of Marsh Greek, but
Meredilh's brigade crossed the creek and
bivouacked on the north bank mot two miles be-
yond, as aleged-two hundred yards perhaps.
On the morning of July l Cutters brigade
moved out first. General Cutler was one of those
officers who always had his troops ready, and
in the morning moved out at the desi grated
time, breakfast or no breakfast. His brigade
crossed Marsh Creek by the bridge on the En-
mittsburg- Gettysburg road pike, and mark
sir passed MeFediths brigade still in their
bivouac, There iswhere Cutters brigade passed
Mereditk's and marched on over the pike, until
within about a mile from Gettysburg, then
crossed Seminary Ridge at the seminary, moved
into the low ground in front Of it, and there the
column changed direction to the right. The
three regiments-76th New York. 56th Penn
sylvania and 147th New York-were then
moved nGrthward, but the two rear regiments
18th Brooklyn and 95th New York-were
moved westward until in front Of McPherson's
i barn. When the rear of the 147th New York had
crossed the railroad bed, General Cutler i'm
mediately formed his line of battle and moved
westward, but had gone but few yards when
! the line became heavily engaged, not with an
] 1
seen only TO the right and front; the fire was to
the right oblique. 1t is an error to suppose
that the ground occupied by Cutters line at
that time is at a greater distance from the semi
nary than the point where Meredith's brigade
afterwards became engaged; therefore, had
Mereciths brigade been Immediately in rear OF
Halls battery on the road, they could not have
become engaged as soon as Cutters right regi-
ments; as evidence Of this is the fact that Cut
1 ler's two rear regiments-14th and 95th-
moved as far west as the point where Mere
dith's troops afterwards attacked, and did not
/ become engaged at that point. When the seth
opened the fire the I'd Wisconsin could not
have been on the ground, nor near it. Had
they marched Immediately in rear of the bat
terry on the road, the depth of the battery col
umn and that Of the three regiments in rear
1 OF the 56th would have given ample time for
the seth to have delivered their fire before the
2d Wisconsin; but, by their olga statements Here
dits brigade OUer mile IA rear of te battery
Ukieh marched IN rear Of Cutters brigade. The
4 I'd Wisconsin may have been the first regiment
/ to open fire in Meredith's brigade, but not the
first regiment on the field; that honor belongs
/ to the 56th Pennsylvania.
WHO OUGHT TO BE THE BEST AUTHORITY?
1t ought to be conceded that a general officer,
commanding bri gade in a column moving in
monentary expectation of meeting an enemy.
Z rid Of ?. haoI e ID,
company with his division commander, ION this
occasion General Reynolds the commander Of
the wing OF the army, was also, for time, I'M
mediateiy in 'front.' as was General Cutler on
that morning, is better authority than staff
officer or line officer marching in brigade
over mile in rear, as to whether his brigade is.
or isnot, the leading brigade on such an occasion
But il seems not!-not in the opinion of those
representing the I'd Wisconsin in this matter.
In relating events that took place in cam
palgning, errors may occur If one attempts to
narrate what transpired ont Of sight, or relies
upon reports Of others; but that the point
SHOULD be raised ana left unsettled by any his
tOrian after an interval Of nearly twenty years
As TO which Of two bFigades that constituted a
division was in the advance on certain day,
both moving on the came road, is certainly a
novel case. The 18th would willingly believe
that the officers named are not correctly re-
ported, but there is before the writer a copy OF
Colonel Otis " Chapters on the I'd Wisconsin. "
cut from the Sunday Telegraph Of July Is, 1850
and seq which forbids such a conclusion and
the remarks quoted by your correspondent, SO
far as Colonel Otis is concerned, must be at
tributed to an oyer-excited imagination rather
than to the exercise Of his cooler Judgment
Otherwise, he would certainly, during the sew
enteen years interval between the battle and
the publishing Of his chapters, have consulted
the Official reports on file at the War Depart
ment or have commissioned his ardent co
laborer in this matter-the honorable Mr.
Woodward-to have done so for him. Surely
the reports were accessible to the honorable
gentleman. But they call for something be
sides General Cutters letter, wherein he states
that he was in the advance that morning
WHAT THE RECORDS SHOW:
Wen, sir, as stated before and it will bear repeat
ing, where there is truth there is usually somt
accessible corroborating evidence; there is 81
IN this case. In his official report on file il
the War Department and under date of Jul,
: 8, 1868, General Cutler says: "The brigade
except the 18th Indiana, which was on duty il
the rear, moved from camp early on the morn
ing Of the lst (being the leading brigade i'm tn,
corps on Gettysburg" This is four month
earlier than his letter which these officers dis
credit about seventeen years earlier than Colo
mel Otis chapters and twenty years in ad
vance Of Colonel Daily's letter quoted. Colo
: mel Daily was one Of the brayest among th,
brave, but If he does not at night hear TIL
spirit Of has departed friend call out "And thou
: too, the writer has erred in judgment Of hi
! eharacterl Here Is an extract from the repor
2