The National tribune., 1886-07-08

Meade 70 cover the coneentrat ion OF his troops and
HIDING an advantageous place % STRIFE The enemy.
delivered the blow and sent word 10 Meade 10 come
up with the remaining corps OF the army, and Han
cock, who selected the final position for the fight,
and who himself located ScSies's Corps. confirmed
Reynolds sjndgmenti selecting Gettysburg for the
battle by sending word 10 Meade 10 push forward
with the rest OF the army. IL viii not do to call
THIS an accidental combat 81 no signlhcnnce and
especially when The language falls rom the lips
OF who has never explained why he did
not obey Reynolds orders aud reach Gettysburg
until aIter the shadows OF night hEd fallen over
that bloody field, where the lirst Corps bad sus-
tanned the severes loss suffered by any individual
corps la battle 81 the war The graves Of my
dead comrades Of The First Corps would Teproaeh
me II was silent when the confiet which the corps
maintained Tor six hours against fearful odds - be-
hilied 10y bSng saee Incidental conflict without
significance. The collision. doubtless, never would
have occurred had not Reynolds felt confident that
the Eleventh and Third Corps were IN his immedi-
ate rear within supporting distance. and when he
gave The enemy battle he had a right - presume
that these Two corps were on the march 70 assist
him. and particularly when they within hear
ing Of his guns.
In conclusion Col Norris said;
In the fai Of Ecynolds the country lost pat
riot whose love FOR her a. boGndless "a her
borders; the army General - hos. skill and ability
tradition SAYS had twice ubtaned fOT him the offer
of tile command II the Army of the Potomac; his
corps chief whom Il devoiedly loved and in whom
it had the proioundcst trust. and Pennsylvania
son whose vaior and distinguished services have
shed unGyiug iustes OF her name and whose lie
blood was among the Et to crimson her soil o. re
EAFG ~ q aftc-Mltl GlfTtuE IN Itl Ntlciet. one
honors herself IN thus honolng, as she does today
in conspicuou-y marking the spot where he fell
her brave, chiSalric and noble son.
When Col. Norris's Grafton was finished,
Adi't-Gen. Guthrie turned over the shaft to the
Battlefield Monumental Association, and the
audience dispersed.
GEN. sICKLEs's REPLY.
Although Gen. Siokies was not present at the
dedication. he soon got wind of Col. Norris's
attack To vvn in tho Il "a n ur-rOn q
The Springs Hotel with group Of officers dis
cuss;ng his alier-dinner cigar. Ono of them
was Gen. Geo. il. Sharpe, Of New York, the
Union Chief of Scouts at Gettysburg. There
was also present Gen. Adam Rsdeau, Grants
Military Secretary; Gen. Carr; Aaj. j. B. Fas-
slit, Birney's Chief Of staff al Gettysburg, and
Gen. Henry Tremaine, S.ckles's Senior Aid-de-
Camp. Gen. Sickles said TO those around him:
The facts are that on the morning of the
lst Of July was directed by Gen. Meade 10
reconnoiter Emmittsburg for q battlefield, and
Gen. Humphreys and myself and Gen. Birney
went out uprn that erFand early in the day
not, however. until / lad sent Gen. Fremont
Of his staff, 20 Gen. Reynolds, 50 as TO keep up
communication with that officer, who was be-
tween ule aud Gettysburg. As left to go out
on the Reconnaissance, Gen. Carr. who SITS 1t
M side. was left IA command of the CORPS"
Here Cen. Carr took up the thread OF discus
sion and said:
My FIRST intimation OF trouble was when in
the afternoon OF July a staH officer of Gen.
Hancock cane to my headquarters and said:
Where Is Gen. SickIes2' i told him where Ee
had gone, snd he said: Gen. Reynolds has been
killed, and Gen. Hancock desires the ThiId
Corps 10 be marched toward Gettysburg as
rapidly as possible
"This was the first iGtimation Of trouble. /
Immediately ordered the troops into line and
moved off. Perhaps / had gone mile when
Gen. Sckles rode up 10 me and asked where |
was going. l told nina OF Gen. Hsneock's order,
and We pushed Oh with all possible speed"
Gen. Iremaine, who was The staH oicer Gen.
