The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-08-30
FIGHTING THEM OVER
Ekat0ur Veterans Have to Say About
Their Old Campaigns
GETTYSBURG.
psssurs Ct Kslde, Howard and the Eleventh
Gurps


% cay few words as sn old soldier that served
in the grand old Army OF tae Potomac Wao
knows some things about tie Gettysburg battle
IS well e. The Boy Spy,@ Who claims 70
know it al. Every old soldier that dla
his duty knows that no man can zen 81
about the movements Of the dlIerent bFlsasies.
divisions q corps, except i ls the General
eo14resl3diug The army CT his Al u5snt Gen
era. q q few Of his confidential stalls Snd Il 10
not likely that The Boy spy was either one
Of them.
j was very glsd 70 see 5 letter from .. g.
Graham, Of La Junta, COl.g defending Gen.
Howard and Gen. Meade, In ms letter he
says: / think The Boy spy g mistaken
IN his idess, OF he does not wish 70 give honor
to whom honor is due j not Only know
that he IS mistaken but DC know tbst lie lz
telling what b g positively knows 70 be false, II
he was there AID knew anything about ths
battle Of the FIRST day but it Is more than
likely hal be WAS back IN the country gather
ing rotten eggs as he said ia bis letter % about
three weeks ago. de also gives great credit
to himself Ter his attempt ia trying % step L1e
stampede So be claims, u tee EieFent1 20 Fs
OF Cemeterv HilL. lie sls0 gives the cEsIit
entirely 70 Gen. Hancock Tor holding the
position and stopping the retreat anc saving
the babtIe Of Gettysburg for the Union army
while be also kloWs, 81 history is correct, that
Hancock was miles away from Cemetery alii
s. the time be writes about, and l have not
the least doubt ID Dly mind that he was mlles
70 the rear himself
Was 81 that time = member Of the 18th
Ohio, which reg lmeut was member OF the
First Division OF the Eleventh Corps, and
was one Of the regiments mentioned, among
Others, tlst helped TO make up the Eleventh
Corps that went T. tie assistance Of the FITst
Corps and our position Wss On the extreme
night OF the Union sTmy. and we stood and
fought en- Barlows Knob. where cur monument
has since been erected 70 commemorate the
brave deeds 0t those wao fell and died uloH thai
field, aud / knew that the Eleventh Corps a.
corps cid their duty.
me TebgI arnz contested Of EwelTs and
Hills Corps, theze corPs comprising 81 least
two-thiIds Of Gen. Lees entire army, making
probably IN tne uelghboFhOod Of 6U,UJJ troops
while the First Coris (heyu0lds3 and TIE TWO
divisions Of me Eleventh Corps that dld the
fgaJiug Oh tie 6rst day aid moi exceed one
fourth of the Army o. tie Potomac or il tne
neigh b0rhoO0 OF 20 900 10 13J5v troops, AID II
any one VII &c upon the field euc examine the
position occupied by the Confederate army zud
The position occupied by the Eleventh and Elrst
Ccrps, they viii readily see THAI the position OF
the C0utedeTztes was equal II not better lnsn
OUTS. AotW Outstanding al THIS WS held our
Position IRON tie forenoon unLI -cnE IN the
afternoon before retreat Was CclEaeECedt and
then not 1utl ne were al cut 20 pieces and
over half Cur uuD5er killed and wounded IN
the front .ae OF the first days battle dld We
rstrGst. Oar regiment tie S5sn Obio), &c
said before, occupied the extreme TiEbs Of TIC
Union army, and 6Elle We were occupying
that position On Bsrl0W's knob, and doing all
that We could 10 he'd in cheek the force ia our
front Eg7el Tss sending 3 large nun1ber OF
fresh tToops around or right along tHs creek
aud eudesV0ang 70 get IN our rear, which had
he Eucceeded ia dong, he could have nearly
znulliiated the Eleventh Corps; and 10 Is veil
that tie Eleventh aud Fist Corps did retreat
back 30 Cemetery aill, where Gen. Howard
land not sen. BaHoockj had posted one dIvls-
ion Of the Eleventh corps 20 cheek the advance
CT lhe Confederate army, and thus Eaye tie
position i0T the Union army. 1 was severely
wounded ia the shoulder By s minle-baii
while in command o. %. q. within so fest u
our frat line, and ca the third line occupied
by cur troops, and within 3JO feet OF the Con-
lederste line and was left lying on the Eeld
and isF theEa until after gbe Confederate army
had passed over me and Was prisoner during
tie rest OF the battle, and / saw their reserve
liEe myself, EnC know lhat they had - many
men IN the reserve line Is sc had engaged; AID
ii they had known the strength oI our army
they could DCl only hBye driven Us back u
Cemetery Hall, 6ut could have occupied Gene
teTy hill that day Ia spite CT Hancock Howard
Doubleday, O. any other troops that we had z
the iroat a. JaaI time; Tor aAL-i % clock thai
evening they mad from two 70 thres times a
may men OF the EeId ready for action Sc vi
had On our SIDE, aud most Of the time fully
rs good positions Tor their infantry and muct
better for their artillery.
