I presume you have
read Meade's Report of the battle of Gettysburg. I can imagine the feeling that
its perusal has caused you. I have not met a sensible man who has read it,
either soldier or civilian, who has not felt disappointed on reading it. It
purports to be the official history of the most important contest of modern
times a contest in which our troops fought with a valor and determination never
before exhibited and the only evidence in the entire report which tends to
prove this heroism is contained in the closing sentence, "our losses were
very severe, amounting to 23,186." Your disappointment must have been
greater from the fact that the true history of the operations on the right had
already been made known to you by me, and Meade's report is a plain
contradiction of almost every statement I have ever written to you. It is in
direct conflict with my official report, and the reports of all my subordinate
commanders. My first impulse on reading his report was to ask for a court of
inquiry. I was prompted to this course not so much from personal consideration,
as from a desire to have justice done to General Williams and his division.
Although Meade
professed the warmest friendship for me, and the utmost confidence in me, not
only during the entire battle, but at all times subsequent to it while I
remained in his army, yet in his report he utterly ignores me. That he did
repose this confidence in me, and that he placed the right wing entirely under
my control, I have abundant written evidence now in my possession. In proof of
this I enclose a copy of an order sent me during the battle, showing that he
had sent part of Sedgwick's corps to me, and that without visiting me or my
portion of the line, he wished me to place it in a central position where he
could use it as soon as I could I also enclose a copy it. spare of an order
received at ten-twenty A. M., on July second, directing me to move from the
strong position we then held, and with the Fifth and Twelfth Corps, then under
my command, and the Sixth, which was hourly expected, to attack the enemy. The
latter order was not obeyed because every general officer consulted on the
subject deemed it unwise to leave the almost impregnable position we then held.
I send you copies of
these orders to convince you that although my name is not mentioned in the
report, yet I really occupied the position and had the commands mentioned in my
former letters. At no time was I in command of less than two corps during the
entire campaign, and during all the battle the right wing was entrusted entirely
to me—a position to which my rank entitled me. Williams commanded the Twelfth
Corps, and was at all times during the battle treated as a corps commander by
Meade. He was invited by him to the council with other corps commanders, and
yet no mention is made of this fact in the report. Nor is Williams's name or
that of his division to be found in it. I finally gave up the idea of asking
for a court of inquiry, knowing that the interests of the service could not be
promoted by such a course. I wrote a letter
to Meade, however, asking him to correct his report, a copy of which I
enclose. There is much secret history connected with the Gettysburg campaign
which will some day be made public. The proceedings of a secret council of the
corps commanders held the night before the enemy crossed the river was at once
divulged, and the remarks of Meade, Warren and Pleasanton published to the
world in full. It was for the interest of Meade that this publication should be
made; and there is no doubt that publicity was given to it with his consent, if
not through his direct instrumentality. There were other councils, however, the
proceedings of which were not made public and which never will be published
with the consent of Meade.
On the evening of
July second a council was called, and each corps commander was asked his
opinion as to the propriety of falling back towards Washington that night. The
majority opposed it, and after the vote was taken Meade declared that
"Gettysburg was no place to risk a battle;" and there is no doubt but
for the decision of his corps commanders, the army on the third of July would
have been in full retreat. The 4th of July, 1863, instead of being a day of
rejoicing throughout the North, would have been the darkest day ever known to
our country. This piece of history can be verified by the records of that
council kept by Butterfield, and cannot have been forgotten by any officer
present.
On the fourth of
July nearly every corps commander urged an immediate movement, but my corps was
kept three days in idleness. In the meantime the enemy reached Hagerstown, took
up his new line, and had abundant time to fortify. At the council held on the
thirteenth of July, by which "Meade was overruled," the following
question was proposed to each officer, viz.: "Shall we, without further
knowledge of the position of the enemy, make an attack?"
Previous to putting
the question, Meade answered that he could get no knowledge of the position of
the enemy. This announcement, together with the peculiar phraseology of the
question, indicated the decision the commanding general anticipated. He offered
no remarks until a vote was taken, and the question answered in the negative.
He then made some general remarks about "the necessity of doing
something," which was approved by all. Having "placed himself right
on record," as the politicians would say, he retired. This record he at
once used to sustain himself at the expense of his brother officers, although
the action of these officers was precisely what he desired and anticipated it
would be when he framed the question.
You may think this a
hard charge to bring against a soldier, but I believe I am fully justified in
making it. There are circumstances which I will make known to you when we meet
which will convince you that I have not done him injustice.
As long as this war
continues I shall pursue the course I have thus far followed. I shall ask for
no court, enter into no controversy, write no letters. But when the danger has
passed from us many facts will come to light, giving to the public a better
knowledge of the real history of this war than can be obtained through the
medium of such reports as that written by General Meade. Very respectfully,
Syracuse, N. Y.
SOURCE: New York
(State). Monuments Commission for the Battlefields of Gettysburg and
Chattanooga, In Memoriam: Henry Warner
Slocum, 1826-1894, p. 83-5
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