The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-12-25
sICKLEs At CHANCELLoRsVILLE
The Historian OF the Eleventh Corps Cor.
reetea ny Soldier or the Third Corps.

The Historian OF the Eleventh Corps Cor
reetes ny n Soldier or che Third Corps.
To THE EDITOR OF The sUN-Sir. Accord
ing to despatch from Bangor. Me. published
recently. Col. A. G. Hamlin. who read
paper before the Military Order of the Loyal
Legion at meeting held in that city on
the evening previous. seems to have been
manufacturing some heretofore unheard.
OF and. to old soldiers. incomprehensi-
BILE history OF tho battle OF Chancellorsville
1t ia certainly stunning to learn Mt this late
date that the charge OF tho gallant Major
Keenan, was a creation OF Gen. Fleasonton's
vanity and his grouping together OF the re-
firing batteries OF the Eleventh Corps with his
own horse artillery with such brilliant results
q Munchausen story: also that tho midnight
charge and rccapture of the abandoned Flew
enth Corps redoubts and caissons by Birney's
division OF the Third Corps was easily re-
pulsed by two North Carolina regiments.
or what value are all the official reports OF
the Union and Confederate commanders. so
carefully complied at great expense by the
War Department. II history can be made at
short notice tn suit the fancy Of any would-be
historian2 The reports OF Charlottesville
were written few days after the battle. when
all the circumstances pertaining thereto were
fresh and clear In the memory OF the partici
pants therein who penned them. and must
certainly DO more reliable history than such
recolectons az Col llnmlin has promulgated
now to condone the Eleventh Corps disaster
at the EXPENSE OF Cons. Sickles. Pleasonton.
Birney, and Berry.
The reconnaissance made by Gen. Sickles on
May 2 left no gap whatever In the Union line.
When. with his First and Third divisions. he
advanced to the " Furnace" the Second D-
vision. under the gallant Berry. was very for
hos nu r. al ION Mt ha
Chancellor House. aud to deny that Berry was
thrown forward at the critical moment on the
evening OF that day along the plank road. first
in tho hope OF checking the stampede from the
Eleventh Corps line (which was impossiblel.
and finally to meet tho advance OF the enemy.
Is a robbery from the fame Of that gallant son
OF Maine. and doubly cruel. issued as 1t now Is
bv soldier OF his own State and his own city.
nearly thirty years after Gen. Berry so grandly
1t Is on record in the reports that scarcely
arst crash Of battle vas heard There was no
preliminary skirmish to speak % before tho
ana tn.a Fod an
iammel with fueitivss, artillery: caissons. am
The troops Of slocum. French. and Hancock
were nstouished ut tho rout. but.undismnyed.
the good work itch Gems. Pieasonton and
Berry and the herolc sacrifice of poor keenan,
The writer knows that when Gen. Hooker so
proudly rode the line Of the army on the morn
ing Of that day he was anxious about the right
flank. but Gen. Howard. proud OF his corps.
was confident
There is no use now discussing who was at
fault; all know great disaster occurred. and
before dark. tool Of tho "a Of May. 1853. was
eliminated from the battle Of Chancell orsville.
Col. HRmliH says was repulsau by two North
Carolina reCments, would like to call to his
Fourth. and Seventeenth ii formed a part Of the
advance Wards 'rigadel and they must feel
proud OF his statement that any two reEi-
der any circumstances. repu!se hearny's old
division.
extent OF the disaster on his right and rear 1t
was nearly 8 o'clock ?. NJ. He at once, pre-
Quarters and nd With him to decide Was to act
Under fYperb yirginia moon; W Sr sup
Ths a
were ordered to be ,uncapred when APP
Tuion breastworks in the morning. aud
while both armies were bivouack ing quiet
OK so
OF the Third Army Corps alone were ma
nnTuvr5ing to reopen communication with
The writer has often thought that this mid
night charge proved Sickles.s capacity as a
iiatiIity. and ,composure in Any emergency
which demanded perfect confidence in him.
self. Hero WAS q crisis with which he had
been unexpectedly and suddenly confronted:
that he was equal to the occasion is proven by
Ward. by his advance. alarmed both armies
when he struck tho ene,my's pickets: For
twenty minutes at least the roar. OF artillery.
filled the midnight air, The plank road WAS
sons Corps, and Col. 4. G IIamlin. the Elev-
enth Corps historian. to the contrary notwith-
saHnding ana the First and Third III divisions
rades Of tho Second Division.
In the subsequent fighting. commencing at
DAYLIGHT on the morning OF SUNDAY. May 3.
ously present, as the, losses prove. 80 were
crossed tho Rappahannock. The losses Of the
hose
speak with more emphasis than thousands OF
written words
presumptuous historians to attack Gen. Sickles
and am not surprised that he has failed to
notice Col. Hamlins astounding, enmsion:
long since ths historian Of the Fin Army
Corps reiterated statements anent Gettysburg,
recognized as chestnuts which had received
tapers services and been buried under tons
quite sharply called to the statements he
lad made. and he crawed into his shell and
Gens ' berry and Brney S savs up their lives
during the war: Con. Pleasonton. an invalid.
is living upon bis retired pay as an officer 6 Of
@h Msxso sf aad the
record. n brilliant one. will endure forever.
Gen. slcklc was tho only volunteer soldier
xno M the q In te
quito early in the war. He has just been
elected member Of Congress to represent, the
nf ha hnG llst n Iva