The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-12-01
ANOTHER GETTYSBURG.
4 Comrade Who Says the Sth y. y. Cav.
Opened the Great Battle.


HAVE read in THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE
{ at different times about the battle of Get
< tyeburg. telling of the different regiments
/ that were the first 10 open hoStilltlcs on
| the morning of July l, 1863. / agree with
! Conratlc Kelly, of the Sth III. Cav. in part
only, and if you will allow me space will re-
! flute any or all reports as to the commence
! neHt Of the battle OH the morning of July /.
Permit me to say. aud contradict Comrade
! Kelly rs 10 his statement that the oth Ill. Cav.
| was not the first regiment that entered Gettys-
I hnrg. OF the Union forces, aud that this honor
! belongs to MY brigade, OF which the Sth ILL.,.
! Cav. was one Of the regiments. And also permit
ME to say right here, no better lighting men
ever straddled q saddle than the Sth H. Cav.
! Bat on entering Gettysburg the S.h y. \. Cav.
! Jthe regi ment to which | belongedl had the
post Of hoAor-the right oil Gen. BulOrd's Di.
vision-on the afternoon Of June 30, 1863.
/ And. further. there was detail of men made
from our regiment. aiGi one Of those detailed
IS now living here in my native city, who
charged in advance of Gen. Buf0rd, closely
! followed by tie balance Of my regiment.
Well do I remember that time; the hearty
welcome Gettysbuge's citizens gave US as we
! were on their streets trCn men, women and
children, all eager to cheer us on; and, mark
you. as we went in the cray devils went out,
and a few shots were exchanged.
In C0mraGe Kelly communication he says:
ABOUT 4t.JD q. III. inG bIsl auN3DCe Ol the IN
fantry reached the rise Of ground in front of
the Seminary. near the woods. at the left of the
pike" This Is correct; but be further says:
- Let 10 one say they opened the battle from
any other point, for no rebels came to Gettys-
burg on any other road until near 1890 a. M
This must be disputed. At the time the Sth
\. !. Cav. entered Gettysburg orr line was
taken mp about one mile to the front and left OF
the town, aud extended across the Fairfield
md Tts.@E igftn ri. nj nj Inf
the time. The rebels made their advance on
the morning Of jGiy l. 1863. Gen. Archer,
with his command. appeared at the gray dawn
. OF morn between tie Fairfield road and the
Seminary building about j o'clock. II was as
clear aud rs still rs a ehurch al Il benedictiOn,
when my caTbine spoke lis warning of the adj
vance Of Gen. ATchcrs command. There were
i men. who had been detailed from Co. c Of
nly regiment, who had secuted the road TO
Fairfield, and had made their return on y 4 few
moments in advance of The rebels. and had
gone IN o our reserve TO make their report OF
the situation. when the clear and distinct re-
ports Of cur carbines told OF the dawn of day,
the rise of the curtain. The play was on.
This was not later than o'clock of the
morning OF July J. We rallied our pickets to
the skirmish-line steadily but slowly were we
pressed back step BY step, maintaining good
position for our infantry when they did come
up and must confess were sorely in need
of their help; and for six long hours was this
play on. Sill. We kept our seats. with the ex-
cePtiOn OF those who were obliged to drop cut
Courade Kelly was right in regard to the
Wisconsin Brigade. They may have passed
The Seminary in the gully. The Seminary was
away to our right: but tie rebel brigade that
the Wisconsin Brigade captured. or helped to
capture, for / maintain that our battery my
regiment was supporting at the time) was play
ing on Gen. Archer at the time stated, and |
NJ Ia Inv hot fl.a,n in,
support Of our brigade battery, which, by the
way, had not its equal in the Army of the T'o-
tomac-the 2d L. & battery, Flying Light
1t was squarely in front of the rebels. and
the rebels made their las: charge on this bat
terry.
When the Wisconsin Brigade made their az
pearance In the rebels rear, about 1880 q. H.
already We had received orders TO make a
charge on their advancing line and 10 save cur
battery at all hazards When from the rear of
this battery we raised The brow OF the hill, and
the rebels fierceness and determination could
plainly be seen by us n their faces; they were
so near our boys. Ii was certain death TO Us if
we made that charge, for our squadron con-
sisted Of only two companies-B and F-of the
Stn n. Y. Cav.
But the sudden appearance OF the Iron Bril-
gade, Of Wisconsin, sneaking up that ravine
dispelled all fear; only it seemed at the time
that they might have hurried little faster
Tor On came Inc rebels, receiving the deadly
shot of grape ard canister from orr guns in
front aud checking their advance; but not so
with the blue coats over the hilltop in their
rear. With Yankee yell and charge the game
was bagged, all done by the batteries in front
and the 9Th y. 7. Cav and the Wisconsin
Brigade in the rebels rear. And not only this
it was a part of the Sth \. Y. Cav. that escorted
the rebels TO the rear.
In closing, will say / served with Co. T. Sth
\. Y. Cav, from the time of muster-in at
Rochester, n. Y. on the 2lst of September,
1861, TO the 18th Of July, 1865: was also pris-
oner the last 10 months OF the war.-FRANK L.
WILLETT Flint, Mich.