James A. Hessler
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6. Basler, The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln,7:160.
7. Swanberg, Sickles the Incredible,245; Basler, The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln,7:176, 180, 185, 204–205.
8. Basler, The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, 7:185.
9. Ibid., 7: 204–205.
10. Tap, Over Lincoln’s Shoulder,18, 21, 22–24; Hyde, The Union Generals Speak,X, 2–5; Sauers, Gettysburg: The Meade-Sickles Controversy, 50; Byrne and Weaver, Haskell of Gettysburg, 84.
11. Tap, Over Lincoln’s Shoulder,25–30, 167, 176–177; Hyde, The Union Generals Speak,6–15, 18–19; Sauers, Gettysburg: The Meade-Sickles Controversy, 50.
12. Tap, Over Lincoln’s Shoulder,177–180; Sauers, Gettysburg: The Meade-Sickles Controversy, 50–51.
13. Sauers, Gettysburg: The Meade-Sickles Controversy, 50–51.
14. Basler, The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, 6: 350, 381.
15. Sauers, Gettysburg: The Meade-Sickles Controversy,50, 170–171, n. 3; Swanberg, Sickles the Incredible,240. Bruce Tap, in his study of the committee, wrote: “W.A. Swanberg states that Sickles met privately with Wade and Chandler to discuss strategy, which suggests not an impartial investigation but one instituted to prove a foregone conclusion.” Tap references Swanberg 232–240 as the source of this statement. See Tap, 178, 288 (n. 25). However, what Swanberg actually says in that passage is considerably less certain. “Undoubtedly[emphasis added], during that fall and winter he had a few private tLte-B-tLtes with Senators Wade and Chandler.” See Swanberg, 240. Swanberg provides no sources for this statement.
16. Hyde, The Union Generals Speak,31; Swanberg, Sickles the Incredible,245; Tap, Over Lincoln’s Shoulder, 178.
17. CCW, 3–4, 14, 304.
18. CCW, 295–296; Hyde, The Union Generals Speak, 32.
19. CCW, 296–297; Hyde, The Union Generals Speak, 33–34, 53.
20. CCW, 297; Hyde, The Union Generals Speak, 37; OR27/3: 468.
21. Hyde, The Union Generals Speak, 32–33, 46.
22. CCW, 298; Hyde, The Union Generals Speak, 38–42.
23. OR27/1: 16–17, 116; Brandt, The Congressman Who Got Away With Murder,194–195; Gettysburg Compiler,July 25, 1859.
24. CCW, 298; Hyde, The Union Generals Speak, 42–43.
25. Hyde, The Union Generals Speak, 44–45.
26. Hyde, The Union Generals Speak, 44–45; CCW, 298–299.
27. CCW, 299–300; Hyde, The Union Generals Speak, 38–39, 46.
28. CCW, 300–301; Hyde, The Union Generals Speak, 48–49, 53–54.
29. CCW, 302; Hyde, The Union Generals Speak, 46–50.
30. CCW, 302–303; Hyde, The Union Generals Speak, 46–50.
31. Hyde, The Union Generals Speak, 31.
32. Ibid., 58–64; David Birney to George Gross, October 28, 1863, David B. Birney Papers, USAMHI; Tagg, The Generals of Gettysburg,26; Desjardin, These Honored Dead,71, 213, n. 23;CCW, 15.
33. Hyde, The Union Generals Speak, 58–60, 67.
34. Ibid., 68–73.
35. Ibid., 73–77.
36. Tagg, The Generals of Gettysburg,111–112; Hyde, The Union Generals Speak,79–80; Kauffman, American Brutus,337; OR27/1: 675. Howe also blamed Sedgwick, not Hooker, for the Chancellorsville defeat, further suggesting that he was in bed with the Republicans. See Tap, Over Lincoln’s Shoulder, 179–180.
37. Hyde, The Union Generals Speak, 82–86, 93.
38. Meade, Life and Letters,2: 172–173; Hyde, The Union Generals Speak,81 Sauers, Gettysburg: The Meade-Sickles Controversy,53–54; Tap, Over Lincoln’s Shoulder,182; Desjardin, These Honored Dead, 70.
