The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-01-12
AT GETTYSBURG.
Comrade Hinkley Again AIludes to the Con-
troversy Between the eth Ind and the I'd

Comrade HinEley Again Aiiudes To the Con-
troversy Between the 27th Ind. and the I'd
Mass.
Believing that the aim Of every man who
writes for THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE should be
to write facts from which history can be made.
and not romances from his imagination, and
supposng that that was Comrade RaBkins
idea Also endeavored to correct an error into
which he had fallen, and not to have personal
controversy with him. / stated in the first
communication that was near the edge OF the
meadow, little to the left of the I'd Mass,
when they started to charge across the meadow,
and in the second communication that the
Sd Wis was less than 30 yards in rear of
the line OF the Cd Mass. Both statements
are absolutely correct The regiment had
a strong skirmish-line the edge of the
meadow, and / was with it and had been
all the morning The enemy were not in
strong force directly across from us, but
our fire was mostly obliquely to the right. 1t
was on this skirmish-line that Lieut.. Wood
ford, of Co. Z, and Serg't Du Bots, of my COM
pany, and several others were wounded. My
men were pretty we'll sheltered by the rocks,
and / had feldgass with which was able
to see the places where the rebels were
sheltered, and could direct our fire. l was in
this position when the ed Mass. entered the
meadow, and. as / have said before, the 9th
Ind. was SO near with them that the movement
seemed simultaneous.
The Cd Mass moved straight forward, but
their direction was Such that when they
reached the other side they were directly in
our 'front.' and when they were ordered back
they came back to our left.
At the same time, while this was going on,
Col. Hawley moved the Sd Wis. up to the Skin
mish- line at the edge of the meadow. Imme-
diately after the Cd Mass. came back Capt. Ste
venson, Of Co. b, aud two three other COM
81 ln(N IF q Il.
nearly the route marked by Comrade Rankin
in his sketch. published Dec 20. as the route Of
the % Mass, deployed his skirmishers, and
entered the woods the Spanger Spring
There was little firing, but the rebels were
| then leaving. under the pressure that Gcary
and others were bringing up on the other side,
and in few minutes Stevenson came to the
| edge of the meadow opposite where l was, and
| beckoned for us to come over.
The foregoing is my contribution to history.
| | have lately procured copy of all address by
Lieut-C Col. Morse, of the I'd Mass, at Re-
union in Boston in 1878. He says this: with
| out a moments hesitation, and with a cheer
our men sprang over the low breastwork, and
| at a rapid doublc-quick rushed down the de-
| clivity to the edge OF the meadow, where Co. e
| (the skirmishers) joined in the ranks. l
doubt If any one of the survivors of that day
| can clearly describe the crossing of that meadow.
| / know the movement was made very rapidly,
| and that the fire was murderous. | also re-
| member noticing how onr ranks were Trimmed
as wo advanced, but the first thing which is
clear to my memory is the position we found
| ourselves in after the meadow was crossed. y
From my position near the left could see
that the I'd Mass. was alone, the 9Th Ind. hav-
| ing broken when about half way across the
! meadow moment afterwards
| looked back over the meadow and saw a thin
rebel line deploying in our rear. This line was
& Lao, Of L,,.t do
| blank range, but our friends could not fire with
| ont equal danger TO US.
| "Our movement to the rear was not direct
| retracing OF our steps, as we obliqued to the
right. This movement carried us to detached
piece of stone wall, about half way across the
meadow, which lay in line parallel to the line
we had advanced from, but considerably to the
| left of it,"
In conclusion let me say that everyone in the
brigade. who was there, knows that the 9th
was confronted by strong line of battle be-
| hind works, which we had built ourselves the
day before, and that every step they advanced
the fire became more deadly. When the I'd
| advanced they encountered the same fire at the
start, but when they reached the opposite side
they were somewhat sheltered by some rocks,
and completely so from the rebels ON the oppo
site side of Rock Creek. ! feel very sure that
any other regiment in the army in the same
position that the 9th Ind. was in would have
done just as they did, worse. But facts are
facts, and there is no occasion To misrepresent
tho position of another regiment.-J. w. HINK.
LEY, West Superior, Wis.