Page:Hooker Inquiry (Wauhatchie Engagement) - Schurz Argument - Page 09.jpg

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that this Brigade never lost its way or became involved in a swamp, and nobody alleged so. This I submit, was as quick a night's march, as anybody could desire; certainly as quick as anybody could execute.

That Col. Krzyzanowski reported to Geary much later is very natural. I had placed him with a fraction of his Brigade into the gap, while a larger portion of his command went to Geary with Col. Hecker. That this measure was approved and adopted by my superior commanders, is easily shown. Lieut.-Col. Meysenburg, Asst. Adjt.-Gen. 11th Corps, testifies, that I was ordered to send reinforcements to Hecker, which I had already done, but not to evacuate the gap, even if I could leave only a small force in it. I had directed Col. Krzyzanowski to stay there in person, because I considered the position important and because it was held by fractions of several regiments. Lieut.-Col. Meysenburg testifies further, that Col. Krzyzanowski was ordered at 7 A. M., to join Geary with the rest of his command. Thus I acted under orders. This accounts sufficiently for the time of Col. Krzyzanowski’s arrival at Wauhatchie. With the manner in which these movements were executed, nobody that I know found fault and I would not have dwelled upon these matters at such length, had not the prosecution shown some disposition to shift from the censure contained in Gen. Hooker’s report, upon a new ground, in order to detect, by minute microscopic research, perhaps a little flaw in those of my proceedings which had not yet been blamed.

In General Hooker's report, the brigade dispatched to the relief of Geary, is blamed for not having arrived there until long after the fight had ended. This cannot apply to the movements just described; for it is proved that when Hecker was ordered forward from the cross-roads, the fight at Wauhatchie had long been over. To blame him for not arriving there before the fight was over, when it was already over before he started would have been an absurdity.

The occurrence which called forth the censure, must have happened previous to the last movement. The report itself, together with General Hooker’s letter and testimony, establishes the point beyond controversy. The report says: “Directions were immediately given for one of the brigades, en route to Geary, Tyndale’s, to be detached and assault the enemy in the hills on the left, and the other brigade to push on as ordered.” A, brigade was to push on to Geary, while Tyndale’s brigade took possession of the hills on the left. Why did it not push on? He who is clear of the responsibility for this failure to push on, ought to be clear of the censure. This is the point, and the only point to be decided. I will state the circumstances which occasioned this failure, strictly according to the testimony of five witnesses, all agreeing on the main points. Look back to the open-