Reply of the Philadelphia Brigade Association to the Foolish and Absurd Narrative of Lieutenant Frank A. Haskell Part 3

So make it certain that our answer to the Ma.s.sachusetts Commandery be strong and clear. What Haskell wrote he wrote in ignorance. He paraded with the stragglers and prisoners behind a fighting Brigade and thought he was leading a Division.

Now, Frazier, let this denial of Haskell's claim be strong and yet courteous. He is dead. Gibbon is dead. Hanc.o.c.k dead. What a time to proclaim this falsehood.

Sincerely yours, (Signed) ALEX. S. WEBB, Brevet Maj. General, U. S. A.

NOTE NO. 2.

WHAT LINCOLN SAID.

It was Abraham Lincoln who said at the dedication of the National Cemetery at Gettysburg:

"But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it far above our power to add or detract. The world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here."

And yet the Military Order of the Loyal Legion, Commandery of Ma.s.sachusetts, and the Wisconsin History Commission, in so far as they authorized, or are responsible for the publication of the Haskell "Narrative" of the Battle of Gettysburg, are surely, surely doing what they can to detract from what the living and the dead did there.

NOTE NO. 3.

FOR CAREFUL CONSIDERATION.

A typewritten copy of this reply of the Philadelphia Brigade a.s.sociation, before being placed in the hands of the printer, was sent to the Military Order of the Loyal Legion, Commandery of Ma.s.sachusetts; to the Wisconsin History Commission, and to the Governor of Wisconsin, asking if they had any explanation to make as to the statements contained in Haskell's "Narrative," advising them that we would gladly give it in our printed book.

As yet no reply has been received from the Loyal Legion of Ma.s.sachusetts, and for this grave discourtesy we are at a loss to account, unless it be that after consideration the facts submitted did not warrant them in defending the position in which they were placed, and to acknowledge themselves in error would, to some extent, at least, stultify themselves.

The Governor of Wisconsin, who is an ex-officio member of the Wisconsin History Commission, writes under date of February 24, 1910, scarcely referring at all to the matter under consideration, i. e., the conduct of the Philadelphia Brigade in the Battle of Gettysburg. He does, however, say that the purpose of the Commission is to publish such material as from considerations of rarity or general excellence it is deemed desirable to disseminate. Haskell's book certainly comes under one of these cla.s.ses. We do not believe that among any writings of either Union men or Confederates in all the United States, such a rare book as Haskell's can be found. The Governor of Wisconsin says that Haskell in his story to his brother puts down in his letter "what he saw, or thought he saw."

It would seem that comment on this is useless. That history should be what the writer "saw, OR THOUGHT HE SAW," is at least novel.

Chas. E. Estabrook, a Comrade of the Grand Army, and its representative on the Wisconsin History Commission, and its chairman, under date of February 17, 1910, while writing a somewhat lengthy letter, neglects, also, to write of the matter under consideration, but says, among other things:

"The subject of the criticism of the Eleventh Corps, by Haskell, in his account of Gettysburg, was considered by me, and I contemplated writing notes, OR GIVING THE LATER, AND WHAT I THINK THE MORE ACCURATE VIEW. I, however, concluded, in view of the rule which we adopted, to have the other and later account of the Battle of Gettysburg prepared by a Wisconsin man, from the Wisconsin point of view, and some months ago asked a staff officer, who served in that Corps, to write an account of the Eleventh Corps at Gettysburg, which he consented to do. This will be published as soon as practicable after the same is delivered to the Commission."

It would seem from this that Chairman Estabrook, Past Department Commander, of Wisconsin, Grand Army of the Republic, does not believe the statement made by Haskell in his "Narrative," and that it is necessary to have another book published to state truthfully what the Eleventh Corps did. It would seem that it is also needless to make any comment on the position taken by Comrade Estabrook, Chairman of the Wisconsin History Commission. It is to be hoped that this staff officer's book will be written from the stand-point of what he saw, and not from what he thought he saw.

THE HISTORY COMMISSION'S VIEW.

Reuben G. Thwaites, Secretary and Editor of the Wisconsin History Commission, speaking for the Commission, writes thus:

"OPINIONS, OR ERRORS OF FACT, on the part of the respective authors represented, both in original narratives and in reprints issued by the Commission HAVE NOT, NOR WILL THEY BE MODIFIED BY THE LATTER. For all statements of whatever character, the author alone is responsible.

"Could any plainer statement than the foregoing be phrased in the English language, to indicate that this Commission certainly does not endorse whatever criticisms may have contemporaneously been offered by Lieutenant Haskell?"

As the question has been asked us we reply: As Haskell has been dead for more than 45 years, and the foul slanders were made public by the Wisconsin History Commission in November, 1908, defaming President Lincoln, Generals Sickles, Howard, Doubleday, Barlow, Schurz, Geary, Webb, Banes and other officers, and thousands of brave soldiers, it certainly does look to the Comrades of the Philadelphia Brigade as though the Wisconsin History fully endorsed everything that Haskell wrote. Just how the Corps, Brigade and Regimental a.s.sociations, Grand Army Posts, Loyal Legion Commanderies, public libraries, the newspaper press, and others to whom this "Reply" will be sent will regard the actions of the Wisconsin Commission and the Ma.s.sachusetts Loyal Legion has yet to be determined.

