Description:

WILLIAM WALLACE BURNS
(1825-1892) Union Army brigadier general during the Civil War, one of the commanders of the famed Philadelphia Brigade. Excellent content A.L.S., 3pp, 8vo., Governor's Island, June 18, 1887, to "Franklin", likely Union general William B. Franklin. In part: "... When we proposed to make you the Pres't of the A.P. Ass'n at New Haven with a view to close it out - [Gen. Daniel] Sickles' crowd with Bullard for howler placed [Gen. Irvin] McDowell in the chair to tie us to the two Bull Runs ... Sickles intends to carry out his long cherished intent to claim the credit for the Battle of Gettysburg which he says Mr. Lincoln gave him for preventing [Gen. George] Meade & other West Pointers from running back to Pipe Clay Creek. [Gen. John C.] Robinson, after faithful attendance since 1870 has true part of the figurehead to cover his retreat on first day from Seminary Ridge to Culp's Hill, and [Gen. Daniel] Butterfield who represents the disgruntled of [Gen. Joseph] Hoooker has taken hold to have his little revenge ... This is the bold bad scheme of the enemies of Pennsylvania's sons - Robinson will have his [shot] at Reynolds, Sickles & Butterfield at Meade and all at [Gen. George] McClellan, [Gen. Winfield Scott] Hancock & Franklin ... If you still retain some influence with [Gen. Henry W.] Slocum and [Gen. Martin T.] McMahon and they have not given themselves away, you may help to save this last disgrace..." Burns signs "Wm. W. Burns" at the conclusion, adding the post-script: "Sickles, Sharpe, Bullard, Butterfield, Robinson & Graham are not likely to stop, when a chance offers to wipe out old scores..." Burns refers primarily to the controversial actions of Sickles during the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg, in which he violated his orders from Meade by ordering his troops to take a defensive position almost a mile forward of where he was intended to be, stretching the Union defensive lines thin and giving Confederate forces an opportunity to bombard his lines from multiple angles. This and other actions, such as the pre-war murder of his wife's lover, caused Sickles to spend much of his prewar years engaged in various efforts to rehabilitate his reputation. Mailing folds, else very good.

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May 14, 2018 1:00 PM EDT
Elkton, MD, US

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