The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-12-01
ARCHER'S BRIGADE.
The Cannoneer Explains How He Fell into
Error About Their Capture.


Error About Their Capture.
A H..HUBER, in The NATIONAL
"A TRIBUNE of Nov. "a, says that
~. was in error when | said that the
9th Wis. struck the advance OF
Archer's Brigade, and, with the help of the 18th
Brooklyn, captured destroyed it that it was
Davis's Brigade, etc. and that Archer's Brigade
was captured by the other reg iments OF the Iron
Brigade, etc.
This is true / wrote hurredly, and the
error was slip of the pen. But l think the
collision in the railroad cut between the 9th
Wis and 14th Brooklyn on our side and Davis'a
men on the other was earlier than o'clock. We
(the battery got into position at the railroad
cut by 2 O'Clock, and as every one in the bat
terry will recolect, those prisoners passed us
while we were waiting for orders in the lane
leading from the Seminary grounds or lawn at
least two hours before we went over to the
railroad cut. 1t is worth while in referring to
these events to bear in mind that Heths Diyis-
ion, with which were dealing up to noon
that day, 5000 strong, as against 5000 and
some odd hundreds in the whole First Corps,
and that up to II O'Clock, at least Heth's whole
division was hurled against the two brigades of
Wadsworth which were not more than 5000
strong-the Iron Brigade and Cutters. From
IL o'clock on Robinson began to get in action
on our right, and Stone and Biddle, of Double
days Division, On our left. But their arrival
was more than offset IN numbers by the ap-
pearanCc of Pender's powerful division lover
1000 strong) our left (Heth's right, and
after the retreat of the Eleventh. Corps at least
half of Rodes's Division was left free to operate
against our right
1t will never be possible to ascertain the
numbers on either side just at this moment
but from 2 till 4:30 p m. the first day the old
First Corps, 5000. odd strong at the start, had
on its hands Heth, 1000 strong; Pender, 1000
and at least half of Rodes's whose whole divs-
ion was S,O00-odd strong the day before at Car
Isle
Perry Rowe at the Encampment, las / re-
marked in my little speech before the Iron
Brigade said to Clinton Beckwith, of the Sixth
Corps. that Sc if they had been our right
there instead of the Eleventh the history Of
Gettysburg might have been different, and that
he Perry might now have two legs instead of
onei"
Several comrades of the Eleventh Corps have
taken characteristic umbrage at this. But why
should they? The Sixth Corps had $4,000 men,
while tho Eleventh Corps had only little
moro than 5000. don't suppose any one will
try to maintain that the Eleventh Corps was
any better man for man, than the Sixth
Corps!
j firmly agree with our Uncle Perry Rowe
that if the Sixth Corps had been there with its
L., 600 men, aud its Sedgwicls, Wright, Brooks,
like them, instead of the Eleventh Corps, with
Howard Schurz, Steinwehr, Won elisa, etc,
and only 5000 men, Rodes and his men would
have danced to very different music.
Beyond doubt they would have crushed
Rodes easily, and then been able to not only
take care of Early, who was coming up Oh the
York road all the afternoon, but could have
spared a good force to help US out against Heth
and Pender.
OF course this is only a suggestion. But to
those who like to study battle-history, and who
know what the Sixth Corps was made of and
how it could fight, the possibilities Of its pres
ence on the right of the First Corps the first
day OF Gettysburg is All entertaining subject Of
speculation.
Comrade Hendrick, 4th Mich battery, says:
81 was very much interested with the account
that Comrade Buell. gave US of the Captain of
Battery b. He is different character from
the most of our Regular officers in the West"
Quite so and he was also " a different char
acter" from most other officers of any descrip-
ton. He was as perfect combination of the
commander and the comrade, of the superior
officer and the personal friend of the fellow
soldier and the fellow man as ever existed or
ever will TO this day he maintains fra
ternal correspondence with every faithful en-
listed man of the old battery. He was and is,
a lion; old and gray named now, with eyes
dim, teeth broken, and claws dull but the
lions heart is still there-big, fresh, and warm
as overland if duty should call you wonld find
the heart just as brave. Indeed, James Stew
art was "a different character from most of our
officers" as Comrade Hendrck says
At least, his men all thought so.-BUELL, Phila-
delphia.