The Minneapolis journal., 1903-12-02

my report OF the sDaIIi64 OF 5GeLLySDurS.
E'roceeding along the line met q regi-
ment of sthe enemy, the head Of whose
column was about to pass thru an unpro-
tected interval in our lines. A fringe Of
undergrowth in front Of the line afforded
facilities for it to approach very close to
our lines without being observed. 1t was
advancing firing, and had already twice
wounded my aid, Captain Miller The
First Minnesota regiment coming UP at
this moment charged the rebel regiment
in handsome style, capturing its colors
and driving it back in disorder. cannot
speak too highly Of this regiment and it's
commander, In It's attack, as we'll as the
subsequent advance against the enemy, in
which it lost three-fourths of the officers
| and men engaged.
This regiment was led by Lieutenant
Colonel Adams, of the First Minnesota, to
Whom gave the order in person to at
tack the enemy. was SO struck by the
service performed by this regiment, and
| the bearing of it's commander, that I an
nounced at that time that I would recon-
mend this officer for the command of a
i brigade. He is erninently worthy of pro-
motion, and I trust he may receive 1t.
II am, sir, very respectfully. your obedi-
| ent servant, w. S. Hancock,
Major General Commanding Left Center"
This was forwarded, approved, with the
| following:
.Headquarters Army of the Potomac,
Il
proved.
.sThe particular attention Of the adju-
4 tant general United States army is direct.
! ed to the unusually high testimonials in
/ favor of this officer. Very respectfully,
your obedient servant,
| C w Meade,
4 Commanding Army of the Potomac
The foregoing are from the records Of
the war department, and disclose the
i facts. a complete copy Of this record is
/ in my possession.
/ At the battle of Gettysburg, Major Cen
erai Hancock was wounded and after the
/ battle, went into a hospital. When he
i made his official report of the battle of
i Gettysburg he did not know the name of
i the officer to whom he had given the
command for the 'O1d First to charge.
/ Before the return Of Lieutenant Colonel
Adams to his regiment, and his recovery
:! from the wounds received at Gettysburg,
q others had gone to Major General Han
cock claiming that they were the ones to
4 whom he had given the orders for the
. First Minnesota to charge, but to each
Major General Hancock said, "You are not
| the one; I will know him when see him. y
Upon Lieutenant Colonel Adams rejoining
his regiment, and when seen by Hancock
for the first time after the battle of Get
tysburg. Major General Hancock went uE
to Lieutenant Colonel Adams, placed his
) hands on that officers shoulders, and said
sThis is the officer to whom I gave the
command for the First Minnesota regi-
ment to charge at the battle of Gettys.
: burg"
When the petition above referred to wa:
! presented to Major General Hancock, he
, had learned the identity of the officer tt
whom he had given, the command tt
charge, and then supplemented his officia
; report Of the battle of Gettysburg, by thu
:. statement in that letter as to Lieutenan
. Colonel Adams being the officer who let
, the First Minnesota regiment at Gettys
burg and recommended him for promo
tion.
In due time President Lincoln appointed
Lieutenant Colonel Adams a brevet briga
: liier general, and the same was duly ap
r proved by the senate of the United States
d His commission, now in my possession, re
s cites upon its face that it was given fo
II meritorious services, and upon recon
mendation of Major General Hancock.
Before his death, General Adams pre-
pared a history of his military service Q
: five years. five months and seventeen days
e but I never obtained possession thereof
T. and could not give the same to the pub
e lie, as I promised him would do after hi
n death.
II General Adams, it is said received NOR
II wounds than any other officer of his ran
h in the war Of the rebellion, living or deat
le having been shot twelve times and rur
o Etured by a piece Of shell
Il Twas General Adams who first cor
IS celVed and successfully carried out d VII
r. ter campaign against the hostile Indian
x-1 and in 1866 made two winter campaign
against the. hostile Sioux Indians. In tt
i first one he and his command drove oye
VS. a thousand Indians across the borders mi
les8 Canada and in the second captured i
,e fCut-Head Sioux and ended the Sioux ou
m break of 1862.
,n No man bears a warmer friendship (
T more sincere regard for Colonel Colvll
is than T. and I would not detract one lo'
a from the credit that is due him for n
nei splendid services as a soldier, and In gl'
ing this statement to the public, it is wit
no thought or desire to injure him. b1
that it, as The J Journal suggests,
ce. statue be placed under the dome OF II
new capitol, it be that of these two OF
II. GERS, side by side, as they fought IN tn
II n s great battle, and which has made that ga
- lant old regiment so justly famous
. w. H. Adams.
M
an ---------------
in Industrial War. and Woman Suffrage.