Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-08-14
Fighting the Battle Of Gettysburg Over
Again.

GEN. SICKLES' REPLY TO GEN MEADE
Gen. SIckles has written letter in reply to
the recently published letter of Gen. Meade.
He says it was Gen. Meade and not Gen. Sick les
who made an error OF judgment at the battle OF
Gettysburg. The controversy, Gen. Sckles
says, is not between Gen. Meade and himself
only, but that nearly all the corps commanders
disputed the accuracy of Meade's report of the
battle. He says Gen. Meade's letter must have
been written without deliberation as it is full
oi inaccuracies and conflicts with the writer's
own statements before the committee on the
conduct OF the war.
the battle OF Gettysburg," says Gen Sickles.
"MaJor Gen. Slocum, commanding the right
wing OF the army OF the Potomac at Gettys-
burg. in an official communication to Gen.
Meade, aTragns him for series of inaccura-
cies, to use the mildest phrase in Gen. Meade's
report OF Gettysburg, by which great injustice
Was done to Gen. Slocum and the corps at his
command. After recting SO much of Gen.
MeadeS report as relates TO the operation OF his
(Slocum 81 command, Gen. Siocum said: Yet
the facts In the case are very nearly the reverse
OF the above in every particular, and directly
in contradiction to the facts as set forth in the
reports of Gems. Geary and Williams
Brig. Gen. Williams, commanding the
l2th corps, in an official communication to
Major Gen. Slocum, dated Dec. 20, 1865, points
out TOUR serious missiatementS in Gen. Meade s
official report relating To the operations OF the
Eth corps on the I'd OF July. The character OF
these complaints wiz be understood when 1
quo,e from Gen. w lillams that that they con.
sist in wholly ignoring the operations of the
first DIVISION and lin repudiating m st of the
material statements OF my report temporary
commander OF this army corps also, lin ignor-
ing the splendid conduct OF Green's brigade
which held to an entrenched line upon the right
and i'll giving credit Tor Green's fight to Geary IS
division, which was not i'll the fight at ALL but
got lost on the road to Two Taverns. Gen. Viii.
liaIns concludes his protest, referring to Gen.
Mcade'S Official report OF Gettysburg, in these
words: Il confess to have read that part of his
official report relating to the 18th army corps
with mixed feeling OF astOnishment and re-
gret' Gen. Meade was drawn to Get
tysburg in spite OF his plans, because Lee had
chosen Gettysburg as his place OF concentra-
ton, and because Butord and Reynolds ac-
cepted battle there, forcing Gen. Meade to give
up his Pipe creek line aud come to Gettys-
burg
SicAles says he moved to General Howards
assistance without orders and then wrote to
General Meade tor approval of the action, tell
Ing him that Gettysburg was good place to
night battle. SickleS says that general
Meade showed subsequent resentment toward
his corps commanders who had been instru-
mental in the choice OF Gettysburg as a battle
ground. When General Longstreet attacked
General Meade's lett no preparations had been
made to resist the attack; there was no order of
battle. He deprived me of effective support by
Withdrawing BuiOrds division OF cavalry
General PieasantOn is quoted for the state
ment that he had been ordered by Meade to get
what cavalry and artillery he could TO cover u
retreat from GETTYSBURG