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115 Series I Volume XXVII-II Serial 44 - Gettysburg Campaign Part II

Page 115 Chapter XXXIX. The Gettysburg Campaign.

ceived orders to proceed to Pennsylvania, assume command of the First New York and Twelfth Pennsylvania Calvary, and march them to the Army of the Potomac . I found the cavalry were in the command of General Couch. I communicated my orders to him, and he requested me to remain there until he communicated with General Meade . General Meade directed me to march all of Milroy's division that were in the Department of the Susquahanna to the Army of the Potomac. I reached Hagerstown the morning after Lee's army had crossed the Potomac; so several weeks elapsed before I came in contact with my old command. I could not get the data on which to make a report. I received a telegram, purporting to come from General Milroy, requesting me to make a report, or something of that nature. At that time it would have been impossible to make a report, coupled with the fact that he was in arrest. I think that I received this telegram before I assumed command of that division. The court then adjourned to meet at 11 a. m. August 22, 1863. Fourteenth day. August 22, 1863 Court met pursuant to adjournment. Present, all the members and the judge-advocate. The testimony given by Colonel A. T. McReynolds, First New York Cavalry, on yesterday and the day previous, was read over to him and corrected. Colonel McReynolds' examination continued.

By the judge-advocate:

Question. If you had not received orders to fall back to Winchester from Berryville, would you have retreated from there direct to harper's Ferry?

Answer. I should gone to Harper's Ferry . That route was, much more feasible than the one I took. It was 2 or 3 miles shorter, with a pike all the way.

By the court:

Question. If you had gone from Berryville direct to Harper's ferry, would it not have hazarded the safety of all the rest of General Milroy's command?

Answer. My command constituted about one-fourth of General Milroy's command . and to that extent I suppose that it would. During the flight at Winchester on Sunday afternoon, I think that the main fort would have been stormed if the star fort had not been occupied. My guns kept the enemy in check On the retreat, my troops, by creating a diversion, aided in the escape of the rest.

Question. If, at the time you were ordered from Berryville to Winchester, you had marched from Berryville to Harper's Ferry, and at the same time the balance of Major-General Milroy's command had marched from Winchester to Harper's Ferry, what would have been the result? Would the whole command, with its artillery and baggage trains, have been saved?

Answer. Undoubtedly it might; I have no question about it; not only that, they might have captured a small force that moved on Martinsburg ; this last, though, is problematical . What I mean is this: On Saturday there was no rebel force between Harper's Ferry and Winchester, nor between Martinsburg and Winchester, that was strong enough to oppose General Milroy's entire force, if he had marched on Saturday morning.

Question. From what source do you get your information about the force of the enemy on the Martinsburg road on Saturday?

Answer. One source is that my train moved with a small guard to Bunker Hill without any interruption ; another is that I had direct communication from my train at Bunker Hill by a single courier when I arrived at the Martinsburg pike, about 4


Page 115 Chapter XXXIX. The Gettysburg Campaign.