George Meade, The Life and Letters of George Gordon Meade, Major-General United States Army
George Gordon Meade, Ed.

In your paper of the 12th instant ‘Historicus’ favors the world with an immense letter on the battle of Gettysburg. It is so manifestly intended to create public opinion that few will attach to it the importance the writer hopes. I wish to correct some of his misstatements, and, having been an eye-witness, claim to be both heard and believed.

First—The Fifth corps was never placed under the orders of General Sickles at any time during the battle of Gettysburg and never was posted by General Sickles on the left of the Third corps.

Second—General Sykes was never requested to relieve Ward's brigade and Smith's battery on Roundtop for the very good reason that neither that brigade nor that battery was on Roundtop; and what is undeniable, was held by Vincent's brigade, First division, Fifth Corps; Weed's brigade, Second division, Fifth corps, and Hazlett's battery of regular artillery. Each of these commanders lost his life in its defence. [332]

Third—two brigades of Barnes's division (First), Fifth corps, were posted on the edge of a wood, and in front of a portion of the Third corps (Ward's brigade) before any musketry firing began; so that the hour's conflict sustained by the Third corps before the Fifth Corps came up has no existence.

Fourth—General Crawford's troops, Fifth corps, were thrown into action by order of the corps commander, not by any order of General Sickles, or by any solicitation of Captain Moore, of General Sickles's staff.

Fifth—The left of the Third corps was far in advance of Roundtop, and did not connect with it in any way.

Sixth—The imminent danger of losing Roundtop resulted, not from the failure to relieve Ward's brigade, which was not there, but from an order of General Sickles, taking Weed's brigade from that hill to assist the Third corps, and Weed, in obeying this order, was met by his corps commander, and promptly returned to his position on the hill, just in time to assist in repelling Longstreet's attack.

Seventh—When a dispassionate writer seats himself to bolster up one officer at the expense of others, neither ‘hearsay evidence’ nor ‘slight errors’ should have a place in his narrative. Unadulterated truth should stamp its every assertion.