The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1886-11-04
SICKLES AT GETTYSBURG.
His Claim Sharply Controverted BY Pennsylvania
Comrade.

! the assembled thousands of his soldiers and
| hearers and TO the world. have always looked
! upon the true soldier as the embodiment Of
unselish devotion to his cause and his country,
caring only for the success of that cause and
that country, and not for standardization or for
clarifying his own deeds and acts before the
world. Take the example OF many OF our
bTavest and noblest corps commanders in the
Army of the Potomac-Gen. Warren for an ex-
ample, who, though cruelty treated aud re-
lieved Of his command just at the moment
when he with his famous corps had snatched
victory from the enemy, although traduced By
soldiers and civilians, yet his mouth was seal
ed, his pen was silent through all the years of
extreme tension and trial which weighed upon
his sensitive nature, until death finally came TO
his relief. But here we have, after % years,
when many of the principal actors in the great
battle have passed away, and especially the
voices Of those whom Maj. Gen. Sckles accuses
are forever silent aud they cannot defend them
selves or correct any of his statements, this
gallant General delivers long speech at Get
tysburg in self-glorifcation and in glorifcation
| of his corps
We would not pluck a single laurel, II we
could, from the crown OF Gen. Sickles or the
/ himself and his troops an honorable and glori-
Gus position in the greatest battle of the CEN
/ fury. But why should he arise now and claim
the whole world? Why should he proclaim to
the veterans and to the people of America that
he alone fought the battle of Gettysburg? That
| is the only inference / can gather from his
speech. He takes all the responsibility and lays
claim 10 all the honor Gf honor there be in
taking an unauthorized pOsition) Of the salient
at the Peach Orchard.
Ii seems 10 me that the language of Gen.
Sickles is rather in the Boosting vein, as though
| he said: IL fought the battle of Gettysburg.
! j took my own position on my own response
A ff..a pA Int line Nnrv
the fact is that Gen. Meade ordered Sickles to
take position which would be a prolongation
of the general line of Cemetery Ridge from the
Cemetery TO the two Round Tops. The order
was verbal one, as in the rush and hurry of
battle and of forming lines, no commanding
General has much time to write orders. Here
WAS a sudden concentration Of troops and
sudden battle imminent.
Gen. Meade, who had, by virtue of orders
from the President of the United States, been
placed in command of the Army Of the Poto-
mac, had had long experience In that army as
brigade division and corps commander, and
had by his quiet, soldierly and scholarly hab-
its won the confidence of the troops whom he
commanded. Unexpectedly TO him he, a
Pennsylvania, was called to the head of that
grand historic army which was TO repel the in
vasion of his native State. With the same
spirit of diftidence, yet with a desire TO serve
his country in whatever position he was called
to serve. Gen. Meade took charge of that great
army. We must place ourselves in Gen.
Meade's position in order to realize the self
sacrifice and the noble character displayed by
him in assuming the supreme command.
IL has been charged against Gen. Meade that
he was not present at the opening of the battle
Of Gettysburg, and that his first design of de-
Tense was the line of Pipe Creek. OF course
Gen. Meade could not surmise for a surety the
position Of Gen. Lee, or what offensive attitude
l..
oped by Gems. Buford, Reynolds and Howard
on the first day of the battle. Hancock came
up on the second day, especially charged with
orders from Gen. Meade 10 establish line of
| battle in the most practicable spot. In carry
ing out the instructions of his chief, after con-
sulting the corps commanders who had been
on the field and fought, it was determined 10
accept the gage of battle at Gettysburg; and
Meade began hurrying up his troops as rapidly
as possible Arriving on the field he ordered
Sickles 10 take a position on the prolongated
ridge leading from Cemetery Hill TO the Round
| Tops. Instead of so doing Sickles, with his
| Third Corps, marched out toward the Emmitts-
| burg road and formed his lines in advance of
the main line of battle, compelling his troops
to form the salient whose angle rested in front
of the Peach Orchard and his right in front Of
the Emmittsburg pike, his left refused toward
Little Round Top. Sckles no doubt misinter-
preted the verbal order from Meade, and there
is no doubt that his intentions were good but
II is an acknowledged maxim in war that adj
vanced salients are very dangerous positions in
| the face of an offensive foe, as we all under
stand Ices army was at that time.
But here was presented the anomaly Of the
Third Corps already posted on line in front,
and while a council of war was being held at
Meade's headquarters as 10 the best means of
Withdrawing Sickles's troops, the enemy burst
suddenly on his advanced line, and il was
thought best TO Try and maintain the position.
now that il had been occupied, rather than risk
the hazard of a retreat in the face of a sanguine
and determined foe, who was already pressing
hard on our lines at that point, and endeavOr-
ing 20 penetrate at every point Of division be-
tween the positions of our troops. At this su-
preme moment in the great contest, the battle
of the giants. Gen. Sickles complains bitterly
Of nOn-support from the commanding General,
| and that he and his corps had TO fight alone,
and that on that day (the I'd of JULY the Third
Corps fought the battle OF Gettysburg!
| 1t is, however, a fact Of history that some
other troops aside from Sickles's fought some
at Gettysburg. We would not detract one iota
| from the record Of gallantry and bravery ex-
bibited by Sickles and his corps on that i'm
mortal field. Meade, our loved and revered
commander has long since passed over TO his
last camping ground and most of the actors
along the bloody front at Gettysburg, who both
/ assisted Sickles and who stood with their
troops like an iron wall 10 hurl back the in
vading columns have passed away. But who
| can gansay the facts of history? As soon as
| Meade saw and realized the hazard to which
| Sickles had exposed his Third Corps he instead
Of leaving him 10 fight alone in an isolated DO
sition, ordered up all the available troops and
! reserves 10 his support-the Fifth Corps, the
Sixth Corps, and Humphreys Division of the
Second Corps, all TO save Sickles in his anom-
alous position; whereas the latter procams to
the world that he had TO fight alone the
battle of Gettysburgl"
Again, he claims that his position taken In
front saved the general line from capture and
also the two Round Tops. Now, had Gen.
Sickles prolonged his line from the left of the
Second Corps along the general line from Gene
terry Hill, he might have spread out his troops
TO occupy at least Little Round Top on his left
and saved the terrible struggle for the occu-
pancy Of that hill between the troops of Vim
cent and Hood, in which the former and two
other brave General officers lost their lives
Gen. Sickles, In referring TO his position and
his fighting in that particular position, says
that he lost nearly half his corps Of 10000 men,
| and brings this in evidence of the hard
fighting that was done by his corps No one
disputes that they did hard fighting. No one
disputes the gallantry of his men on that or
any other field, for their splendid record is a
part Of our history. of which we are proud
| But what say the widows and orphans all over
the country, made such by the death of nearly
| 5000 brave men who were taken by their COM
manding General 10 an exposed position which,
being enfiladed on both angles by the guns of a
| sanguine foe laid down their lives in maintain