The National tribune., 1889-10-31

abled, think it will be agreed that It was a
| pretty rugged experience for the first battle In
which l had actually been under fire.
And 10 must be borne in mind that all this
terrific execution had been done In the last
half hour of the fight, and most of it in FIVE or
six minutes, when we were exposed to a close
and deadly fire OF infantry in front and on the
left and an enflade by three or four batteries
ut close range on the right.
1t may have been about o'clock when we
got fairly into our new position on Cemetery
Hill. 1t was much like the one we had taken
up in the morning, in that it was in certain
sense in reserve; that is, it was considerably
behind the advance line, and there was both
artillery and infantry in some force ahead Of
us, and we were on about the highest ground
the position afforded We all expected that
the enemy would attack our new position at
once. It was plainly to be seen from the hill
that fresh troops of theirs were coming up all
the time. particularly from the north. or along
the Carlisle road. Two hours Of daylight re-
maned, and it was but natural to suppose that
the rebels would be flushed with their success
in the battle of the forepart of the day on
Seminary Ridge. But the day waned apace,
the sun went down behind the ridge we had
contested so desperately in the morning, and
there were signs of attack, but from our
elevated position we could see the rebel troops
as they came in from the north deliberately
III our IrOnG or ming OH toward Luo
valley OF Rock Creek on our extreme right,
so that their intention to go on with the con-
cert was unquestionabe; but after the sun
went down we hattered ourselves that they
wanted good nights rest the same as we did,
and, IL that was the case we did not care how
soon they might wake us up in the morning.
As | have previously remarked. there was
always great deal of public opinion in the
Army of the Potomac, together with an ade-
quate ability to express it. So, as soon as the
danger of an immediate attack appeared to have
passed., tho men began to discuss tho events of
the day and probabilities of the morrow. TO
! me these discussions and criticisms of the old
veterans were always the most interesting part
of the experience Of soldering, and at that
time longed for the day when my own status
as Z" veteran" would be sufficiently establish
ed to warrant me in taking part in these de-
bates. | have seen it stated in descriptions of
that battle since the war that
1.-THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC WAS WHIPPED
at the end of the first day" but know that
to be untrue. 1t is true that the First Corps
and tho Eleventh had been driven out of their
positions in the morning and forced to take up
new ones, but tho rawest recruit in the ranks
could see that tho new position was much
stronger than the old one, and we all knew that
feiniorcements had como up amounting to
nearly twice tho force that had sustained the
unsuccessful contest of the morning. The
I4lcNBHbn torpS nau beDaNcu wei enough TO
partly redeem themselves from their disgrace
at Chanceliorsville, and that, rs our Orderly
Sergeant remarked. was raising - for the
Eleventh Corps" But the old First had COW
cred itself with glory, and every man in its
ranks knew it. They were not whipped nor
defeated they did not feel that they had
been beaten, because they know that they had
held their ground against superior numbers;
that they had punished the enemy terribly,
and that they had finally made an orderly
and respectable retreat to q much stronger
aud better position The reflection that
nearly half their number had been left dead or
crippled in the meadows and pastures over be-
yond the other ridge, had lost the keen edge of
its sadness TO such veterans as they were, whom
long familiarity with battle and slaughter had
taught that the proper place for sentimentality
in war is at long distance in the rear. There
was not much disposition among the men to
criticize tho manner in which they had been
handled during the day. Some of them
thought that the Twelfth Corps ought to have
been put into tho fight on Seminary Ridge as
soon as they arrived on the field, instead of
stopping "a they did Cemetery Hill and
quietly watching the rebels murder us almost
within musket.shot And generally their idea
was that more energetic Commander Chief,
having three army corps within six miles Of
battle that began almost at sunrise, would
have managed to get some of them under fire
days of the year! II was not easy to make the
old warriors of tho First Corps understand the
sort of tactics that made them reach the field
from the Marsh Creek Bridge In time TO fight
eight hours aud lose half their number while
the Twelfth should come from Two Tayerns-
not much farther away-Only in time 90 witness
their final struggle for existence at a safe dis
tance. Aud, 80 far IA know, that still remains
TO be explained However, the old First WAS
not whipped and barring the frightful gaps in
its ranks. almost feel like declaring that its
remains were actually in better heart at the end
Of tho first day than at the beginning. At all
events. we knew that, except the cavalry skir-
mishing early in the morning. we had done all
the fighting of the day worth mentioning, and
we were almost rs proud OF tho record as We
would have been of victory
Such was the state of public opinion In
the ranks of the old First Corps. as far as i had
opportunity to ascertain IL, when at roll-call t
was announced that Gen. Newton, OF the Sixth
Corps, had been placed in command, vice Rey-
nolds. killed. This met the instant disappro-
baton of tho men. Newton was man they
did not know The corps had already been
commanded for several days by Gen. Double
day, of the Third Division. in consequence Of
Gen. Reynolds being placed in command of the
whole left wing of the army after crossing the
Potomac, aud he had actually taken command
by seniority when Reynolds fell. Gen. Double
day had the reputation among the mon Of his
division of being an austere man, not calculat-
cd to excite much enthusiasm, but in handling
the corps that day he displayed skill and cour-
age which the dullest private could not help
commencing; and he had, moreover, exposed
himself all day in plain sight of the troops with
| a reckless gallantry which never fails TO win
tho affection of soldiers, no matter what may
DO the other qualities of an officer. Hence, the
men considered Doubleday entitled TO the com
mand of the corps, and they were disgusted
when they learned that a stranger had been
put over them.
Ito be coatinued)