The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1891-09-10
FIGHTING THEM OVER
What Our Veterans Have TO Say About
Their Old Campaigns
GETTYSBURG
why was Not the Twelfth Corps IN the First Days
Fight


EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUKE: IL has always
been a mystery 20 me that the Twelfth Corps
was not ordered 90 support The First aud
Eleventh Corps 40 the battle OF Gettysburg.
The excuse cannot he given that we were not
within supporting distance, as THIS was not q
fact / write OF only what j know ana saw
and nothing else aud give herewith few iacis,
that are facts 10 prove that the Twelfth Corps
could easily have reached the scene oi The hrat
day. fight no II a. M. of July j had they been
ordered so 10 do. ] WAS member OF the
Twelfth Corps, Second Brigade Second Divis-
ion Gen. John W. Geary division commander,
ON June 80 1863, our brigade, having the
advance oil the corps, left ln The early morning
our camp near Taueytuwn, Nd; we reached
Littlestown, Pa. about ] p ~. Of The latter
date. just as we were about entering The town
we were ordered TO open ranks for several bat
terics Of artillery 70 pass through, which they
did 90 a Eall0P, news having come that the
rebel cavalry were lowering on The edge OF The
town, and about 10 raid It, This artillery with
some cavalry dashed ahead OF ms aud drove the
enemy back from whence they came As we
passed through littlcst0wn the ladies' OF the
different houses came ont and furnished as
with cool sparkling waller 10 was truly re-
freshing, and greatly appreciated by the boys.
Passing through the town we byouackci IN
the fields a short distance out. j ana satisfied
that ID WAS not later than p. M. when We
stacked arms and broke ranks. ] was detailed
f0r picket duty lor the night. About daylight
OF July ] the pickeis were drawn la, aud
Joined my regiment which Was then moving
out on 20 Tie pike leading 10 Gettysburg. We
were uow only 10 miles from The latter place,
aud ID WAS GbOut O'Clock a. m. that wC COM
mencCd our march toward the great battle
field ", moved along lcisurely, hating quite
frequently ln al my army experience never
remember of making slower progress on an
un0bstTuctea road.
During one OF our frequent halts the mail
boy OF our regiment came up with our rcgi-
mental mail, which was distributed to the boys
j remember receiving az my share three letters,
which had ample time 10 read whilst resting
on the roadside. Some of the boys had time 70
do some loraging. The farmers along the route
came amongst us TO sell bread, cakes aud the
likes in fact IL was one OF the lazy, tasc-your.
time marches that VIC poor soldiers seldom en-
joyed.
IL j recollect Alright 81 was about 10 or ] j
a, M. that we had borne 10 our cars tho familiar
sound Of the artillery guns ahead of us. How
little did wc know Of what this was the leroTuu-
ner! Some OF the boys iol,ed about il, saying
lear the dogs barking" 81 want 10 go
home " Put me in my little bed, When
will this cruel war be over?" aud tho like.
Soon the friHg became heavier aud more fre-
qnent and yet we still continued our leisureiy
marching No orders given 90 close up or
d0Hbie.guick no cOuriers or Ordgriies da-hiHg
by with orders. ln fact few II any Of as ne.
allied that desperate battle was being fought
almost within CanuOn-shOt OF our corps. Why
were we not hurried forward2 Why did we
lag behind when our presence was SO much
needed
The Twelfth Corps was composed Of some Of
the best and wol-tried veterans In the army
There WAS the celebrated % Mass, in my csti-
nation the hest disciplined and bcst-drilled
=. Al. Tr..s L
any Regular regiments then came the 9th
Ind, Sd Wis, Goth N. Y. 18th n. y lG9th,
llltb, 2sth and 29th Pa. with host of other
regiments whose State aud number j am not
now familiar with. What a grand acquisition
We would have been about p. M. 10 have sup
ported the overwhelmed First aud Eleventh
Corps There was a screw loose somewhere
We could have been on the battlefield 10y sem.
mary Ridge, without any very rapid marching,
in ample time 20 have saved the day. Who
can Tell me why we were not thcreY
OF one thing am sure, aud that Is that NJ
p. M. on june 30 VIC were but 10 miles from
Gettysburg; that at a. M, or about this time
on July ] we were still the same distance from
the battlefield, aud that wc could have marched
the distance named in az least three and a half
hours aud then not hurried ourselves Was
our Commanding General aware of the near
presence Of the enemy, aud could he not
have sent q courier ahead 10 notify the com
mandeg Of these engaged troops that he was
near az hand aud ready 10 reinforce IL neces.
saryf
think il was about 2 D. no. that we passed a
large number 81 Confederate prisoners going 10
the rear. j. WAS Archer's Confederate Brigade.
which had been captured in The railroad cnt
near Seminary Ridge. They were a lne look
ing body Of soldiers and seemed % be Ia good
spirits although prisoners Of war; We took 90
a position on P0wells Hill for the uipltt.
f.I- trrsv I'm cola a.
and writing letters home, talking aud con-
featuring what the morrow would bring forth
was about al We did on the FIRST day q the
FIGHT.
The % day OF July came quickly. At carly
dawn We again took up the line Of march Tor
new position. We finally squattcd on Culp's
1911, where our troops commenced 40 once 10
build breastworks AZ this we were busily
engaged until about 3.3O p. ~, when the enemy
commenced 10 shell as. Suddenly we were
ordered, with the exception Of Green's Bri-
Rade, 20 reinforce Sickles's CORPS which was
being hard pressed ou our extreme let. So OF
We went az rapid rate across Rock Creek
meadows and fields, until we reached Sicllos's
rear. and such medley Of men scattered over
the fields and roads had ncvor before seen. OK
cept iu The rout Of the Eleventh Corps at
Charlottesville men wounded aud not
wounded were streaming 10 the rear in great
numbers. Their reports Hs Is usually tic case
VIII Those DOB the rear, Were anything but cE-
couraEinE Such remarks as ID isaIi upaiih u.s.
boys" I" We arc Oycrp0Rcred Q: Ny regiment
ID all gone We did the hest we could. but
we could NOT whip the world greeted us as we
made our way 10 the front. Continuing our
march down thc pike we encountered the Sixth
Corps just coming up 10 reinforce Sicklcs
having marched about - miles during the day
talked with quite a number Of the bows !:
they seemed bright aud cheerful aud eager for
the fray. The gallant Sixth, what grand
old corps b was J always admired ID more
than any other body Of troops in the army
There was a dash aud spirit Of courage and
endurance about the Sixth that seemed pccu-
LARRY their own. This corps now took our
places aud marched in 30 the relief OF the Third
Corps
We were ordered blcly 10 our old position on
Culp's lllI, and did not become engaged on the
left as we expected 60 be. ID must have been
nearly 3 O'Clock a. night when we commenced
% Ole into The works on Culp's Hill with the
Intention 81 rCsuming our old position, but
during our absence a change lad taken place
that Ne bad not arranged tor. The rebels bad
An our absence assumed the offensive aud at
tackled with an overwhelming force the little
brigade oi Gen. Green, which bad been lCft be-
hluc % hold tue brcastwOrks. They bad after
q stubborn light, WrestGd from our troops a
large pprlIOu Ol the lluC Of bTeas works which
We bad erected boz thc morning As we marched
into the woods 10 resume our old positions not
knowing that they were occupied by the robs.
We were met with 4 fierce yolcy OF musKctry
which did us much damage and for a moment
i HFEH.f rfaH. HH.|s. j