The National tribune., 1892-09-15
FARNswORTH,s DEATH.
There was No Quarrel Between Him and
Ki!p:,trick July >, 1868.


Fitzpatrick July ;, 1863
= THINK Alden Brown, Co. X. I'd III. Cav,
gives himself away as much as those he
Il, criticises in repeating the senseless rot ol
charges of cowardice made by Gen. Kill
patrick to Gen. Farnsworth. challenge any
man living to say they heard any but courte-
| Gus language between those two men on July
3, 1863 As a member of tie staff of Gen. Kill
| patrick i was in the presence of the two Gen
erals when together for considerable time be-
fore the charge was made, and believe heard
all the conversation between them in regard to
the same.
Gen. Kilpatrick's orders on the morning of
July were to move his division to the place
he afterwards occupied, and fight hard. He
moved out with Farnsworth's Brigade,
giving Custer orders to follow. After moving
quite distance it was discovered that Custer
was not following When we reached our
position nearly the whole staff were away look
ing for him. / heard Farnsworth say to Kill
patrick, Z" think you should reprimand Gus
ter severely" His reply was. =" hope it may
not be necessary" Fitzpatrick order to Farms
worth was, Put your brigade in and COM
mence fighting till Custer comes up. l will
post the artillery Elders battery"
1t was several hours before Fitzpatrick
learned that Custer had been ordered to Gregg,
on the extreme right, and was beyond his
reach. Farnsworth's Brigade being light
armed, only a part having carbines, had ex-
hausted their ammunition, and were nearly
useless as an offensive force. Clusters Bri-
gade all had carbines, mostly Spencer maya
zine repeaters.
The ground in our front had been we'll exam
ined by both Generals, mostly in company,
and was as well known to one rs the other.
Some time during the afternoon Gen. Kill
patrick said he was ordered there to fight. and
then his troops had been taken away from him !;
and he asked Gen. Farnsworth what he thought
Of charge. Farnsworth thought, from the ma
tnre of the ground and disparity of forces, a
charge would be injudcious. The discussion
was continued amicably and courteously at in
tervals for more than an hour. Gen. Fitzpatrick
did not claim it would result in any success,
only as being the only metho left to execute his
orders. Gen. Farnsworth said, L AIN willing to
make the charge, but you must order it, Some
time passed before Fitzpatrick said, There is
no other way. Farnsworth. order the charge
made" and to those who knew the General
it was plain to see the order was hard one to
give.
Farensworth galloped away, and never saw
him again. Raised at one jump from Captain
TO General, he had been with us less than a
week, but in that short time every man in his
brigade had come to love him; every man in
the division respected him. none more than
Gen. Fitzpatrick. The two men were not
strangers; they had fought together many times
before. Each knew the other to be as true as
steel. Fitzpatrick would soon have severed
his right hand as have insulted Farnsworth or
Custer, his brigade commanders He was
very courteous to all interiors in rank, unless
enraged at wilful neglect or disobedience, when
he sometimes became a tornado. The jealousy
Comrade Brown and Others speak of is all in
their own added brains. Why should he be
jealous? They could not displace him, while
he received the credit of their splendid fight
ing.
Comrades, there was no quarrel between
Gen. Fitzpatrick and Gen. Farnswortb July g.
and the latter died by the bullets of the enemy
ELI HOLDEN, First Lieutenant Co. G. 1st
Vt. Cav.