The National tribune., 1886-07-15

posed legislation. the veto and resulting discussion
Of the subject But conscious Of the justice Of my
position that have nothing TO extenuate nor
aught set down in malice will bide my time and
let the future vindcate my character for honesty,
patriotism and Democracy. j. W. FAREIs
THE THIRD CORPS AT GETTYSBURG.
A careful or even casual reading of Gen.
Sickles's mastery address at Gettysburg
will show no warrant for the savage attacks
that have been made on him from several
quarters. These have been excited by read
ing garbled and distorted reports of his
remarks. THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE is the
only paper in the country that publishes the
speech in full, and it must be read in full to
properly comprehend his argument and to
understand the demonstration he makes of
the vital Importance of the Third Corps
heroic struggle in securing the glorious
victory that was won there.
In asking for justice for the gallant men
who fought under him at the Peach Orchard
Gen. Sickles disparaged no other organiza-
ton, and did not attempt to take away
single laurel worn by any other corps. He
recognizes, as Lincoln said, that there was
abundant glory won at Gettysburg for all
who fought there. There never was battle
fought in which all engaged came nearer
doing their whole duty. To point out nOU
how things could have been done better
counts for little, as there never was battle
fought in which the dispositions might not
have been improved after 20 years. scrutiny
of the field. The main question for consid
Grafton now is whether everybody engaged
in the battle did the best he could according
TO the knowledge he then had, and this, with
astonishingly few exceptions, can be
answered unhesitatingly in the affirmative.
Referring to the Sixth Corps, Gen. Sickies
expressly said, that if it had been where we
were, ii would have done precisely as we
did," and this is true of the other corps in
the Army of the Potomac. Had any other
one Of them been called upon to push to the
front and unmask the enemy's designs it
would have fought with the same desperate
stubbornness the Third Corps displayed, and
made the enemy pay quite as dearly for any
advantage gained. All that Gen. Sickles, as
we read his speech, asked for, was first that
it be recognized that when his corps was
placed in this position of honor and danger
it deported itself with the magnificent eour-
age to be expected of men whom Heintzel-
man, Kearny and Hooker had trained to
fight, and whom Sickles, Birney and Hum
phreys led. Next that the position he
selected for his men was tactieally proper
that it seriously deranged the eneny's plans,
and that the fight, which was brought on
with the stubborn resistance made, foiled
the enemy's designs and SO exhausted his
offensive power as to make the final victory
possible.
The arguments with which Gen. Sickles
supports this claim arrest attention if they
do not bring conviction.
For example, we all know that the rebels
were massing an immense force behind the
woods on Seminary Ridge for crushing
movement against our left flank, precisely as
they had overwhelmed our right at Chancel-
louisville. 1t is admitted on our side that
we had not anticipated the movement, and
that had it been made as the rebels contem-
plated, and had they succeeded in reaching
the Round Tops, the day would have been
irretrieyably lost TO us. No one has so far
offered any evidence to show that anybody
but Gen. Sickles and Gen. Hiram Berdan
and the men in their commands knew o.
this enormous mass of men which the rebel:
had collected on that flank. Thus far the
case in favor of Sickles is quite clear. Ht
must be given credit of knowing where the
enemy was and what he was contemplating
. for making bold and prompt dispositions fol
meeting the onslaught, and for actually
meeting it with a courage and stubbornnes.
that was equal to the occasion.
4
The question then narrows itself down tc
whether he made the most skiIlful disposi
, ton possible Of his force, and whether, in
more retired position, be would not hav,
covered the Round Tops better and inflicted
more damage to the enemy, while sufferin:
less himself. Here there is room, we think
D for an extended discussion of purely tech
, : nical nature, with any quantity and variety
a OF honest differences of opinion. Personally
, we are of the opinion that the position
e he took was the best one, and that he should
have been reinforced SO as TO be able to holt
y it against the oyerpowering masses fun,
against him. Certainly the battle coulC
: have been fought out there quite as well a
d at any other portion of the line.
I Finally, the Third Corps fighting ON tina
day was well worthy of all the splendic
, eulogium pronounced by Gen. Sickles. n,
e better fighting was ever done anywhere b,
: any men than by the wearers of the dia
It mOnd" around that Peach Orchard.
1t is time that the story of their valian