The National tribune., 1885-01-08
FIGHTING THEM OVER.
What Our Veterans Have to Say Aboat
Their Old Campaigns.
GETTYS BURG.
The Rebel Repulse at Little Round Ton.

To THE EDITOR: have been an interested
reader of your paper for some time, and have
been especially interested in its historical arti-
cles particularly Gen. Howarj's story of the
battle of Gettysburg, which is running in your
current numbers.
In your issue of Dec Is Gen. Howard con-
tinues his account, and in the latter part gives
an account of the eeagagementon OH our left aud the
saving of the position of Little Round Top. lie
states that Gen. Warren, Chief Engineer, having
assembled to the signal station on Little Round
Top. and discovering Hoods advance. turned
about for troops to meet it, and that the first
troops he met were O'Rorkes (140th n. Y J
regiment of Ayres's Division, Sykes's Corps,
which he posted at once in position. Alter this,
he SAYS, came VinceDt's Brigade (Thrd) of the
First Division, Fifth Corps, which was placed
to the left, the 10th Mich. coming next TO
O'Rorke and the lower ground between the
Round Tops. the 2oth Me. (Col. Chamberlain,
taking an oblique direction, completes the
line"
Now, having been personally interested in this
left movement of cur forces, and also having
consulted various eye<xitnesses and histories of
this part of the field, ] do not think Gen. How
ard gets this just right; not from any intention
to do injustice to any one, however, but he,
being very busily engaged at Cemetery Hill,
could not know exactly what was transpiring
at Little Round Top, except from reports or
hearsay.
In Harper's Pictorial History ofthe Rebellion,
page 5G9, i'll the account of this operation, oc-
ours the following: But it SO happened that
Gen Warren, going out to survey the field,
reached the summit little Round Top just in
time to take i'll the peril of the situation.
Hurrying back he encountered Barness Divis-
ion First of Sylkess Fifth Corps marching
out to the aid of Sickles. From this Vincent S
Brigade (Third) and single regiment of
Ayres's were directed to- scale the ridge" etc.
4
the 10th Mich, 44th and 140th n. Y, SD Pa.
and Goth Me-"
Now LET US turn to Swinton's Standard His
tory of the Army of the Potomac, pages 3f6 and
347 On this episode. After giving substantially
the same account of Warren's visit to the signal
station of Little Round Top and seeing the
need of holding it against the enemy, he says:
Gen. Warren assumed the responsibility of
detaching from this force Barness Division,
which was passing out to re-enforce Sickles
Nincent's Brigade, and this he hurried to hold
the position, while Hazlett's battery was by
enormous labor dragged up the rocky brow of
the hill and planted on the summit Fincent's
men, thrown forward at the pas de course, and
without time to load, reached the crest just as
Hoods Texans, advancing in column and with
out skirmishers, were running to gain it,"
Continuing his account, the historian (Swinton)
says: Here then cnsucS one of those mortal
struggles rare in war; when the hostile forces
elinching in close contest, illustrate whatever
there is of the savage and terrible i'll battle.
Nincents Brigade, composed of the 10Th Mich.
lieut.-Col. Welsh), the 44th n. Y. Col. Ricel,
the SD Pa. (Col. Woodwardl, and the 2Gth Me.
Col Chamberlain) coming quickly into posi-
tloD, engaged Hoods troops in hand-to-hand
conflict" etc. after half an hour of this
desperate work, the position was secured.
Ayres's Division had gone up simultaneously
with Hazletts battery and participated i'll the
engagement"
OF all historians and topographers who have
made study Of the field and battle of Gettys-
burg, Col. John B. Batchelder has perhaps been
the most thorough and painstaking. His his
toric map and account of the field has the auto
graph approval of Gen. Geo. G. Meade, and
about all the general officers engaged in that
battle. On page 81 Of Gettysburg" we flnd
the same account Of Warren's observations on
Little Round Top, and also the following ac-
count: In the meantime Gen. Sicfsles by
previous direction OF Meade. had called on Gen.
Sykes, commanding the Fifth Corps for re-en-
forcemeats. and he ordered forward Barness,
Ayress aud CIsswford's Divisions III succession
Barnes's Division was the first to move These
troops were seen by Gen. Warren as they came
up from Rock Creek, who at once hurried to
Gen. Barnes and received permission TO detach
Nincent's Brigade, which was taken rapidly up
the posterior slope of Little Round Top, and
arrived at the spur just as the Confederate
line came rushing up the valley. The 140th
n. u, OF Weeds IS Brigade, came IN at nearly
the same moment, and formed On Vincent's
right" etc.
As will be seen from all the accounts, the
brigade of Vincent was the first to reach the
'spur" and repulse the advancing columns of
the enemy aud that the 140th n. Y. formed
Immediately after (instead of first, as Gen
Howard has it, to fill the gap on the right.
The writer having been private secretary to
Gen. Warren after he assumed command of the
Fifth Corps, had also the privilege of having
the above accounts confirmed by his own lips
as substantially correct, and Gen. Sykes in his
report confirms it.
have always thought it strange that there
should have been so many claimants to the
honors of the reprlse of the enemy's attack on
Little Round Top. Nearly as numerous are
they as the authors of Beautiful Snow" But
the facts of history should not be perverted,
and to Gen. Strong Vincent, who lost his life
amid the granite boIlders, and his gallant lit
tie brigade; are due the saving to our army of
this important key to our position, and, per-
haps, saving our army ignominious rout
AS further confirmation, beg leave to quote
from the Official report of Mai .-Gen. George
Sykes, who commanded the Fifth Corps at the
time of the battle. The report was dated
Headquarters, Fifth Army Corps, camp near
Warrenton. Junction, Va July 81 1868: "In
the meantime Vincent's Brigade of my First
Division had assembled the rocky hight Little
Round top closely followed by Weeds Brigade,
Second Division. These troops were posted
under the direction of Gen. Warren"
Gen. S. W. Crawford, who commanded the
Third Division OF Sykes's (Fifth) Corps also, as
learn, laid claim in his report to the honor
of having saved this position. But in pri-
vate letter from Gen. Sykes TO him on the SUBJ
ject, dated Dec. IL, 1863, find the following:
81 say distinctly that any direction for, or
claim TO, the occupation of Round Top Noun
tain on the battlefield of Gettysburg which it
seems you assume to yourself, is by me utterly
ignored. Your division came into action long
after Yincent's Brigade had been posted in
front Of that Mountain, and, upon representa-
tion being made that that brigade needed sup
port, directed portion Of your command
tFisher's Brigade) to be sent TO sustain it."
Continuing the General says: There was
glory enough at the battle of Gettysburg for
all who fought there, and, although painful to
know that efforts to mOnopolize what was ac-
complished, and undue prominence given TO
certain persons and parts Of the corps TO the
prejudice Of others, had hoped that the story
would one day be properly told, and all get
their due"
Sucb then, appear 10 be the established facts
of history, and while on that rocky hill COM
mandng the key to the situation on our left
that % Of July, 1863, three brave and gallant
officers gave their lives almost simultaneously
in lis defense, let not those who survived that
stormy scene quarrel over the "honors." or
attempt to wTcst from the little but brave bri-
ga3e OF Vincent, which scaled and held this
modern Gibraltar against the cohorts of filri-