Although the command of the Twelfth Corps was given temporarily to General Williams by your order, and although you directed him to meet at the council with other corps commanders, you fail to mention his name in your entire report, and in no place allude to his having any such command, or to the fact that more than one corps was at any time placed under my command, although at no time after you assumed command of the army until the close of this battle was I in command of less than two corps. I have now in my possession your written orders, dated July 2, directing me to assume command of the Sixth Corps, and, with that corps and the two then under my command (the Fifth and Twelfth), to move forward and at once attack the enemy. I allude to this fact for the purpose of refreshing your memory on a subject which you had apparently entirely forgotten when you penned your report, for you have not failed to notice the fact of General Schurz and others having held, even for a few hours, commands above that previously held by them. I sincerely trust that you will endeavor to correct as far as possible the errors above mentioned, and that the correction may be recorded at the War Department.

I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

H. W. SLOCUM,

Major-General of Volunteers, Commanding.

[Inclosure.]

HEADQUARTERS FIRST DIVISION, TWELFTH CORPS,
Tullahoma, Tenn., December 26, 1863.

Major General H. W. SLOCUM,

Commanding Twelfth Army Corps:

GENERAL: In forwarding the report of Brigadier-General Ruger, commanding First Division, Twelfth Army Corps, at the battle of Gettysburg, delayed to this late day for reasons stated in the letter accompanying the report, I embrace the occasion to call your attention to certain errors and omissions in Major-General Meade's official report of that battle, which I think do much injustice to some portions of this corps. These, briefly stated, are:

1. In crediting Lockwood's brigade to the First Corps.

2. In omitting all notice of the gallant defense by Greene's brigade of the left flank of our intrenched line on the evening of July 2, after the other troops of the corps had marched out to the support of the left.

3. In wholly ignoring the operations of the First Division.

4. In repudiating most of the material statements of my report as temporary commander of this corps.

1. As to Lockwood's brigade, the following is the notice taken of it in General Meade's report: In the meantime, perceiving great exertions on the part of the enemy, the Sixth Corps (Major-General Sedgwick) and part of the First Corps (to the command of which I had assigned Major-General Newton), particularly Lockwood's Maryland brigade, together with detachments from the Second Corps, were all brought up. &c. I cannot be mistaken in asserting that Lockwood's brigade was at no time during this battle a part of the First Corps, or under the command of General Newton. It was a part of the Twelfth Corps, and was brought up under my immediate command, with the First Division of same corps, to the support of the left. This brigade,