New-York tribune., 1886-08-11
to suit Cleveland" said prominent ocial to TIE Amsr
iean correspondent
SICKLES At GETTYSBURG.
GRIPPING THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC.

AN IMPORTANT CHAPTER IN THE HISTORY or TN.
WAR BY GENERAL MEADE.
PHILADELPHIA, Aug 1O-A letter written by Gem
era George G. Meade, commander OF the Army OF the
Potomac in relation to his victory at Gettysburg, vii
be published in g. The Philadelphia Weekly Press
tomorrow In it General Meade holds. General
Sickles responsible for crippling the Army
of the Potomac and gives entirely new evidence
of General Ewell Confederae in support of the wis
dom of the sometimes miscOnstrued Pipe Creek ordec
The letter IS dated March 49, 1870 and is addressed
to Private &. @. Benedict, Burlington, W. The
writer says:
any defence against the charges and nsnuations Of
General Sickes and Butterfeld is to be found in my
testimony before the Committee the Conduct of the
War; l have avoided any controversy with either Of
these officers though both have allowed no oppor-
tunity to pass unimproved. which permitted them to
circulate their exparte statements and as you justly
say to dstort history for their pnrposes Both per-
fectly understand what I meant by my ante-battls
order referring to Pipe Clay Creek, also my instruo
tions to Butterfed on the morning Of the second
which he persists in calling order for retreat-in
the face of all my other acts and Of the fact that did
out retreat wheL could have done with perfect
at any moment Longstreets advice to Lee was sound
military sense; 1t was the step feared Lee would
take and TO meet which, and he prepared for which
the object OF my lnStruc'iohs W Dut'oo'"' "oH
he has misrapresented.
"Now let me tell you another historical fact Lieu-
tenant General Ewer in conversation held with me
shortly after the war; asked what would have been
the effect if at D. H. on the first he had occupied
Cups Hill and established batteries on it, told him
that in nv Judgment. in the then condition OF the
Eleventh and First Corps, with their morale affected
by their withdrawal! to Cemetery Ridge. with the 10"
Of over half their numbers in killed. wounded and miss
ing of the 5000 prisoners we lost on the heid nearly
all came from these corps on the hrst hay MS occu
nation of Culps Hl with batteries commanding me
whole of Cemetery Ridge would have produced tie
evacuation of that Ridge. and the withdrawal OF the
troops there by the Baltimore Pike and Taneyown and
Emmcttsburgh roals. He then informed me that al
n m on the first he had his corps, 10000 strong. in
column of attack and on the point of moving on Culps
Hill which he saw was unoccupied and commanded
Cemetery Ridge when he received an order from 'en-
oral 90 dire.tng him to the defensive and not
q, avance. that he sent to General Lee urging to 10
er,;tted TO advance with his reserves but the fepy
xvas reteration of the pre-, ous order 10 my inquiry
vbv re had restrained him he said our troops coming
I'M lSlocumsl were visible, and Lee was Iii-er the
impression the greater part of my army was on 'he
ground and deemed it prudential TO await inc 'c'' Vi
his-as you quote from his report
Rut suppose Ewell with ,00O men had occupied
CuIns Hill and our brave soldiers had been compelled
TO eyacuate Cemetery Ridge, and withdraw on the
roads above referred to. would the Pipe Clay creek
order have been so very much out OIL place in''
order was to meet the very contingency mere IN qe'
,;on to wit: part of my army. overwhelmed b
superior numbers. compelled TO fall back ana ihs
Of battle formed to the of my most advanced posi-
tor, tbus nccessitated AS to General Sckles having
h b;s advance brought on an attack and thus com.
nled tne battle which decided the war you have com
netel, ans weredand it Is very iaVofte theory ~itn
tho n.rtisaus of this officer. But these gentlemen
80 % The f.ct that of the Is 600 men killed and
Wounded on the field during the "hoie battle more
,hau twothrds were lost on the second daY ana DIt
81, ,ba timely advance of the Fifth Corps. aud the
nro,ppt sending portion on Round Top "hsre they
met the enemy almost on the crest anu nu ursiase
6L 10 secure the position say but Tor these cicun-
stanes over which Sckes had neither kn0"lcISe nor
control the enemy would have secured Round Top,
planed bis artillery there, commanding the whoe
battle field. and what tue result "o"u h"'o ooo"
leave YOU to Judge .,,
Now. when wrote my report of the battle hon:
e,tly believed General Sickes did not know where
o'.S iSSoJ him 10 90 and that his arose from
| mi.apprehension of my orders. but have recently
rIind from General Geary who bad ii day before
n sont hv hancock to hold the LETT and who in
dong 80 had seen the great Importance oil Round Top
and posted brigade on it, that ON the morning OF Tue %
| relieved by the Third Corps and on beng relieved
would reoln his own corps ll2th on the right after
waiting oI time To be relieved he sent To rehei
S,Lies staff officer with instructions TO explain the
no,tion and It's importance, and to ask II troops could
po he sent 10 relieve him. that General Sckes would
send one of his sta tc the ground. ana To place
trnons theie on their arrival. lie received for reply
that General = would attend tn II IN due time. 40
| oncer or troops came and after waiting MI ms
natience was exhausted General Geary withdre" ana
| reionsd his corps Now my first orders TO General
S,ckle, were TO relieve the Twelfth Corps division
Gearys) and occupy their position Here l. eyidcnce
! that he knew the position occupied hv Heary
| division or could bave known and Yet failed 10 oc-
! runv it Furthermore when he came 10 my headquar-
r, M about noon and said he did not know where II
| % | answered: "Why. you were 10 relieve fbe
! Twelfth Corps" He said they had no pos ton tney
| were massed awaiting events. Then II Was told MN
bis rght was to be Haucock's left his left on Round
| Ton whIch | pointed out. Now his right was three
quarters of mile in front of iancocks aud Ls eit
ouar,er of mile IN front Of the base of Round op,
leaving that key point unoccupied. which ought 20
have been occt pied bv before We could get
there with the Fifth Corps scklcss movement
practically destroyed his corps the Third caused
a loss of 90 per cent i'll the ruth Corps. ana very
heavily damaged the Second Corps. as said before
proIucng 66 per cent of the loss OF the whole BAIT d
and with what result Driving back to the position
h was ordered 10 hold originally These losses OF the
first and second day afec ed greatly the efficiency ana
n,rale of the army, and prevented my having th'
nudacity in the offence that | might otherwise have
had If this is ndvantage-to he 50 erippleu /,
battle without attaining any Object must confess
cannot see it,