39. Hyde, The Union Generals Speak, 94–95.
40. Ibid., 95.
41. Ibid., 96.
42. Ibid., 100–101, 105–106, 293; Meade Life and Letters,2: 171–175; George Meade to Margaret Meade, March 6, 1863, George Meade Collection, HSP; Sauers, Gettysburg: The Meade-Sickles Controversy, 54.
43. George Meade to Margaret Meade, March 6, 1863, George Meade Collection, HSP; Meade, Life and Letters,2: 171–175; CCW, 329; Tap, Over Lincoln’s Shoulder,183; Hyde, The Union Generals Speak, 102.
44. CCW, 330–331; Hyde, The Union Generals Speak, 103–105.
45. CCW, 331; Hyde, The Union Generals Speak, 106–107.
46. CCW, 332–333; Hyde, The Union Generals Speak, 108–109.
47. George Meade to Margaret Meade, March 6, 1863, George Meade Collection, HSP.
48. CCW, 342–343, 347; Meade, Life and Letters,2:171, 175; Hyde, The Union Generals Speak, 100–101, 121, 293; Sauers, Gettysburg: The Meade-Sickles Controversy,53–54, 56; Desjardin, These Honored Dead,71. Stanton’s support of Meade is surprising. In addition to his relationship with Sickles, Stanton had supported the committee’s efforts from the beginning and believed that West Pointers were too soft on slavery. Ironically, despite his long Sickles relationship, Stanton derided military officers who exposed themselves to politics. The administration also realized that a public feud between two high-ranking generals would do the war effort no good. Stanton eventually sent Meade word that a court of inquiry was unnecessary and would play into Sickles’ hand. See Hyde 100, 292.
49. George Meade to Margaret Meade, March 6, 1863, George Meade Collection, HSP; Meade, Life and Letters, 2:169–170.
50. OR25/1: 773–774, Styple, Generals in Bronze,121–122, 132; Hyde, The Union Generals Speak,139–140, 143; Swanberg, Sickles the Incredible, 194.
51. David Birney to George Gross, October 28, 1863, and March 16, 1864, David B. Birney Papers, USAMHI.
52. Ladd, The Bachelder Papers,1:100; David Birney to George Gross, September 25, 1863 and March 16, 1864, David B. Birney Papers, USAMHI.
53. CCW, 367–368; Hyde, The Union Generals Speak,149–159. Author Bill Hyde, in his modern study of the committee, thought that Birney’s testimony about relieving Geary’s division and putting his line “on Round Top” was “at odds with Birney’s battle report.” On this point, this author disagrees with Hyde’s assessment. Birney states in his report that his left was “on the Sugar Loaf Mountain”; this is materially close enough to Birney’s testimony in this author’s opinion. There is a discrepancy in timing, his report states 7:00, while his testimony said it occurred about 9:00; but timing differences were common. Hyde also believes that Birney omitted “receiving orders from Sickles” in order to not undermine Sickles’ claim to have no orders. But Birney’s testimony clearly states that he received orders from someone—it seems logical that those orders would be received from Sickles (his commanding officer). See OR27/1:482.
54. CCW, 375; Hyde, The Union Generals Speak, 159–162.
55. Meade, Life and Letters, 2: 176–177, 320–321.
56. OR27/1: 122; David Birney to George Gross, March 16, 1864, David B. Birney Papers, USAMHI.
57. OR27/1: 125–126, 136–137.
58. CCW, 377; David Birney to George Gross, October 28, 1863 and April 5, 1864, David B. Birney Papers, USAMHI; Hyde, The Union Generals Speak, 166–168.
