The National tribune., 1903-06-25

Since ISbl. ana, certainty. Il IlltU Df'u-
patton does not affect his fighting qualities.
VIII Mr.. Skaggs please explain: II the
81 n. j. was in the rear, and Forrest
charged it through narrow passage,
| what was the I'd Iowa Battery doing
| there. between the cavalry column and the
enemy, and if ne was far ahead with the
pack train, looking for n horse, how did
he know what was going on in the rear,
three miles away; and what was the I'd
Iowa doing at the head of the column,
their battery being in the rear?-L. II.
BARNARD, Commanding Co. G, I'd N. ].
Cav, Newark, \. ].
GREENE'S BRIGADE AT GETTYSBURG.
New York Regiments Calamity Held Culp's
Hill.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: The Third
Brigade, Second Division, Twelfth Corps,
commanded by Gen. George s. Greene. was
composed OF the following regiments: Goth,
18th, 102d, 13Tth and 10th n. Y; com
manded respectively by Col. Abel GODDARD,
Lieut.-COl. Herbert Hammerstein, Col.
James G.. Lane. Col. David Ireland and
Col Henry A. Barnum-
Gen. Greene was born at Warwick, r.
l., May 6, 1901; graduated from West
Point in 1923. and became Colonel of the
DVlu ~. Jal. 10, IOD-, WI lie WIS vi
years old. He had not been long at the
front when he was commissioned Brig
adier-General.
! While Greene's New York Brigade won
laurels on many battlefelds, it is best
known for its heroic stand on Culp's Hill,
at Gettysburg.
On the night of June 80. 1863. the
Twelfth Corps, Maj.-Gen. II. w. Slocum
commanding, encamped about one mile
from Littlestown, on the road leading to
Hanover, Pa. On the following morning
we marched to Two Taverns, where we
halted, Gen. Socum awaiting orders from
Gen. Meade. Learning that battle was
Ibeing fought at Gettysburg, Buford's cav
airy and the Eleventh Corps then being en-,
gagged, Gen. Slocum promptly led his corps
to the scene of the conflict. Geary'S Divi
sion, Of which Greene's Brigade was q
part, having been hurried forward in ad
vance, halted north of Little Round Top
About midnight the corps took position on
ICulp's Hill, the i:ght of the army. The re-
mainder of the night and some time after
daybreak was spent in constructing defen'
lsive works, making our position as secure
as possible. A heavy corps confronted us
I-Ewelrs veterans.
About p. H., July 2, Longstreet made
n determined attack upon the left, held by
the Third Corps. under Gen. Sickles. Gen
MEADE ordered the entire Twelfth Corps tc
the assistance of Sickles. who was fight
ing desperately TO maintain his line, which
Longstreet in his characteristic manner
was assaulting yiciOusly.
Il Gen. Slocum reported to Gen. Meade
that E~ell's strong corps was in his from
and urged that at least one of his divisions
should be left to hold Cups Hill. Gen
Meade disallowed Slocum's request to re
tain division, but permitted him to assigr
a brigade TO hold the position. For this i'm
portant work Gen. Slocum selected
Greene's Brigade, and subsequent events
demonstrated that he was sagacious il
making the selection. The brigade now
confronted nearly one-third of Lees army
While Gen. Greene was extending thir
line to cover as much of the front as pos
sible, he was vigorously attacked by Gen
Edward Johnson's strong division of Ew
ellis Corps. The main assault was made
upon the 18th N. Y, that was endeavor
ing to hold the position from which Viii
liams's Division had heen withdrawn to re
ipforce Sickles. Col. Ireland an officer @
commanding appearance, sword in hand
bore himself Gallantly, encOurag ging hi
brave men by his own heroic example
Battling against fearful odds, the regi
ment held oycrpowering numbers ut bay
successfully resisting repeated assaults un
til late in the day, when they relinquishet
a part of their works to the Confederate
brigade commanded by Gen. Geo. II. Steu
art. While the 18th n. Y. was being 81
overwhelmingly and resoutely attacked
the other regiments were scarcely less des
, perately engaged. The Goth n. Y, ami
/ mated by their. own courage and patriot
ism and the brave bearing Of Col. GODDARD
stood their ground determined to di'
rather than retreat. Their ammunition
failing. Col. GODDARD grimly ordered then
TO fix bayonets and stand ready to repel am
attack until they should receive anothe
supply.
!. During the night preparations were mad
to recover that part of our line that hat
been occupied by the enemy. Williams:
Division returned. Gen. Sha!er's Brigade
from the Sixth Corps. and troops from the
First and Eleventh Corps were ordered Il
support Greene's Brigade. Ewell strong
ly reinforced Johnson, and at Il. m. active
. hostilities were resumed. Johnson chargeC
Repeatedly, his object being to roll bach
our line that he might gain the Baltimore
pike and operate in our rear. For sever
hours there was desperate battle on Culp':
Hill. Greene's Brigade, with ranks sadly
depleted, stood shoulder to shoulder witt
comrades of other organizations through
out that sultry forenoon, July 3, and at
. p. IN. had the satisfaction Of seeing the last
Confederate driven from the hill, insurins
, the safety of the right and rear of the
army. The loss of Culp's Hill would have
couraged his troops, while correspondingly
it would have encouraged Gen. Lee ant
elated his army. If Greene's Brigade ha6
been driven from the hill. Ewell woult
have had clear road to the rear, where
were parked our wagon trains and all the
reserve artillery that subsequently crown
ed Cemetery Ridge and effectively aided il
repelling Pickett's charge.
Gen. Geo. s. Greene and his New Yorl
. regiments will ever be mentioned by the
historian in connection with Culp's Hill
can see the gray-haired warrior now
fearlessly standing on the firing line, hi.
, white locks swept by the fire of musketry
To his "New Yorkers" he was affection
ately known as The Old Genera" ID. l.
HAGADoM, Lockwood, n. y.
Identified Booths Body.
!, Jos. e. Whitney, 50 Piquette avenue
!. Detroit, Mich, writes that he was with
lJoseph Booth when he went to Baltimore