The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1913-07-05
SICKLES TELLS
HOW HEL0ST ONE
or HIS LEUS
Also Relates How He Disobeyed
Meade; Holds He Was
Justified

and trolleyed TO my camp TO-DAY nave
swept their hats of and hailed 1t as
"Sickles day." And SO I have always
regarded July 2.
It was on this day half century
ago that God gave me strength to
serve my country and my Maker bet
ter than I had ever been able to serve
them before.
1t was upon this day in '63 that I
lost my leg and did my little part,
by the mercy of God, to preserve the
union.
July 2, 1868, broke hot and clear.
Just as in the early hours today b
molten sun poured out of sky but
a trifle overloaded. lad retired
shortly after midnight the previous
evening and slept the quiet dream
less sleep that is generally attributed
to innocent babes.
Disobeys Meade's Order For
A Conference
Last night ! enjoyed just the same
kind of sleep. But that Is to be ex-
pected of a young fellow who at SO
Il still able to read without his glass
es, eh?
Many men who came today to
shake my hand told me they we're
too busy to do SO fifty years ago
that their whole hearts and minds
were wrspped up in the conflict to
come. knew that a conflict Of the
utmost Importance to our country wa
at hand. And something told me the
fight would begin about 3 o'clock. So
1t proved.
A few minutes before 3 o'clock
General Meade, in command, sent
word to me that he desired to see me
Immediately. I replied that / could
not come, as the enemy was about to
attack. Meade had never been in fav-
or Of giving battle at Gettysburg and
knew that he would order to leave
my position and move to Pipe Creek,
where he intended to battle. At this
time | held the advance line extend
ing from Devils Den to the peach or
chard. / had also forced our further
line on the Emmitsburg road, which
passes in front of the Rogers house
here.
He'll Broke All Along Line.
| had hardly given spurs to my
horse in response to my superior's
summons when the enemy's attack
opened, | Immediately sent word to
Meade that could not obey his COM
mands because I was actually being
attacked. In a few minutes hell had
broken loose along my line. My 10,
900 men were attacked with devilish
ferocity by two Of Longstreet's d.
visions and Anderson's division Of
Hills corps-2O,OOO men In all.
Let me call attention right here to
the fact that II | had not taken the
initiative our left would have been
lost. Longstreet said I won the bat
tie by my advance move. Sheridan
said SO and Grant Endorsed the for.
mers opinion.
The fight was the most desperate,
the most severe of my life. 1t was
far more intense than Chancellors.
Vile. My total losses were 1900 men
while the enemy's was approximately
1000 or 5000. The cannonading was
the heaviest l have ever heard. l
think nothing in the worlds history
could approach the second and third
days battle at Gettysburg.
And now l come to the description
OF the second days battle, in which
am more poignantly interested. /
refer to the loss Of my right leg. AS
| rcll hcc's Ire tablets OF my memory
every detail of the incidents sur
rounding that loss are present in my
mind. II occurred between and z
In the evening. Owing to the small
number of my men compared with
that of the enemy | knew that is was
only through force of personal lead
ership that | could hold them to-
gether, so / rode constantly up and
down on my horse, up and down my
line OF battle. | have been criticized
for this, but 1t was the only way I
could prevent my men from being
oyerpowered. And so paid no atten.
ton when they cried: "Sickles to
the rear! sickles to the rear!"
The loss OF limb or the loss OF a
life meant nothing to me then. Nor
has II since. | had but one thought
to win the battle.
At First Unconscious Of Shattered leo
II was after the victory had been
practically won that the pieces of
shrapnel that almost cost me my life
came along. At first | did not know
was hit. My Thoughts M saia