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Portland, Maine, March 16, 1905

of his to

of his " Top.'f''mn wholly

Jmow what Col .. Oates wants

-, ':, . >
:do . He
'
seems to have sa tis-
that I am :incorrigible on the pointhe
. . . . -. wishes. to-establish,
.
"'1'

can agree with <Jne. As he :.looks ._you ,,to<fvindica.te his

;:. ' ' ' ' ''' ' ' ,' . ' :;; c .: ' ; :
"the matter of what he thinks tm.r conf'lictirlg infer
,.

the case to me hoping.that if possible I :may make some

"
something I have said set up any
. . . -..:. _
about the action I havexsimply: . etated
'. :'_ - -. . \. < . ,-___

OJl .. the march - from <

'
_c
ttysbp.rg, anc'l. since ill' a ?:accormt . in \:)
" " ' . . .. ' . . '

perhaps not quite accurately <I cannot change the I'

nor of my own about them. I remember saying in a

to you some tim.e ago referring to the _statements of' Colonel Oates -e('l
('l
that his 1egirrlent adYanced until confronted by the a3rn. ..1::.
()',

'Pennsylvania F...nd 44th. new York, .that J;h:i.s regiment never that r:,c
c
encOuntered reg-
b;v its ex"t:reme r1ght, but all the rest of it was pressed
' .'
frmJ. its ground. two or three times, but finally

. ,.. , . -
position. I ,_

shoulc1 be

I shoulo feel honored by the companionship of thA monument-p:f so

. '-. r ( , ,/ '

ant a regiJl1ent on that historic crest,: as I was honored by<{ts pre-

The present f'eeJ.ing of Colonel Oates .surprises :r:1.e; for in two letters
him -to 'I!l'e some years ago, I was rrmeh :gratified at the remarkable
eerrrent o:f our stP.tementa and recollections,and in P- published account
., . . "-: 'L ;.:.} .-,:
same agr:jia:rn.en.t ::appears so fm as his

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-. (

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tements about enGounte:ring my line of battle/are concerned. His re-

ks there, about being confronted by _cavalry I took exception to as

1
portion of our cavalry vms in that p::rrt of' the field. "What he en- f
counterec'l was a flanking party I had sent out on my left front,together

.-ith a comprmy of sharp-shooters which joined them. However is not ma-

terial, for this body was no doubt more serious opponent in its flank

any cavalry could be on those broken ancl woode(t slopes.

The agreement of the general statements as heretofore maoe by Col.-

Oates and myself, I consider remirkable, ann I greatly regret that he

shOUld now f'inrl OCCasion to accuse me Of Withholding 'frOB him any measure

of just recognition of his skilful ano bold attack,and the splenrlid

gallantr;;r of the 15th. Alabama, for which I have ever felt a peculiar

regard.

The matter of monuments is in your charge, not mine. All I could

wish is that be placed i'!:l accordance with historic truth.

V!i th ver:;r high regard.,

Your frienn and servant,

:t'1C'

c::
$
Col .Tohn ?.:i::!..cholson, 'iF...
Chairman 1 Gettysburg Battle field CorrlHis sion,
.\
Gettysburg, PennRylvania.

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.A-,
.-----
- lininc. lmy 1U,.l90f>

... --i

oenoral Will inn C.

'... llontgomory., Ala t
e ..,

HY Dorar uir:
81nco tho rocoipt of your fnvor 1n rcgnrd to plnoing a
. ("'-'

taonumtmt to the lC5th.Alnbtum on tho clopo of Littlo Round

burg,. I:. hnvo bocn pros tra.toa by A sovoro nt tnck ronul t1ng tror:t old
.
vonndB oo thnt l hnvo not boon nblo to pronptly.
In th1s lottor I t':ind your i:tprenn!.or.n pln.oe cc nt n. C\1aatJvanta.t;-e
. . . .... -.;"'
1n your ont1nnt:1on on. two trory ll {3rounl'ln; t:irst 1n tho.t our
former oorreoponrtonoo by way o!_, lottora nn.(lo no 11.ttle improas1on -on
. . . . . -

you tho.t you lod to__ dony having nnch corrospondonco; nnt1 .
in thn! you aacr!.be, tony 1n.tluonce with the C'rOvornmont nnthor1t1ea .

thoir ro!usnl to pena:it tho oroct1on of a nor.<.i.-r:-1ont to tho 15th. Ala-

bamo. on t.ho ground T!horo they fought.
'i'hoae nuggeationu cor.rpol mo to looh over 'Vouchers to nee 1!
I hn.vo boan. n1stnkon on topicn c: no L-uch inportonce n.s to
.., .. ....
1nvolvo IllY .
wor.p,.,.ot .,honor ..
,.:. ,,. I '. -, .
''-<

'
. ' :k

.
I !1nd thn.t I (l!t'l rocui,ro 1n nnnTTor to a lot tcr of" n!nc two

terB to bo fron you, nno no rosnrricd by ao,and thnt I based

1mportnnt public on uhnt was given !n them
very por!octly oontirning DY own rocolloct1on reports on the minor
pointa o! tho oonfliot on L!ttlo Round Top.
T,oolring nlno nt ray qorronponrtoncc "J!. Colonol l41oholnon,Chn1num

of tho Gottyaburg I rind thnt in the private correnpondence

1nnt1tuted by h'im on,th1n nubjoct,I rn.o.tlo no objcct'ion Yhntovor to tho
eraction ot n nonunent by you on the ground attninod by tho
bacn Or any portion O! 1t during thG bnttlc,cxpronsinG only tho wiSh
that thin ground bo nocurnto!y nncortn1nad, nnd nloo that Colonel

_,.,


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2 "''

c c

1n his t"!nn.l. oonoun1cnt1onn with mo, doen not rest tho ao-

-- ilt"
tho on nny
""'
tontiworq or of but
.> nn 1ndopond4mt ntntomont ot h1n mm nn the bnoin or hin ;oonoln-

"
oono to pr6aont oond!t!ono, vill porooivo by my pcroonnl
lettora to Col.lf1oholson,. copieo or -c ' ', ::;
tth1oh :lt seemn l'te has sent
or my con_plato Mct oord1nl vill1n&nosn to hnvo tho monu- .
mont or tho 15th. Aln.bruJn plnoc(f vith1n cy linos on the slope of
,. ';. J

tle Rou.nd fop, on ground a.otuall,- reached by ot thnt regaui

1n tho . aharp pn.nsngo::; or: tho tjght. As to - .. ,::- ,j ...
I cannot >--
aay tron mora t'loacript:!.on vhat 11t.u1 tho o:trene po!.nt to vh1ob- gy lart
waa drlvon by you. but it wnn
nor vns t'trivcn nntor1n.ll1' :rron its connection v!th tho S!Srd.
Pennaylvnnia; I nhould nny 1t vao n porpcndiculnr with the lino or
my right front,thnt la.,n quarter c1rclo .. '-'he loanon.,both in ey right
COIJJ>nn1ao nnd :.tn the 8ord ., ohov thnt they voro not very sharply nn-
sailod. It really ny oos!ro to havo your uonumont not up,_only_
..! ,... - '..

lot UD r.mJro 8UTO Of pl:ir 'ground for. thO nnko Of hiator:!cnl fact. :._- ....

-I ranlly do not J:;-;D':-' rrhat aoro you could doa1ro ns to ey present

attitude 1n tho nnttor nor. nt 1ssuo. I nhould be glnd to noot you <

aga!n, your honorable nn4 conap1cuouo which the trial

nnd toato or Oottyaburg no br!ll!nnt n part.
Voey truly yours,_ "'-
.. "

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