The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1891-11-05

A Defense OF the Hero or Gettysburg BY Ills Chief
or ArtiIIsrJ.
The following letter was received at thi1
Office from Gen. Webb. The communication
explains itself Gen. Hunt will be remembered
by the Army OF the Potomac as the efficient
Chief Of Artillery. The letter was written
sometime before the Generals death:
SOLDIERS HoME
WAsHIsGTos. ID. C., Jan. IL, 1883.
My DEAR wEBB:
Now, was by no means n favorite with Meade ;
be rarely consulted me Rs Chief OF Artillery 10
consuted-or {. g.-he consulted the Chief OF En-
am under no sort of obligation to him that
would lead me TO sustain him IL wrong, nor have
any occasion for ill-feeling malice toward him
- e.. there WAS no close personal relations be-
tween us, such as there was with Humphreys aud
6ibbon and yourself that could would in any
respect whatever sway my judgment. We differ
Oh In some points, sometimes ! was yexed, once I
demanded TO be relieved, 50 could be impartial, /
think.
Now, Webb. as I have studied this battle because
have written about Il and had 20 study IT, Meade
has grown and grown upon me. / won't say for
don't know, what were his views aud determine
tons about the different phases of the campaign
aud battles. lie did not take me into his conf
dence. don't complain OF IT, mind but am now
very sorry that he did not. Had he done So / am
FIRMLY convinced that could now very effectively
speak with authority ia his favor He did ask or
direct TO look for battlefield behind Pipe
Creek, and Of course / inquired Of my own mind
his reason, "a lac did not give them Co me himself
did not have TO look far, for tile only reasonable
solution presented itself lie did tell me July 2
that he feared we were In no condition TO fight at
Gettysburg, but IN this matter lac did give mo his
reasons SO far M q concerned me-"iack Of am
uuuition (artilleFyD" j assured him that whilst
we had none TO throw away. there would bo
enough, aud that apparently fully satisfied him.
Therefore / concluded when the charge wAs made
that he didn't want to Fight there, that 1t was all
"poppy-cOck."
More than that. believe. as my Gettysburg
paper. 1 think, shows, that Pipe Creek our
true place, and Il was Meades order to me to look
for field there that suggested that fact 10 me-
infer Meade's views aud intentions from his Acts
HE word il sufficient TO establish them-and does
establish them-but they had no weight with me.
because they were unnecessary TO, yet confirmed
my convictions. which were formed on his acts be-
fore he went before the committee.
Meade was suddenly placed la command. From
that moment all his acis and intentions As I can
judge OF them. were just what they ought to have
been except perhaps In his order 70 attack at
Falling Waters on the morning OF the l3lh. aud
especially the l4th 81 July, when hs corps COM
manders reported against ~. and was then in
favor OF the attack, go can't blame him. He was
right Ga his OrdeTe TO Pipe Greek: right ia his
determination under certain circumstances To fall
back Il; right ia pushing up to Gettysburg after
lae battle commenced; right Ia remaining there :
right In ing his battle n purely defensive one
right therefore, in taking the line he did, right in
not attempting a countCT-attack in any stage OF
the battle; right as TO his pursuit OF Lee. Rarely
has more sEill, yigor, or wisdom been shown under
such circumstances hs ne was placed IN, and 10
would ! think belittle his grand record Of that
campaign by "A formal defense against his detrac-
tors, who will surely 40 under as will this story
show.
am bold enough to believe that had the RapI-
dan campaign been conducted by him free from
the tramTnels Of the higher headquarters u would
have been better for the Army OF the Potomac and
for the country; but Of this You need say nothing
- II. J. HUSr.
To Brevet MAJ -Gen. ALEXANDER 8. wEBB. U. s.
Army.