New-York tribune., 1907-06-08
HOWARD ON SCHURZ. !
OVERSENSITITE. HE SAYS.
Difference of Memory OUer Defeat
at Charlottesville.

Sensitiveness as to what the newspapers had
: to say in disparagement Of his fellow soldiers
who were, like himself, natives of the Father
land, and much thinking over what might have
peen the result at the battle of ChancellorsviI!a
mad all the federal officers engaged in that con-
test been able to forecast the movements Of
Generals Robert f. Lee and Stonewau jackson
are said to he the cause Of the structures by the
late Carl Schurz in the current number of Nc
| cures Magazine" on the chief target General
Oliver Otis Howard
So far as the manner in which the federal
troops were disposed at Charlottesville. General
Howard made it plain in an interview yester-
day that he regards his opinion as a soldier as
quite as good as that of Mr.. Schurz. 1t was
ms hot Indignation at the slurs that were cast
upon the Eleventh Corps in the battle Of Chan
ceHorsYille that led Mr.. Schurz to give a long
explanation Of that contest and to make de-
fence Of it in his autobiography
General Howard loath to discuss Mr.
Schurz's story at all. He said he had ALWAYS
regarded the dead pubcist as friend The
mere fact that the man who in his writings had
cast aspersions upon his General Howard's) con-
duct and motives was dead was enough to check
reply. General Howard said that he had not
read the article in "McClure's." but had heard
OF II from various sources. For the present, he
said. he was inclined to let his record stand and
10 allow his countrymen to judge between Mr..
Schurz and himself to his conduct at Chan
CelorsviIle
General Howard was particularly perturbed at
"hat he regarded as the insinuations in the
ticle that he had but little use for the Germans
as people and held but a poor opinion of the
conduct or the German soIdiery at Chancellors-
Vile. He said his own son had married Ger
man and declared that Mr.. SChurz's statements
that he was persona non grata to the officers
and men Of the Eleventh Corps composed
largely Of German regiments, was news to him.
Far from rejecting on their conduct at Chancel-
lorsville. he said he had done everything TO
maintain their good reputation and par
ucuIar 10 state that they had done glorious SER
vice under him after that battle at Gettysburg
ana IN the Lookout Valley.
Mr Schurz in his autobiography makes It
p!aln that he did not entertain a high regard
for General Howards intellectual equipment
ms possession OF initiative and other qualities
that are Indispensable to the efficient COM
mande-. On this point General Howard said it
would be improper for him TO contradict Mr..
Schurz. particularly as Mr. Schurz himself could
not enter q rebuttal All he would say was that
in his hfty-seyen years of ecrvice for his coun-
tI% he had never gone backward in the ranks
Inc trouble with General SchurZ,' said Cen
eral Howard was that he was constitutionally
and temperamentally a pessmist. and disposed
to settle everybody else's business / do not
say that he neglected his own. but at Chan
cellorsvlle l know he was worried too much
about what President Lincoln was doing or
going 70 do what General Hooker was doing
going TO do Then there was his writing
He was very often, to say the truth. it,
! cannot say that he was not good soldier for
he did good service with the Eleventh Corps
under me at Gettysburg. But he not good
al soldering, not in the same degree that I
should say Won StciuwchT. Ostcrhaus and
Schimmefenning were and they were all GER
mans and good friends Of mine 70 the last. SO
FAR as know"
In reply TO tho assertion Of Mr.. Schurz that
General Howard had represented that no had
never received from General Hooker dispatch
suggesting better and moro tenahlc disposition
Of the troops before Jackson made his attack
although Mr.. Schurz present when he
Ccived &c and urged him 10 follow out the sug-
Restcns contained in II. General Howard had
this 10 say:
Il think Mr.. Schurz is entirely mistaken with
regard 10 my receiving the dispatch and his
urging mo fruitlessly to act on f. ! think judg-
ing from my own knowledge Of my life. that
such an incident would have left a strong i'm
preston on mo. 1t has not done so. I think Mr.
SchurZ settlements may be due TO subsequent
recollection and thinking over tho events Of his
life and OF what might have been.
The whole blame for our defeat is 10 be borne
by 'Stonewall Jackson, but had Won GHsa's
regiments Of DeVense division which was poet-
ed at the extreme right of the line, held for
twenty minutes more. the history books would
have a different issue of the battle to record"
General Howard said he never stood in the
way or an inquiry into the conduct Of the 18th
Corps at ChancellOrsvilIe but didn't think It's
conduct required an apology an investigation
Mr.. SchurZ is evidently angry because I did
not make confession consisting OF his own ac-
cusations generated forty-fve years or more
after the battle took place. 1 can say confidently
and positively that I did not neglect any duty
whatsoever the field OF Chanceuorsville"