The National tribune., 1886-05-06
FIGHTING THEM OVER
What Our Veterans Have to Say About
Their Old Campaigns.
GETTYSBURG.


To THE EDITOR: On July :, 1903, at the Uat-
tie of Gettysburg, the First Division of the
Fifth Corps halted for rest on a tabeland
hardly large enough to hold them, at the south
end of Culp's Hill, and on the south side of the
Baltimore pike. The Second Division of the
Fifth Corps halted on the lower land, near Rock
Creek The length of time we staid in this
position is uncertain, as the SO hours march
Just completed rendered nearly every officer
and man Indifferent as to time and place; MOI
was it generally understood that We were Sc
near the battlefield, as all was still as death
The line was formed and the whole army seem
ed to be sleeping in the hot July sun while they
awaited the attack of the enemy. The writer
after some rest, climbed alone to the top OF
Culp's Hill to make observations. No visible
traces of a line of battle could be seen, nor was
there moving thing to be seen. few pieces
of artillery on Cemetery Ridge, a few battery
horses at rest, and few officers horses under
some trees near by, was all that betokened that
We were III the presence of great army.
Ny stay in this position could not have been
long when / discovered mounted man coming
out of the grove from the direction of Peach
Orchard. He was not riding fast, but seemed
to be on business. He galloped along toward
the Baltimore pike, and as he passed the group
of horses under the trees mentioned above,
which were on the low land at the foot of Gem
etery Ridge and nearly opposite the Cemetery,
he wheeled to the left and turned to the group
of horses. As this was the greatest moving OBJ
ieet in view l watched closely his movements
until he struck the Baltimore pike, and when
saw that he turned to the east in our direc-
ton i said to myself at once There comes or
ders to novel" / must have been 400 yards
from my brigade. l watched the mounted man
until he came opposite to where Gen. Barnes
and the General commanding the three bril-
gades of his division were sitting. He turned
quickly out of the road to them, handed Barnes
some papers, and speedily returned 70 the pike
and went in the direction of the Second Divis-
ion down toward Rock Creek.
As soon as Gen. Barnes could read the orders
the bugle sounded to fall in. l started to go,
but turned my face toward the batteries OH
Cemetery Ridge to see the first signs of life or
motion in the fearful conflict which now burst
like lightning from two meeting storms. The
men about brass battery just to the left of the
Baltimore pike seemed to come out Of the
ground, walked deliberately to their loaded
guns, which seemed to discharge before they
were touched; the flames of their fire seemed to
ignite the next battery to the left and then to
the right in succession, until the whole line of
battle was revealed to me from Peach Orchard
to Cups Hill. In this excitement l had for
gotten the sound of our bugles, but now recov-
ering my senses looked down the hill to my
left where my division lay, and there was not a
man to be seen. i looked up the Baltimore
pike, and they were half way to Cemetery
Ridge. / was obliged to return to our hating
place across the pike to get my accoutcrments.
When had got them and had returned to the
pike looked down the road toward Rock Creek
and saw the Second Division coming up The
interval between the First and Second Division
at this time was full half mile / made the
best time possible to overtake Vincent's Third
Brigade, which was leading the First Division,
and by taking cross-lots the division Having
turned a right angle to the left, near Cemetery
Ridge, | overlook them before they got to Little
Round Top 1t is to me certain that the First
Division. Fifth Corps, and Hoods Division of
Confederates started for Round Top at the same
time each having about the same distance to
60 and each being spurred from starting points
by shot and shell from the opposing armies
The fact is, two brigades of Hoods Division
met no obstacles on their way from the starting
point to Round Top. The advanced brigade
met their first obstacle at the DEVILS Den, and
the other two continued their way to Little
Round Top, while Longstreet's other division
confronted Birney's at and between the Peach
Orchard and the Wheatfed.
The writer was witness to another incident
which may aid comrades TO better understand
the situation. The three batteries at the left
of the Peach Orchard and the three guns of
Smiths 4th n. Y. battery at the DEVILS Den
were Touted at the same time, and the attack
upon Vincents Brigade at Little Round Top
was simultaneous with the rout or silencing of
their guns. So far as l know, Gen. Vincent and
myself were the only witnesses of this incident.
The brigade and all of the staff were far down
the hill or behind the timber to the left of the
spot where he tViucent) fell, as marked by the
column on Little Round Top.
We were standing near together at this point
watching these events when the enemy opened
fire from the Devils Den upon u.s. descended
the hill few feet and stopped to see three men
from what / supposed to be the 9th Mass. bat
terry at Peach Orchard fire wiper from the
last gun remaining Oh the field at that point.
Without a Timber they started it down the hill
under cover of the smoke and the confusion
caused in the enemys ranks.
AT that instant fierce volley from the foot
of Round Top betrayed the presence Of the
enemy, who had advanced unseen by us under
the cover of the woods. The Alabama Brigade
fell with full force in close column by battalion
and in good order upon the 44th n. Y. and the
left wing Of the 10Th Mich, whose position was
square i'll front of Little Round Top and
nearly at the bottom of the hill. The Texas
Brigade swept past the left flank of the 44th n
Y, (there being barely space to do SO between
that regiment and Big Round Top and as
saultcd the SD Pa. and the goth Me-
the last two regiments forming an eschelon with
the first two regiments and their left curved
back with the top of the hill. In this position,
without man wavering in Vincents Brigade,
these four small regiments maintained their
position for more than 20 minutes against 10 Of
IS good regiments as any in the Confederate
service, and each of their battalions superior to
ours.
One mistake which has been made by all of
the correspondents to The NATIONAL TRIB-
UNE who refer to the battle on Little Round
Top is in reference to the time achievements
arrived for Vincent's Brigade. l think about
90 minutes. Let us see. If at starting from
Rock Creek and Culp's Hill there is half
mile interval between the First and the Second
Divisions the 10th n. Y. (Vincent's support)
in the rear Of the advanced brigade, Second
Division, and Vincent's Brigade leading the
First Division, with three brigades well strung
out between them to add to the interval of half a
mile aud each division doing their best all spoil
ing for fight what ought to be the time under
these circumstances during which Vincent's
Brigade must have defended Round Top alone !?
Every man in Viucent's Brigade, while fighting
hand-to-hand in some instances and all the
time at very close quarters against such odds,
must have felt that that 90 minutes of time
had stretched out like the widows cruise of oil
before reinforcemcnts came. or perhaps, like ].
Z. Smith at the Devils Den, to two hours.
eau see two points calculated to deceive Capt.
Smith in reference to the time the defense of
Round Top began. One is, he dates its defense
from the time Haslets gun fired its first shot
from the top of Round Top. / answer this by
claiming that the battle had been in progress
90 minutes at least before tho I40lh n Y. had
fired gun, and that at the time Haset's first
shot was fired the brave COL O'Rorke, of the
10th n. Y, lay dead at my side in the deep
gorge between the two Round Tops, and as /
was aching with pity at the loss of life around