59. CCW, 377–381; Hyde, The Union Generals Speak, 168–169, 172–173, 179.
60. CCW, 384–385; Hyde, The Union Generals Speak, 170, 178.
61. Hyde, The Union Generals Speak, 179–181.
62. Meade, Life and Letters, 2: 176–177; OR27/1: 123–127.
63. Sauers, Gettysburg: The Meade-Sickles Controversy,56–57; Basler, The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln,7: 235; CCW, 347–349; Hyde, The Union Generals Speak,122–123. General Meade also revised his earlier (March 5) appearance and now stated that he “did not wait for the report from General Hancock, as I can prove from staff officers who took my orders” before concentrating at Gettysburg. Meade submitted his July 1 (1:10 m.) order to General Winfield Hancock as Exhibit ‘H’. It reads: “If you think the ground and position there a (better) suitable one to fight a battle under existing circumstances, you will so advise the general, and he will order all the troops up.” See CCW, 356. But when Hancock testified on March 22, 1864, he submitted his copy of the order, which o
nly stated, “If you think the ground and position there a better one to fight.… ” In Hancock’s copy, the word “suitable” was omitted. See CCW, 412. It is interesting to note that General Daniel Butterfield’s copy also did not include the word “suitable.” See CCW, 423. At question is whether Meade waited for Hancock’s messages before deciding to concentrate at Gettysburg, and whether Hancock was supposed to compare the ground at Gettysburg as “better” than Pipe Creek. Given the committee’s agenda, it was to Meade’s obvious benefit to prove that he decided, on his own, to advance on Gettysburg without awaiting the counsel of any of his subordinates. In Meade’s favor, Meade had wired Halleck at 6:00 p.m. on July 1, 1863, indicating that all corps except the Sixth (Sedgwick) were now marching to the field, and “I see no other course than to hazard a general battle.” Meade said that he was not influenced by the report of Major William Mitchell (which Hancock had sent from Gettysburg around 4:00 m.). However, Hancock’s widow later wrote that Meade’s second version was “in error.” She argued that it would “seem quite improbable” that Meade would order up the army without hearing from Hancock. She also accused Meade of doctoring the order to Hancock which was deposited with the War Department, specifically changing the word “better” in his original order to “suitable” to de-emphasize Meade’s desire for Hancock to compare Gettysburg and Pipe Creek. Mrs. Hancock also believed that the marching orders for the Fifth and Sixth Corps were not timed until 7:00 and 7:30 m., proving that Meade did not order these corps forward until he had heard from Hancock. But George Sykes said that he left Hanover at7:00, implying that he must have received the order earlier. In sorting through the matter, esteemed historian Edwin Coddington decided that Mitchell’s report “probably” arrived just after Meade sent the 6:00 message. See OR27/1: 71–72; 27/3: 483; Hyde, The Union Generals Speak,124–125; Hancock, Reminiscences of Winfield Scott Hancock,191–193. Coddington, The Gettysburg Campaign, 324.
64. Sauers, Gettysburg: The Meade-Sickles Controversy, 56–57; Tap, Over Lincoln’s Shoulder, 185.
65. Meade, Life and Letters, 2: 321–323.
66. Ibid., 2: 180, 323–331.
Chapter 15: My Only Motive is to Vindicate History
1. OR27/1: 128.
2 Ibid., 27/1: 129–130.
3 Ibid., 27/1: 130.
4 Ibid., 27/1: 130–131.
5 Ibid.
6 Ibid., 27/1: 131.
7 Ibid., 27/1: 131–132.
8 Ibid., 27/1: 132.
9 Ibid.
10 Ibid., 27/1: 132–133.
11 Ibid., 27/1: 133–134.
12 Ibid., 27/1: 135–136.
13 Ibid., 27/1: 127–128.
14 Meade, Life and Letters, 2: 178–180; OR27/1: 137–139.
15 Pfanz, Gettysburg: The Second Day, 143, 484 (n.30).
16 Graham, The Custer Myth, 318.
17. Cleaves, Meade of Gettysburg,229–230; Sauers, Gettysburg: The Meade-Sickles Controversy,172 (n.30); Ladd, The Bachelder Papers,1:9–10; Hyde, The Union Generals Speak,291; Desjardin, These Honored Dead,84–85. Since Bachelder had Meade’s permission to remain with the army through the winter, then it seems unlikely that Bachelder would have risked Meade’s wrath by becoming Historicus. Meade’s relations with his critics were never cordial, and if discovered as Historicus then Bachelder’s fledgling research risked being decapitated before it had barely begun. Bachelder’s 1890s correspondence on the Sickles/Butterfield/Meade debate will be discussed later in this narrative. See Ladd, The Bachelder Papers, 3: 1904–1907.
