The National tribune., 1884-05-29
GEN. 0. 0. HOWARD'S "REMINISCENCES.
[Contianed from 1st PAGE.
TlIE OLD POSITION.

THE OLD POSITION.
Now let us examine this old position which
we resumed stream, called Mineral Spring
Run, rising perhaps a half mile west of Chan
cellorsville, runs northeast and joins the Rap
pahannock at right angles. Meade stretched
his command along the western crest of this run
and, resting his left not far from the Kappa
hammock, faced toward Fredericksburg. The
whole of Meade's line ran through an unbro-
ken forest; its extent was about three miles.
Couch continued the line but was obliged to
bulge out for half mile to cover the Clianeel-
louisville house and knoll. Hancock's division
of this corps made right angle, the apex be-
ing on the old turnpike. French's division
covered the space between Hancock and Meade,
being substantially in reserve. Siocum's corps
was next. Geary's and Williams divisions,
abreast of Hancock's foremost men, carried the
line along some high ground to a second knoll,
called Hazel Grove. Sickles, making an OBJ
tuse angle with Slocums front, filled the space
between Slocum's right flank and the small
open field which embraces Dowdall's Tavern.
This he did with Birney's division; the re-
mainder of his corps was in reserve, located
between Dowdall's and Charlottesville.
HowARD's POSITION
My own corps (the 11th), as we have already
seen, occupied the extreme right. As this po-
sition became subsequently of special interest
/ will endeayor to describe it, First, the plank
road and the old turnpike coming from the
east are one and the same from Chancellors-
vile to and across DowdalPs opening; there
the road forked the plank continuing west,
while the old pike ran out north of west. max
ing an angle Of some twenty degrees with it.
North of the plank in the Dowdall's open
ing, is the Wilderness Church. Hawkins
house is In the same glade-like space, about
a quarter of mile north of the church.
and Dowdall's Tavern, where Nellie Chancel-
lor's family lived and some other folks, was
southeast of the church and also south of the
main road. Here were my headquarters and
Steinwehr's before the battle of Saturday. The
next opening to Dowdall's, westward, situated
between the forks. e., between the plank
road and the turnpike-was called Taliy's
| farm. The highest ground was at Tallys, near
the pike, and at Hawkins house; there was
only small rise at Dowdalls. These eleYa-
lions were but slight-hardly, think, as high
as Hazel Grove or Charlottesville. Except
the small openings, the forest was continuous
and nearly enveloping. Generally the trees
were near together, with abundant entangle-
ments of underground. Now, beginning with
Birney's right and facing south, General Stein
wehr, commanding nay I'd division, deployed
two regiments of Bushbeck's brigade, some one
hundred yards, more or less, south of the plank
road; the remainder of that brigade he de-
pIoyed or held as q reserve north of the road
holding all the ground to the Wilderness
Church and to the forks Of the roads. General
Schurz, in charge of the Sd division. took up
the line and carried it on to a cross road, and
then, making a right angle, ran back along
this cross-road to the turnpike, and thence fur
ther, just south of and parallel with the pike.
He kept about half of the brigades of Kryza-
ing his reserves in the Dowdall's opening north
| OF the church. The next division (the 1st),
| under General Devens, was deployed in the
extension of Schurz's line, first along the turn
| pike westward, with similar reserves He
| (Deyens) drew back one brigade, Colonel Won
I! GiIsa's, and a small part of another, nearly at
/ right angles to the turnpike, and extended
| this line well out into the woods facing it to-
! wards the northwest. There was a country
road behind him, so that he could easily re-en-
| force any part of his line. The artillery was
| distributed along the lines in favorable posi-
| tions-two pieces near Deyens right, the re-
| mainder of Heckman's battery on Deyens' left
| Dilger's fine battery Of six guns at the cross
roads, and Wiedriek's four guns at Steinwehr's
| right and three at his left. Besides, had
| three batteries IN reserve. had line of in
! trepchInents made off against the little church,
/ extending across the opening into the woods,
| and facing toward cur rear and extreme right;
/ put the reserve heavy guns in position there
/ to protect that flank, and supported them by
| nay general reserve OF infantry, viz, Barlow's
| large brigade. The whole front was covered with
| rifle-pits or barricades, constructed under the
| constant inspection of Major Hoffman, the chief
| engineer. Early Saturday (1Iay q General
| Hooker, with Colonel Comstock, his engineer
| officer, visited my corps and rode with me
| along the whole front line. He frequently
/ exclaimed How strongl" and made no cTiti-
| cism. At one point regiment was not deploy-
| ed and at another was an untitled gap in the
| thick forest Comstcck advised me to keep
| these spaces filed, even if / had to shorten my
| front. made the changes suggested. Further,
| the whole command was covered with good
! line of skirmishers.
/ The first commotion in my front occurred
| Friday evening. 1t was apparently force OF
! infantry with battery Of artillery, sent by
| General Lee and moving along the lines from
our left toward our right The force went no
| further than Schimmelpfennig's brigade He
| had marched out battalion, suddenly assailed
/ the reconnoiterers, and driven them Off
| During the next day frequent reconnaissance
were made from my front. Individual scouts
| pushed out under the cover of the woods, and
at one time company of Pennsylvania cavalry
undertook to patrol the various roads outward
from the vicinity of my command.
| THE ENEAIY's MOVEMENTS
| During the morning of this Saturday It was
| evident TO US that the enemy was doing some
| thing-most probably preparing for q general
| attack. Hancock's angle or that between
| Slocum and Sickles were most favorable points.
| / sent out my chief Of staff more than once to
| see that my line was in shape and to order the
! command, through the division command
ers, to keep on the alert. Once my staff officer,
| Major Whittlesey, rode over the entire picket
| line to see that the front was well covered. He
went from the left TO the extreme right and
made his report. | speak of this to show what
unusual precautions were taken because Of the
| forest and Of the uncertainty of the enemy's
/ movements. Doubtless other corps did the
/ same. The officers, during Saturday, frequently
discussed the situation at my headquarters.
/ Every iota of information which I received I
/ sent at once by mounted orderlies to General
| Hooker. did not think General Lee would
| be likely to move around our right, because
/ our force was much larger than his lie had
already been compe1s3d to divide his army in
| order TO hold back Sedgwiek and come against
us. He could not afford to divide again, for,
! should he attempt that, certainly Hooker
would attack his separate bodies and conquer
| him in detail So reasoned, and so did others.
| Again, if my flank should be turned, it APP
| peared plain, from the roads on our maps that
/ Lee would have to make a large detour. To with
! stand this Reynolds'corps, recently come up from
| Falmouth, was on hand, besides the artillery
and the reserves of other corps stationed near
/ Charlottesville. Further, should an attack
| by any possibility reach US, Devens was to hold
on as long as he could, using his reserves to
| Al.