Page:The Reminiscences of Carl Schurz (Volume Three).djvu/34

  General Hancock, a very strong position.’ ‘Very well, sir, I select this as the battlefield,’ said General Hancock, and immediately turned away to rectify our lines.” This story is told by Major Halstead in the Century series of “Battles and Leaders,” and he adds this remark: “There was no person present besides myself when the conversation took place between Howard and Hancock. A number of years since I reminded General Hancock of that fact and what I had heard pass between them. He said that what I have repeated here was true, and requested a written statement, which I subsequently furnished him.”

That the appearance of Hancock as commander of the field should have sorely touched Howard's pride, is well intelligible, especially as he could hardly fail to understand it as an expression of want of confidence in him on the part of General Meade.

It was about 3:20 of the afternoon when General Buford sent a dispatch to General Meade in which he said: “In my opinion there seems to be no directing person.” This was too severe on General Howard, who, in fact, had given several directions which were unquestionably correct. But it, no doubt, expressed the prevailing impression, and under these circumstances the appearance of General Hancock at the front was a most fortunate event. It gave the troops a new inspiration. They all knew him by fame, and his stalwart figure, his proud mien, and his superb soldierly bearing seemed to verify all the things that fame had told about him. His mere presence was a reinforcement, and everybody on the field felt stronger for his being there. This new inspiration of self-reliance might have become of immediate importance, had the enemy made another attack—an eventuality for which we had to prepare. And in this preparation Howard, in spite of his heart-sore,