The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1888-05-25

Gen. Doubleday, in his official report, says:
ARRIVED at the cemetery, our lines, with
those of the Eleventh corps, were reformed
under the direction of Gen. Howard Our
batteries were placed upon the summit of the
hill, the First corps having been directed to
occupy the ground to the west of the road,
the Eleventh corps being on its right. A
portion of the troops were placed behind the
hill in reserve Maj. Gen. Hancock then
rode up and informed me that he had been
placed in command of both corps. He at
once directed me to send a force to support
battery which had been established on a
lower range of hills some 100 yards to the
east of our position, protecting our flank in
that direction. l complied with the order
and sent the remainder of Wadsworth's
division there Immediately afterward or
ders came from Maj Gen. Howard, who
ranked Hancock, to send the troops in an
other direction This occasioned at the time
some little delay and confusion" Gen. Han
cock says his orders were to proceed
to the front and assume command" to
move the troops and horses to the rear,
toward the line of battle he (Meade) had
selected" or, ''if the ground were suitable
and circumstances made it wise, I was to
establish the line of battle at Gettysburg"
Arriving on the field at 3 p. m, ''orders were
at once given to establish line of battle on
Cemetery HILL" This hill twas already par
TALLY occupied on my arrival by direction of
Mai. Gen. Howard" Hancock then sent a
messenger to Gen. Meade, ''to say that l
would hold the position until night" Later
on another messenger was sent to Meade
''informing him that the position at Gettys-
burg was a very strong one, having for its
disadvantage. that it might be easily turned
and leaving to him (Meade) the RESPONSE
bilitv whether the battle should be fought at
Gettysburg or at a place first selected by
him. Between and o'clock the First and
Eleventh corps and one division of the
Twelfth corps were in position, and the head
of the column of the Third corps was in sight.
Gen. Slocum. of the Twelfth corps, ranked
Hancock, and the latter turned the command
over to him at once, and rode back to Taney-
town. thirteen miles distant, reporting to
Meade in person. Orders, however, had been
already issued by the commanding general
of the corps in the rear, the Second. Fifth and
Sixth, to advance immediately to Gettysburg.
Gen. Sickles had arrived on the field in
advance of his corps and before Slocum came,
and he was the superior of both Howard and
Hancock II yielded to Howard" he says.
''Howard thought it an act of grace on my
part, but Hancock would not yield l said:
Let it all go; good thing has been done (by
the first days ighting) and now let us hang
on to it,"
Gen. Meade states in his report that he
learned from the front that the enemy was
bringing his whole army to the attack, and
hearing from Maj. Gems. Hancock and
Howard the favorable character of the
position, determined to give battle at this
point, and issued orders to all the corps to
concentrate on Gettysburg"
Before midnight Lee became satisfied that
the Army of the Potomac was in front of
him, and would make an effort to hold its
ground At this point the Southern contro-
verses again enter in, and the Confederate
statements throw a light upon the occur
rences of July 2 and 3. The public all along
have had glimpses of the inner workings of
the Union camps through the Investigations
and the official reports; but on the Southern