The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-07-02

George {. Greene's brigade. Had il no.
been too dark for Esell % see his advan-
tzge and pursued {, the Union army would
have lost Gettysburg that day, first
through the frighffnl blunder Of Sickles in
completely uucovsring Little Round Top
on our left, and second. the blunder OF
Meade IN leaving Cups Hill unoccGpied
on our right, save BY 3 single brigade
which remained in position without orders
When the council Of war met 81 Aeade's
tent on the night OF July ,. Meade vas de-
moralized: be had in two days fighting
lost nearly 20.oo0 men and he wished 20
retreat Hancock would listen 10 no such
proposition. and the council Of war voted
sith Hancock against Meade Meade dis
missed the council. saying aEgriiy. VERY
pesl, gentlemen, have it your own way,
but Gettysburg Is no place to fight
battle" This Is the testimony OF Gen.
Siocum, who attended the council and
voted with Hancock 10 stay and fight
At dawn the situation of our right was
revealed aud slocum promptly drove
Ewell out of his lines. so that the battle OF
the Sd of July opened with the lines re-
established as Hancock had originally
traced them on the evening OF July l. The
blunder of Sickles and the sins OF ofnis-
sion and commission on the part of Meade
had lost US the advantage of these lines
and 1t cost Us 10000 men. killed and
wounded en- July 2. to restore them.
Nevertheless. the fate of the battle OF
Gettysburg was decided on the ID of July.
not on the 80, the day of the repnlse OF
Pickett's charge. On the morning of July
Longstreet urged Lee not to attack. say
ing: at cost me nearly 5000 men to get
into Meade's lines yesterday, but could
not stay there, for having the short line
he can get there first with the most men
and fire me out. and his lines are re-estab-
lished and stronger today than yesterday"
Lee persisted; Pickett charged at the head
of from 1890 TO IL. 600 men and was ter
ubly repulsed. while we lost but about
5000 against the 10000 we lost the I'd of
July. Gen. Hancock remained mounted
during all the advance and repulse OF
Pickett's column, was finally badly
wounded, and from his stretcher wrote
Meade note, urging him to instantly
follow up Pickett's repulse by counter
attack. but Meade had not the moral cour-
age to do it. Gen. Haupt, q graduate of
Meade's class at West Point. confirms this
view OF his character. which he again dis
played by letting Lee escape across the
Potomac. Gen. Haupt says:
Certain ii is that the predictions in re-
gard TO the escape of Lee were verified:
he was not disturbed for ten days; he
crossed the Potomac July a. 1863, and the
war, which, in my opinion. might have
been then substantially ended, was pro-
longed for two years with immense sacri-
ice of blood and treasure"
Hancock was the real hero of Gettys-
burg; without him it never would have
been fought; without him il certainly
could never have been won. On the field
of Gettysburg q magnificent monument
should be erected TO the memory of Win
field 8. Hancock, to whom justly belongs
the credit of selecting the position, trac-
ing out the lines on which il was fought,
and really fighting the battle until he was
struck from his horse by q bullet in the
moment of victory which he had won.
but whose results Meade threw away from
constitutional lack of moral courage.