Writing further, Secretary and Editor Thwaites says:

"If Haskell's account was worth reprinting at all (and we thought it well worth doing), the only course open to us, as historians, was to present it just as it was originally issued, and not in the emasculated form adopted by the Dartmouth editor, and the Ma.s.sachusetts Loyal Legion; changes of such character in a contemporary doc.u.ment are unwarranted, and utterly ruin it as historical material."

As this seems to be a question of ethics between history makers, it is up to the Dartmouth editor, and the Ma.s.sachusetts Loyal Legion to satisfy the Wisconsin Commission why the unwarranted emasculation was made of the Haskell "Narrative."

The Wisconsin History Commission concludes its letter of explanation and excuse to the Philadelphia Brigade a.s.sociation in these words:

"In reprinting various other rare Wisconsin Civil War material, as we intend to do, it may happen that the original authors thus selected for treatment have criticised certain commands; it certainly would not tend to smooth the path of the Commission if each such command was thereupon to pa.s.s condemnatory resolutions. WE shall certainly hope to be spared such treatment."

In reprinting the Haskell "Narrative" the Wisconsin History Commission invited the criticism it justly deserves, and must expect to receive; and in their reprints in the future, if it permits their authors to criticise other commands--as they intend to do--They cannot escape the condemnatory resolutions they hope to be spared.

The Man of Nazareth said: Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and running over, shall men give into your bosom.

For with the same measure that ye mete, withal it shall be measured to you again.

LETTER FROM MAJOR ROBERTS.

The following letter, under date of May 15, 1877, was written by Major Samuel Roberts, of the 72d Regiment, Pa. Vols., to a Comrade and friend:

"Webb's Brigade was composed of the 69th, 71st, 72d and 106th Pennsylvania Regiments; the 106th Regiment had been sent to the right to reinforce Gen. Howard, leaving the other three Regiments of the Brigade to receive the shock of Pickett's advance.

"The Brigade was not entrenched, nor driven back and rallied by Webb.

The left wing of the 71st Regiment fell back a few yards; the 69th maintained their position, as did the right wing of the 71st. The 72d, which held a position to the left, and a short distance to the rear of the Brigade, moved by the right flank about one hundred yards, and came to a front about sixty yards in front of Armistead's Confederate Brigade. Armistead fell only a few yards in front of the 72d Regiment.

"With the exception of a slight change of position of the left wing of the 71st Regiment, the Brigade not only held its position, but advanced and captured several colors, and the prisoners taken exceeded in number what was left of the Brigade, which lost nearly fifty per cent. in killed and wounded--the killed and wounded of the 72d was over fifty per cent.

"Cus.h.i.+ng's Battery, which was attached to the Brigade, was served until men were not left sufficient to work the guns. Cus.h.i.+ng obtained volunteers from the Brigade, who served the guns until Cus.h.i.+ng was killed.

"Webb's Brigade, called the Philadelphia Brigade, was originally commanded by Col. E. D. Baker, who was killed at Ball's Bluff. It was the Second Brigade, Second Division, Second Corps, Army of the Potomac, and forms the prominent feature in Rothermel's painting of the Battle of Gettysburg."

NOTE NO. 5.

GETTYSBURG BATTLE FIELD DISPATCHES.

From official dispatches sent from Headquarters, Army of the Potomac, to the War Department, during the progress of the third day's fighting, which were given out to the a.s.sociated Press about midnight, being held back until a.s.sured that the Union Army was victorious.

"Gettysburg, July 3d, 3 P. M.--A great attack is now being made on our left center by a powerful column of Rebels. We can see them advancing in hosts. Their lines are half a mile in length. They have to march a mile before they can strike a line. All of our artillery has now opened on them and we can see them falling by hundreds. In a few minutes they will strike our line, and the fight will be at close quarters."

"Gettysburg, July 3d, 4.30 P. M.--We have won a great victory. The fight is over and the Rebel lines hurled back in wild disorder.

Longstreet's whole Corps seems to have been swept away, from our fire. The field is covered with Rebel dead. Wild cheers ring out from every part of our lines. Thousands of Rebel prisoners are being brought in. Sheaves of battle flags and thousands of small arms are being gathered in by our men. The rejoicing among our men is indescribable."

"Gettysburg, July 3d, 5 P. M.--Our victory is more complete than we could dare hope for. An immense column of the enemy, at least 20,000 strong, attacked our left center and were utterly destroyed by our fire. The column consisted of Longstreet's Corps, and but few of them are left. Nearly all were either killed, wounded, or are now prisoners in our hands. I hear that Hanc.o.c.k, Gibbon and Webb are severely wounded. The Philadelphia Brigade is almost destroyed. They met the most violent rush of the enemy and lost terribly. Col.

O'Kane, of the 69th, is killed, and there is hardly a field officer left in the Brigade."

"Gettysburg, July 3d, 10 P. M.--Our victory grows more complete as we get time to realize its magnitude. It looks as though nearly all of Longstreet's Corps had been destroyed. The field in front of the Second Corps, where the brunt of the attack fell, is covered with Rebel dead. In front of the Philadelphia Brigade they lie in great piles. Hundreds of Rebel officers are among the fallen. Gen.

Armistead, of Pickett's Division, fell within our lines. He was shot through the body and is now dying. The Rebel Generals Garnet and Kemper, fell in front of the 69th and 71st Pennsylvania Volunteers.

All the field officers of the former Regiment are killed. The slaughter on both sides has indeed been frightful. Our men are busy gathering in the wounded, many of whom must die during the night for want of proper attention."

NOTE NO. 6.