, 1886-06-10
GEN slcKles AT GETTYSBURG.


Gen. Sickles's version of this conflict is
particularly interesting at this time. A
reporter met him at his comfortable
home recently and found the veteran
seated at a 500-year-old Moorish desk
presented to him while he was minister
to Spain.
Yes" said Gen. Sickles in answer to
the reporters query, "the only time l
have spoken of this battle in a public
sense was in 1864, when l gave testimony
before the congressional committee
charged with inquiring into the conduct
of the war, but my duty then was to
answer only such questions as the com-
mittee put to me. The part that the
Third corps took in hat battle can only
be understood by those who either were
there at the time or have examined the
position since. l I'M aware Of the great
amount of criticism that has been
directed towards me for not prolonging
the line Of the troops who had been
gathered on and near Cemetery hill, and
because | went out on the heights and
selected an advantageous position where
/ could quickly detect every movement
that Longstreet made. The fact OF the
matter is there was no order OF battle,
nor was there the slightest preparation
for a battle that day. When Longstreet
made his formation and swung his troops
on to my left there was nothing for me
to do but attack. l could easily have
held my own against an equal force, but
1t was absurd to imagine that l could
check or beat back the right wing of the
Confederate army.
THE overwhelming force brought to
bear against me made my line untenable
and called for reinforcements, realizing
hat defeat of my corps meant the flank
ing of the army and the interposition of
the enemy between the army and the
capital. l called upon Gen. Hancock,
who had always been kind and cordial to
me, and he sent me regiment after reg<
ment. The gallant Weed, of the Fifth
corps, came to my aid-poor Gen. s. ii.
Weed, who was killed that same after
noon on Little Round Top, and on whose
breast Lieut.. Hazlett, who was in ON
mand of Weeds old artillery battery, and
who was also shot by a sharpshooter, fell
while he was leaning over to hear his
chiefs dying words. And poor Took, of
the Second corps, who fell in the wheat
field later. In response to Warren's APP
peals for help from Round Top | let him
have Weed, for l was confident thai
with the help l then had and with rein
forcements from the Fifth corps, which
responded an hour after / called them,
we could at least hold the field. l lost in
hat fight over 1000 men,
General, is it true then that Gen.
Meade was dissatisfied with your po-
sition 2"
There had been a sort of council Of
war that morning and all the corps COM
mander had been requested TO attend.
Gen. Meade sent for me; | declined to go
because | was convinced l would have
trouble with the enemy before | could
return. Finally n positive order came
from Gen. Meade. mounted my horse,
a thoroughbred Kentucky hunter, and
galloped to headquarters. To Gen.
Meade impaired my apprehensions OF
an attack and asked him to accompany
me back and inspect my line. He made
light OF my fears and declared that l was
always imagining that | was about to be
attacked. However, he directed len.
Hunt, his chief of artillery, to look into
and Gen. Hunt approved it. Even while
Gen. Meade was %ridiculing my a%pprehen-
sions the booming of guns on the left de-
noted that the fun had begun. Although
the three days strife at Gettysburg is
termed one battle there were actually
three conflicts-Reynolds fight on the
first day, my fight ON the second day on
the left and the third day, the last ex-
.-... .uor. A.. l,..1.r, oIo... L.. pill
ett's gallant fellows on the center, re-
pulsed by Hancock.
In regarding the battle of Gettysburg
people are apt to dwell upon the third
days fight, because it puts an end to the
business. The heavier work of the first
and second days is apt to be overlooked.
At the end of the second day Lee had
but one fresh division, Pickett,s, while
we mad the Sixth and Twelfth corps.
Lee was out of ammunition. Gen. Ora
ham, who was wounded and taken pris-
oner, told me that the Confederates had
bat few rounds of ammunition left and
were exceedingly demoralized and broken
up, When n rumor was spread among
them that the Yanks were going to
charge there was always a stampede.
We had the choice of position. We had
repealed two successive attacks ON our
right and left, and our left, though APP
parently the weakest part of our front,
was in reality the strongest from the ma
ture Of the ground. Besides, we could
swing in reinforcements from either the
right or the center. l hold that had not
the Third corps broken the back of Long
streets corps on the second there never
would have been a third day at Gettys-
burg.-New York World Interview.