18 De Peyster, Gen. H. Edwin Tremain, 8.
19 Meade, Life and Letters, 2:339.
20 James Barnes to David Birney, August 22, 1863, copy Robert Brake Collection, USAMHI; William Tilton to James Barnes, March 14, 1864, copy on file GNMP.
21 Meade, Life and Letters,2:331–335. For different veterans’ versions of the encounter between Zook and Barnes’ troops, see Pennsylvania at Gettysburg,2:683–684; Parker, History of the Twenty-Second Massachusetts, 335; Pfanz, Gettysburg: The Second Day, 275.
22. Meade, Life and Letters, 2:338; Sauers, Gettysburg: The Meade-Sickles Controversy, 59.
23 OR27/1: 138. Mackenzie’s letter was in response to a request from Meade. See Norton, Attack and Defense, 292.
24 Meade, Life and Letters, 2: 181–183.
25 “General Meade and the Army of the Potomac,” The Adams Sentinel, March 15, 1864.
26. CCW, 388–389, 393–395, 397–398; Hyde, The Union Generals Speak, 182–193, 195–202.
27 Jordan, Winfield Scott Hancock, A Soldier’s Life,107; CCW, 403–405; Hyde, The Union Generals Speak, 207–208, 211–212, 214.
28 CCW, 407; Hyde, The Union Generals Speak, 214–216.
29 CCW, 407–408, 410, 412; Hyde, The Union Generals Speak, 216, 218–220, 223, 225–226.
30 CCW, 429–431; Butterfield, A Biographical Memorial,126–127, 135; Warner, Generals in Blue, 62; Hyde, The Union Generals Speak, 238–241, 264–267; Tap, Over Lincoln’s Shoulder, 185–186.
31 Quoted in Swanberg, Sickles the Incredible,253; Hyde, The Union Generals Speak,240; Sauers, Gettysburg: The Meade-Sickles Controversy,p 62; Tap, Over Lincoln’s Shoulder,185–186. For the gap in Butterfield’s movements for March 1864, see Butterfield, A Biographical Memorial,142–143.
32 OR27/1: 138–139; 27/3: 458–459; CCW, 417–419, 422; Hyde, The Union Generals Speak, 241–246, 250–251, 269, 271.
33 CCW, 422–423; Hyde, The Union Generals Speak, 251–253.
34 CCW, 424; Hyde, The Union Generals Speak, 254–256.
35 CCW, 425; Hyde, The Union Generals Speak, 256.
36 CCW, 433; Hyde, The Union Generals Speak,256, 270–272; Coddington, The Gettysburg Campaign, 340.
37. CCW, 439–441; Hyde, The Union Generals Speak, 257–259, 268, 272–275.
38 CCW, 439–441; Hyde, The Union Generals Speak,278–280; Gibbon, An Address on the Unveiling of the Statue of Major General George G. Meade,3.
39 CCW, 441–442; Hyde, The Union Generals Speak, 282–283.
40 CCW, 435–436; Hyde, The Union Generals Speak,293–295; Sauers, Gettysburg: The Meade-Sickles Controversy, 63.
41 CCW, 436–438; Hyde, The Union Generals Speak,296–299; “The Battle of Gettysburg, Statement by Major General Meade,” The Adams Sentinel,April 12, 1864. Meade read his 3:00 p.m. July 2 message to Halleck into evidence, which does not indicate any specifics of a potential attack from his left.
42 CCW, 449–451; Hyde, The Union Generals Speak, 304–307.
43. CCW, 452; Hyde, The Union Generals Speak, 310–311, 317–320.
44 CCW, 453–454; Hyde, The Union Generals Speak, 312–313.
45 Meade, Life and Letters,2:186–190, 337–340; Sauers, Gettysburg: The Meade-Sickles Controversy, 61–62; Jacob Sweitzer to James Barnes, April 8, 1864, copy on file GNMP.
46 Jordan, Winfield Scott Hancock,107–108; Meade Life and Letters,2: 189–190; Davis, Life of David Bell Birney,211; De Trobriand, Four Years With The Army of the Potomac,564, 567; OR 27/1:104–105.
