Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1904-02-13
Just Before oettysburq.

Just Before Gettysburg.
Writing to the Philadelphia Ledger,
George R. Prowell of York, Pa, gives
the following recollections:
An article which appeared in the
Public Ledger, and signed by H. c.
Potter at the cavalry engagement at
Hanover, Pa, June so, 1868, deserves
attention. The facts which governed
the legislative committee of appropri-
ations concerning this battle are
found in volume 81, parts l and II,
War of Rebellion series, published by
the government. These volumes con-
tain the official reports of the battle,
sent to their superior commanders by
Maj. Gen. Fitzpatrick, on the Union
side, and Maj. Gen. J. E. B. Stuart,
on the Confederate side. These Oh
cia1 reports and those of Gems. Gus
ter and Richmond, each of whom COM
manded brigade on the Union side,
and Gems. Chambliss and Fitzhugh
Lee. on the Confederate side, are the
evidences of what took place in Han
over, June 80, 1863, the day before the
battle of Gettysburg opened.
The Union loss, according to these
reports, was ten killed, siXty-two
wounded and about 100 captured. Gen.
fitzpatrick states in his report that
he had 1000 men under his command
of two brigades, each having one bat
terry. Brig. Gen. Pennington, now of
the regular army, commanded the bat
terry belonging to Clusters brigade of
Michigan cavalry. Farnsworth's
brigade, afterward commanded by
Richmond, had also a battery of six
guns, in charge of Capt. Elder. Ac-
10 re civ of
these guns were planted on the
heights, 200 yards north of Hanover,
and played on the Confederate bat
teries, south of the town for two
hours. Gen. Stuart does not give an
official statement of his loss in this
battle, but Gen. Payne, now residing
in Virginia, told me a year ago that
their loss in killed and wounded was
not less than 100 officers and men,
Adjt. Gall of the Fifth New York
cavalry was among the killed Gen.
Payne, mentioned above, then COM
manded the Second North Carolina
regiment, known as the BLACK Horse
cavalry"
According to his own statement, he
was captured while leading a second
charge into the town against Farms
worth's brigade. He was taken as
prisoner of war to the headquarters
of Gems. Fitzpatrick and Custer, in a
hotel n Center Square, Hanover. After
the enemy made the first charge into
the town they held it for one hour.
and were driven out by the commands
under Farnsworth and Custer. When
the fight opened, Fitzpatrick, COM
mander of the Union forces, was at
the head of his division, six miles
northeast of Hanover, at Abbotts-
town. When he heard the roar of
the guns, he ordered the whole line,
six miles in length, to countermarch
to the scene of the action He, him
self, rode across the fields, his horse
jumping the fences, until he arrived
at the edge of the town. These are
facts stated by the general himself in
an address delivered to the citizens
of Hanover shortly before his death.
Gen. Stuart commanded the entire
cavalry corps of the Army of North
ern Virginia, under Gen. Robert E.
Lee. Two-thirds of this force was at
Hanover on June 80, 1868. according
to his own statement, written a few
weeks later. The fighting on the part
of the Confederates was done by Gen.
Chambliss' brigade and the brigade
commanded by Fitzhugh Lee. Gen.
rear of Stuart's forces at the time of
| the battle of Hanover, was guarding
q train of 100 baggage wagons. which
had been captured a short distance
northwest of Washington a few days
before. He did not participate in the
| engagement at Hanover, but arrived
| just after it had ended. Capt Cable.
| now living in Virginia, was then an
| aide on Gen. Stuart's staff. He states
| that he was seriously wounded by a
| saber cut over the left shoulder, while
| leading a charge when the battle be-
| gan. At the same instant several Con-
| federates were killed. They were
| buried near the spot where they fell,
| but their remains, in 1866. were re-
moved by their friends to their for
| mer homes in the South.
| At this time, June 80, 1863, Gen.
| Stuart was cut loose from communi-
cation with the Army of Northern
| Virginia, under Gen. Lee. In order
| to protect his wagon train and his
| mounted men, he made a tour through
| Jefferson and New Salem. When he
| arrived within sight of York he heard
| that Cen Ear1y's division, with 5000
men of Ewell's corps. had fallen back
from York toward Shippensburg- He
proceeded northward with his three
brigades to Dover, seven miles north
| west of York Here, on July 1, the
| day the battle of Gettysburg began, he