Sickles sent 10 Gen. Reynolds on the morning
of the lst Of July, said:
I" was with Gen. Reynolds and left him
about 8 or 10 o'clock on the morning of the first
day. He had then had mis- conference with
Gen. BufoTd, and did not seem 10 be in the
slightest disturbed about tie situation. / asked
him if he had any message 70 send to Gen.
Sickles, aud he said, in rather a nOhcIlalaut
way: Tell him ! think he had better come
up There was certainly nothing like an order
in what he said. ! rode OF, aud had an IL
miles horseback ride 10 reach the commander
OF the Third Corrs. l suppose it was near II
o'clock when / arrived"
Gen. Siekles here said:
"The fact is that ] was ordered by Gen.
Meade to hold Emmittsburg at al hazards, 5nd
any one come to headquarters, except the one
Gen. Carr received and ooeyed prOnp ~"
Gen. Sckles had, however, prepared state
ment IN regard TO the charges which be dely-
cred on the following day.
In the evening Gen. sckics's he2dquarters
which were opposite the Eagle Hotel, presented
lively scene The room where be received
his friends and comrades had every appearance
Of an army headquarters. The General in
full uniform with his erltches by his side sat
az q table covered with papers and surrounded
by group of veterans IN uniform He ap-
peared to be IN excellent health, and his 60-odd
years OF life sat lightly upon him. Opposite 10
him, with his gray hair clipped short and
wearing glasses, was to DO seen the COMPACT
figure of Gen. Adam Badesu, the military sec
retary Of Gen. Grant and his biographer, while
scattered abost the place were many gentlemen
prominent in military circles.
REUNION or THE THIRD CORPS.
Friday morning. much to The disappointment
/ OF all the veterans opened cold and wet. The
/ rain poured down in tOrreu,s from early morn
1 ing. completely changing the program. In the
morning shiyering aud wet groups of veterans
hoveTed around the hotel corridors, and il was
hard to recognize in them the bright aud
| eheerful-looking individuals of the previous
day. The chief disappointment was that il
would be impossible Tor Gen. Siekles 20 give
the promised address out in the WheatfeId .
/ There was also another interesting occasion TO
/ take place that morning, the dedication Of the
/ monument TO the famons Isl L. s. ShaTpshoOters,
| and their we'll known Colonel, Hiram Berdan
! had been selected todeliyeI the oratiOn Early in
the morning Gen. Berdan had given up the
( idea Of meeting his old comrades on the bat
tleled not thinking that any Of them would
venture out on so unpropitions a gay, but while
/ he was walking in the corridor Of the Eagle
/ Hotel amcsseugcr CAME 20 him with information
that about 50 members Of his old regiment were
standing out in the rain at the monument,
waiting for him. In two minutes from the
time the stanch old soldier received this infor-
nation he was in a carriage going as rapidly TO
the place Of meeting as pair OF stout horses
/ could pull him. When Gen. Berdan reached
the monument, which does great credit 10 the
scuiplOF's art, under the shelter Of an umbrel-
Ia, he made few remarks, bet his oraton was
postponed until the meeting IN the rink The
veteran sharpshooters then returned TO the city
IL was a great disappointment that Gen.
Sickles was not able 20 make ais oration on the
field. The comrades, however, were not to be
cheated out OF the anticipated treat, and the
committee rented the skating rink, an immenss
frame building with capacity of several thou
sand. la the short space Of an hour from thC
time the rink had been secured il WAS gailJ
fcst0Oned with bunting and Chinese lanterns
while corps and division Gags were displayed
In conspicuous places. Long before II, tn,
hour at which the exercises were 70 commence
the large hall was filed, a great many ladies
being in the audience.
On the platform were 70 be seen Gen. Adam Ba
deau, Gen. Hobart Ward, Gen. Randolph. who
commanded the artillery othe Third Corps