/ EsVe since ben 81 over the field twice ,el
one Of the Monumental Committee from Ohicy
and had GOOD opportunity 70 examine the po
EsOns occupied by both TIE Un3on and Con
federaJe armies, and u is S mistaken idea tina
ne had al tie advantage Ia position. I5i
truth is, Seminary Koge afforded Gen. Lee
much better position Tor bIs artillery thai
Gen. Meade Lad for bis and behind Seminar,
Ridge Lee could move MS Infantry % any posi-
ton he chose without even cur Signal Corp
beng able 20 observe their movements.
think Gen. Meade did exceedingly well T.
handle his troops IS vel % be dI6, taking int
consideration the fset that he only had been il
command OF tie army three days when IA
battle commenced.
Congress should not hesitate 70 sppropriat
funds sufficient 70 erect ia the Cemetery Z
Gettysburg S beautiful monument q sInal
token u Nations grstitCds 70 the memor
o. Inc gr2udsst and best Soldier tAat ever la
command o. the Potomac army. here L. " La
Geu. Grant says Of Alea1e IN his Memoirs:
Gca. Meade Lac Eors than nsel my most Sal
Eulue q peulailsls u e enc sI1rlul afl The IN
teal clez-Es --I large c1ia1le lasc come lu CO.
lac Hlth- Do tlelr services cAu be yea lrdel b
promotion 20 lilo rank 81 AHl0r-iieuerais ln %
Regular Army Lle DunuT RouLa - WorLbily {,
slowed etc sTo-le feel ger11aallg gratlled. 50
letter ~ Z. D. Stanton, Secretary ~ Mar dale
Aay a. iss2 tGpFiea from fol. z, ,. -
I have no desire 10 detract from the cred
due any soldier. Genera, or EBy trJops tia
fought ~ 1slty sblrg; 10 WAS not al s one Corr
or auy Cue General that saved the CAV ~ &c
tysbarE and broke tile backbone Of tie rebe
lloD, blt it was al combined, Es each Geuer
ia supposed t0 have done hlE whole duty az
g. dId eacl line OEl1er and private 10 the rank
and they Ale entitled zach y their share Of q
eTealt.
The Eleventh Corps was composed Of reg
mems from CAiO Penney ivau.4, New Y0rl
CgBDeet4egt aud other states. There wel
troops from Ohio, gud il is n0g 81 all Ike
that .tes THAT furnished troops in other cor
both last and West would be likely u gel :
ite poor Eglllug material ia one corps.
The same troops that fought tie Grst day
battle fought AID resisted TIE attack Of u
Louisiana Tigers Of EWells Corps on the eve
ing Of the -, when there Was 8 hand -to-har
fight; bayuuets butts Of the muskets EI
EWsbs Of the artillery were used, and men
the 18th Ohio were killed with tie bay0pe
while men q cur brigade ahot Ccaiedera
soldiers W8th their Tev0.vers.
heMBeEs ~ the LgBis4uE Brigade told .
o. the morning Of tie 81 that they had be,
ia = bstties, but had never been whipped B
fore, and that they lad never seen gach dc
perate 6GhtiEg as they Lad met with III
night; THAI they were the worst whipped Ia,
had ever Eeen. il fact the charge was iu
a. desperate and resisted win IS much tenaci