The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1888-03-22
WHOLE NO. 2O5
IAN OPEN LETTER.
One of Gen. UamncOck's STAFF
keSents the Attempt ia Dis.
h"nOF AHis Memory,

Special to the MASCOT,
New Work, March l4.-Col. Finley
Andes n ho was on Gen. Han.
cock's sL,,t' during the civil war, hss
addressed the following open letter to
Senator Ingalls,, at Washington;
Hon John j. Ingalls,, President pro
tenn. United States Senate, WdShing-
ton, D, C.
SIR: | have inst received copy Of
the Congressional Record, containing
the official report of your recent
speech, in which you not only insult
the Chief Magistrate OF the nation,
but attempt to dishonor the memory
OF both Hancock and Mcclellan by
naming each Of them as having been
an "ally OF the Confederacy."
AS a Surviving member OF Gen.
Honcock's staff, who shared with him
in the trials and trinmphs Of the civil
war, and rs friend whum he hon.
ored with his confidence and affection
to the end Of his hlameless life, | can
not bear in silence your brutal blow at
my old commander. must, therefore,
as soldier and citizen, protest
against any uttelance that implies an
impeachment upon his loyalty 10 his
country. When the summer flowers
boom again TN the graves Of the he
roic dead, quarter of century will
have passed since the battlefield of
Gettysburg became the arena where
the valnr OF the North and South alike
illustrated the greatness of the Amer.
lean people and commanded the ad-
miration Of the world. The name OF
that peaceful Pennsylvania village,
baptized anew with their mingled
blood, was thus made immortal az the
symbol of national power equal to
any on the earth. The crowning vic.
tory of that combat has proved under
Providence, as clearly IN though we
had heard the voice OF God himself,
that those principles Of liberty and
law, and fraternity and union, in ear
nest devotion t0Which Hancock lived
and died, are essential to the welfare
IT mankind.
" TO this result, the highest human
achievement OF this century, Han
cock contributed more than any Other
soldier in the field. When Reynolds
tell,0n the morning Of the first day, it
Fwas Hancock whom Meade selected to
taRe supreme command in front, with
power u choose the ground where the
gr'at battle Of the war should be
( ught out. 1t was Hancock who
planted his colors on Cemetery Ridge,
Nh' re- he rallied our disordered
Irmp>, and formed the lines on those
historic heights, beyond which tne rs-
ing tide oi The rebellion never passed.
1t was Hancock who turned impend-
ing disaster tn victory by the counter
charge which saved the honor Of the
rmy on the evening of the second
lay, L. was Hancock who repulsed
that grand assault, the most brilliant
in the annals Of the war, when the
flower Of the Army Of North Virginia
withered and died before the fortitude
tf the Army OF the Potomac IN the f.
nal struggle Of the third day.
ut was thus that Hancock won at
Gettysburg triple crown of glory.
Naturally enough both houses OF Con-
gress adopted joint resolution to the
feet, that, in addition t. the thanks
which had been voted TO the officers
ard soldiers Of the Army Of the Poto-
mac for the skill and heroic val0r
which at Gettysburg repulsed defeat
ed and drove back, broken and dispir-
tied, the veteran army of the rebellion,
the gratitude OF the American people
and the thanks Of their represents
tives in Congress are likewise due ard
hereby rendered to MM.- Gen w. g.
Hancock for his gallant, mpritorious
and conspicuous STARE in that great
decisive victory
"ln view Of Hancek's constant and
conspicuous service to his country for
more than forty years, sealed, as that
service WAS, by his own blood, and in
view OF his proverbial purity Of char.
acter, it is amazing how any mar
could rise in the Senate chamber to de-
tame his memory. But having had the
audacity to do so, the least you car
nov in reparation Of this cruel wrons
+ alike to Hancock's memory and the
!. patriotic sentiment Of the country, il
e to rise again in the Senate chamber
!. and make q full retraction and apollo
s gy. Respectfully yonrs,
t FINDLEY ANDERSON.
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