The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-04-29

mont monument, there is an official
battlefield tablet inscribed as fol.
lows:
Battery G, 9Th U. S. Artillery,
It. Julien V. Weir c'm'd'g
July 2, three of the guns were cap
tured by the Confederates, drawn off
to the Emmetsburg road, but were re-
captured by the 18th Vermont and
another regiment"
AS our five companies got four
guns, and as the location of Weirs
battery seemed further southeast than
the guns that we obtained | looked
for other tablets the last time | was
there and on Meade avenue. which
runs at right angles with Hancock
avenue, east Of the high water mark"
] found one with this inscription
Army Of the Potomac.
Artillery Reserve,
First Regular Brigade,
Batteries F & X, Third U. s. Artillery
Six 12-pounders,
Lieut. John g. Turnbull commanding
July ?, moved TO position on the
right of a log house on the Emmets-
burg road, on the line held by Briga-
der General a. A. Humphreys Sec
ond Division Third Corps, and became
Immediately engaged. but was com
PEELED to retire with the loss of 45
horses killed and 4 guns captured,
which were soon afterwards recaptur-
ed.
found government tablet to
Turnbull's battery Oh the Emmetts-
burg road tits position when engag-
ed about ten rods south of the
Rogers house There is a remodeed
log house little to the south OF this.
The inscription on this tablet is like
that on the Meade avenue tablet. The
position and the line of movement
tally with my recollection of the
ground over which we charged and |
am strongly persuaded that it was
Turnbull's and not Weir's guns which
were recaptured by the Thirteenth
Vermont General Hancock knew Of
this movement but in reading the
claim of the Confederate commanders
that they captured some guns "on
the ridge" where his corps was, it is
natural that he should wonder whose
guns they were
Finally, ! think it must be highly
gratifying to all fair minded readers
that General Hancock has at last put
at rest the sensational story that he
and Howard quarreled on Cemetery
Hill in face Of the approaching enemy
Doubleday's account reads Meade
was under the impression that the
First Corps had fled without fighting
and Hancock had orders to rally
them" Opposite this Hancock wrote
MOI Then in the next paragraph
Doubleday wrote;
Howard refused to submit to
Hancock's assumption OF authority
and quite a scene occurred. He said,
Why Hancock. you cannot give any
orders here! am in command and
rank you!' Hancock replied that he
was sent by order Of General Meade.
but Howard said he should refuse TO
acknowledge his authority Hancock
then said he would go back to head.
quarters and report, but Howard ask
ed him to remain and help him organ
| ize the troops. Hancock then rode
over to me, perhaps little doubtful
whether / would join Howard in not
recognizing his right TO command
Hancock has drawn line from
top to bottom on the right of the
above and written in the margin:
This is all wrong General How
ard made no objection whatever. No
scene occurred"
Here it becomes of interest to see
General Towards report of the same
event. In volume one of his autobi-
ography published in 1907 page AIS
is this paragraph
When the men We're reaching their
new position on the heights, and at
tho time of the greatest confusion be-
( tween 4 and p. M, General Hancock
I joined me near the Baltimore pike
| (Which runs over the hil,) he said
that General Meade had sent him to
represent him on the field. answer.
ed as the bullets, rent the air, All
right Hancock Won take the left Of
( the Baltimore pike and J viii take the
/ ri INT and We viii put these troops in
line After a few friendly words be
/ tween us, Hancock did as suggested
/ lie also took Wadsworths division to
/ Culp's Hill and we worked together
in prompt preparation until shutdown
/ when after Slocum's arrival at that
time Hancock returned to meet Cen
/ eral Meade"
Thus, after many years of conflict
ing reports, we have in a few words
from each of these great commanders
a substantial agreement as to what
took place and it is highly creditable,
If there was any question of com
mand they did not press it when the
enemy was rushing to capture the po-
sition and only mistaken friends have
pressed it. since. Hancock's equestri-
an statue stands there, but would
it not more appropriately stand
where he was wounded, in a equally
open and almost as conspicuous place
on the firing line of STANDARDS brig
ade and one stretch of ground which
his corps had held for two days and
where the final and decisive repulse
of the enemy took place? No one
I 10 4n Lf. hut Lrrr ,41a