The National tribune., 1908-04-23

Second. BY the panic D.,-uced by
| fhe enemy's reverse fire regiments and
artillery were thrown suddenly upon
those in position.
Third. The absence of Gen. Bar
lows Brigade, which / had previously
located in reserve, and in echelon with
Col. Won Gilsa's so as to cover his right
flank" 80.
Unjust to the Eleventh Corps.
1t was necessary consequence of
the disparaging attitude which the rest
| of the army maintained toward the
Eleventh Corps that the entire corps
| should be included in the bitter re
| proaches hurled upon it for it's STAN
peding. and thousands of disagreeabIe
stories were told of wild, cowardly flight
| OF which members of the corps were
guiltless. AS matter of fact, several
of the brigades had, by the wisdom Of
their officers, been kept under arms and
in readiness, and, as previously de-
scribed, made a fight worthy of the best
troops in the world, but their flanks
were turned and they were overwhefm-
| ed. Not all, even, of Devenss unluckv
division stampeded. In the rear of the
corps had been gathered a large por-
ton of the trains of several corps
Teamsters of ambulances and trains
have notoriously emotional natures II
is not their business 10 fight but to
drive mules. They are not provided
with arms, and their instinct tells them
to get away from the firing line as
quickly as possible. The wild terror
and precipftate scramble of which We
fhear so much was really of these team
sters. panic-stricken driver of six
mules can make as much commotion as
stampeding regiment, and these teams
had been gathering by hundreds in the
rear of the Eleventh Corps. Nine out
of 10, however, of the members of the
Army of the Potomac could be con-
vinced of nothing but that it was the
men of the Eleventh Corps who broke
thru their ranks in a wild-eyed, unre-
strainable scramble for safety.
SicISIes and the Third Corps
AS Gen. Lee heard the thunder of
Stonewall Jackson's guns away to the
westward he added to the distraction
and confusion of Hooker's men by a
noisy and snowy attack on Hooker's
left and center, formed by the Second
and Twelfth Corps. Hancock's Division
seemed to be the objective of the most
spirited attack, but this was not So
heavy nor so fierce but that Col. Nelson
A. Miles. with his brigade disposed as
a skirmish line. was able to hold it in
check. OF Col. Miles, who was tfer
severely and 1t was feared fatally
wounded, Gen. Hancock says in his re-
port:
"On May the enemy frequently
opened with artillery from the nights
toward Fredericksburg, and from those
on my right, and with infantry assault
ed my advanced line of rifle pits but
was always handsomely repulsed by the
troops on duty there, consisting of the
57th, Gath and Goth n. Y, and detach-
ments from the SD n. Y, I'd Del and
14sth Pa, under Col. n. A. Miles. Dur
ing the sharp contest of that day the
enemy were never able to reach myt
line of battle, so strongly and success |
fully did Col. Miles contest the ground"
Sickles, out on the Wexford Furnace
Road with 10000. was still bent on the |
pursuit of the enemy and imagining the |
rich captures to be made. He says:
Returning to the front, l found |
every indication that looked to a com
plete success as soon as my advance
could be supported. The resistance of
McLaws's Division had almost ceased |
and altho our scouts reported a consid-
erable force on the right and in front. !
1t was evident that in a few minutes |
five or six regiments would be cut off |
and fall into our hands. Regarding
the moment opportune for the advance
of Col. Pleasonton, with his cavalry
and horse battery, I was about to dis
ward, when it was reported to me that
the Eleventh Corps had yielded the |
right flank of the army to the enemy, |
who was advancing rapidly, and, indeed. |
was already in my rear. i confess 1
did not credit this statement until an |
of Gen. Warren, of Gen. |
Hooker's staff, confirmed the report,
and asked for regiment of cavalry to
check the movement"
AS matter of fact, there was but a !
small force in front of Sickles or to his |
left, but now Jackson was fearfuily
near his right flank. Hooker was with
Sickles at that time, and the old fight
ing soldier famed up in him once more
He put himself at the head of his old
now commanded by Gen.
Berry, and shouted to its leader, Throw
your men into the breach. Receive the
enemy on your bayonets. Don't fire g.