Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-07-13

| l., - a. 10
sollo If he ho,,nrod ,,,ond siro ha rn,v
atands on his a,,.,, ,rorit, ,,nd ho has
,nerite enorob of bis o,n to stand an
me turning foiht' at gettysburg
Gen. Berdan, of sharpshooter fame, was
at Gettysburg ON the I'd instant and
told reporter that while everybody
knew that Gettysburg was the turning
point of the war, few knew what was the
turning point of Gettysburg. That point,
he said, was the attack made by battal-
ION OF ms sharpshooters on an Alabama
regiment OF Longstreet's corps, in the fore
noon OF the second day of the battle, back
(Wes') OF the hmmltlsbnrg road. Gen.
hohEsUreet ne SAID, had Just admitted
That tins attack was SO vigorous that he
supposed he had corps in front of him
that it delayed a contemplated movement
OF his to turn HE left OF Sickles's corps,
ana that II saved MeadeS army from
belng driven from its position. Col. Ber-
dan added that he Intended to erect a
monument where the battalion OF sharp
shooters fought, bearing the motto: The
| turning Point OF the War"
ten. Berdan does not often lose anything
by lalllng to claim enough The piece of
service rendered 10y a detachment of the
FIRST United States sharpshooters in the
forenoon or July I'd, 1853, has not now
been hrst brought to light. The detach-
nent was little body OF hundred men,
lorty OF whom were Nermonters OF Co., f.
FIRST I. >. - commanded by Captain f,
W. Hlhues' now OF thls CITY. lhey were
sent out by ten. Blrney commanding a
| division OF Sickness corps who had be-
come apprehenslve That the enemy were
| moving 10 mis- lett, to reconnoltre. They
went out into the woods along Seminary
| rldge west OF the Emmlttsburg road, and
Col Berdan, who did not often accompany
MS men into action, went with them.
lhey came upon the Tenth Alabama reg
| iment' IN the woods, aud had sharp
| sklrmlsh, driving the Alabamians back,
with the AID of 200 men of the Third
| Maine regiment, which had followed the
| sharpshooters as support, and then be
ing driven back themselves by largely
superior force, when they returned with
the information that the enemy We're in
tolce IN the woods and moving to the
mon lett; ana Gen. Sickles thereupon
coauged the front of the left Of his corps,
TO meet an attack from that quarter.
rms service OF the sharpshooters WAS of
very hlgh Importance; but 1t can hardly
DE called the turning point of the battle,
ana ten. Longstreet does not appear to
nave sald mat 1t was. What he is report
eu Ms saying TO ten. Berdan, at
gettysburg ltst houday, was THIS You
frustrated one OF the principal movements
OF my command. Had my plan
oeeh successful, L would have turned
Sickless lett aud we would have driven
Meade out OF his position. 1t was your &C
ZION mat made the turning point of the
war favorable to the Union cause" This
Is not exactly saying that the sharpshUot-
eis reconnaissance was the turning point;
Out Is u statement that 1t made the turn
ing polht' VIZ, the battle, turn out favor
aoiy 10 the l mon cause.
IN estimating the relative Importance of
TINS event II Is TO be noted that the Tenth
AItohHla was not part OF Longstreet's
corps out was regiment of WilcoA's
brigade OF a. +. HIPS corps, and that
"heh the colllsion between the detach
nient " Snar pShooters ana that regiment
LOON place, L'hRstIeet had not yet received
ms oluers 10 aI'ack Tue mon left, and
thau the all"ch dId not take place till
lour hours later ten. Longstreet, III his
account % lhe o"'lle punilsned IN Novem-
"'l' Io'o says Una IL was. tully II o clock
III '"e io'eHo"n ol lhe 20, When zen. Lee
cohciuut" th"t Lohgstreet should attack
anu ordered Ihe movement, whereas the
delHchmeh' OF sharp@hOoters went out at
~ d CLOCK. IL his published DaUerS the