47 David Birney to George Gross, April 5 and April 18, 1864, David B. Birney Papers, USAMHI; Meade, Life and Letters,2: 189–190; George Meade to Margaret Meade, April 11, 1864, George Meade Collection, HSP; Jordan, Winfield Scott Hancock, 108.
48 George Meade to Margaret Meade, April 11 and 18, 1864, George Meade Collection, HSP; David Birney to George Gross, April 5 and April 18, 1864, David B. Birney Papers, USAMHI; Meade, Life and Letters, 2: 189–190; Jordan, Winfield Scott Hancock, 108.
49 Jordan, Winfield Scott Hancock, 108.
50 David Birney to George Gross, October 28, 1863, David B. Birney Papers, USAMHI; De Trobriand, Four Years with the Army of the Potomac,517–518, 530; Styple, Generals in Bronze, 96–97; Coddington, The Gettysburg Campaign, 559–560.
51 Hyde, The Union Generals Speak,299–300, 324–328; CCW, 464; Coddington, The Gettysburg Campaign,340, 719 (n. 68); Meade Life and Letters,2: 182. Although Sedgwick testified that he had never heard any retreat talk, Martin
T. McMahon, who served as Sedgwick’s chief of staff during the battle, later claimed that Sedgwick had told him prior to the council that Meade “was thinking of a retreat.” See Styple, General in Bronze,84.
52 CCW, 464–468; Hyde, The Union Generals Speak,333–339; Sauers, Gettysburg: The Meade-Sickles Controversy, 65.
Chapter 16: Spoil a Rotten Egg
1. CCW, 468–473; Hyde, The Union Generals Speak, 340–351; Meade, Life and Letters, 2: 186–188; Tap, Over Lincoln’s Shoulder, 187–192. After Crawford, the committee took additional testimony relative to Meade’s tenure in command. Provost Marshal General Marsena Patrick testified on February 1, 1865 regarding the Mine Run campaign, whose failure he primarily blamed on the performance of the Third Corps under French. See CCW, 474. Meade (May 16, 1865) and Ulysses Grant (May 18, 1865) were also called to offer their opinions regarding Edwin Stanton’s management of the War Department. See CCW, 523–524.
2. Meade, Life and Letters, 2: 175; David Birney to George Gross, April 5, 1864, David B. Birney Papers, USAMHI.; Meade, Life and Letters, 2: 203–205 .
3. Dedication of the New York Auxiliary State Monument, 113; De Peyster, Gen. H. Edwin Tremain, 5; Butterfield, A Biographical Memorial, 246–247; Swanberg, Sickles the Incredible, 260–265; Van Alstyne, Diary of an Enlisted Man, 341.
4. Davis, Life of David Bell Birney, 274–279; De Trobriand, Four Years With The Army of the Potomac, 654; Warner, Generals in Blue, 34–35.
5. Davis, Life of David Bell Birney, 283, 292, 301, 305, 307; Philadelphia Newspaper clipping, July 17, 1914, David B. Birney Papers, USAMHI.
6. Davis, Life of David Bell Birney, 327; De Trobriand, Four Years With The Army of the Potomac, 654; George Meade to Margaret Meade, October 19, 1864, George Meade Collection, HSP; Meade, Life and Letters, 2: 235. Meade’s quote that “I never liked him personally.… ” was stricken from the published Life and Letters.
7. Swanberg, Sickles the Incredible, 266–268; Humphreys, Andrew Atkinson Humphreys, 256–257; Dedication of the New York Auxiliary State Monument, 113; Jordan, Winfield Scott Hancock, 171–175.
8. Sickles, “Leaves From My Diary,” 18–19; Swanberg, Sickles the Incredible, 269, 272–273; Dedication of the New York Auxiliary State Monument, 113; Daniel E. Sickles Military Records, copy in Box B-36, GNMP. In January 1865, Sickles wrote a testimonial praising “The Palmer [Artificial] Leg.” Sickles wrote, “I have great pleasure in bearing testimony to the excellence of the artificial leg you made for me. I have used it long enough to convince me of the superior mechanical construction of the limbs you make.” See Box B-36, Misc. Info—Gen. Daniel Sickles, GNMP.