The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-06-17

ID "
officers ;Winslow Foster, Captain John Faunee VIM
H. Gladding, r II. Bowlan, Henry Wilkinson Leuten-
ants Savannah Georgian, June H.
The Battle OF Cerro Gorio.-General Pillows
Statement.
An article In the Pc0yns Of the 2oth ult signed by
Col Haskell, and other officers Of the I'd Tennessee
gment addressed to the public, calls for notice
from me The article processes to be simple state
ment Of fscts and in advance, discairns any other
motive In making the publication than such Us arises
from desire to do justice to others and to have jus
lfthose gentlemen had made a correct statement OF
facts and had loft the pnbc to form its judgment
upon those facts, should have been content to have
passed the publication by unnoticed-or from state
Of facts, have netting to fear
This article processes to describe tho snemys works
and the order Of attack Of my brigade IN the battle
Of Cerro Gordo 1t says" There were on the line Of
Of the mountains, through which the river passes,
three works known to our engineers batteries Nos
ana and that by the order of battle for my brigade,
been assaulted by Col Wynkoops regiment, supported
by Col Campbells; and battery No. was to have been
assaulted by Iaskes regiment, supported by Col Ro
berts regiment.
Instead of three works in this line of works as those
gentlemen say, there known be four before the
battle Battery No. |, situated the river bluff and
No at the extreme left Of the enemy's line of breast
Land the point assaulted than from 400
to 600 yards and batteries Nos and still farther
towards the National Road-the place assaulted made
the 9Th battery Col Haskell (who is the author Of this
article and whose motives for this assault upon will
be apparent enough by and by says further that he
was to assault battery No aud Col Wynkoop battery
sit never was however intended by me to assault bat
teries No and and border given to that
effect lie was not ordered to assault battery No q
was that battery assaulted. Col Wiukoop not
ordered to assault battery No. L. The position intend
ed to be assaulted what believed by both the
engineers and myself to be the angle Of those batteries
formed by the long line of stone breast works about 400
yards from battery No l. In my official report bearing
date 18th April ls47, and prepared Immediately after
the battle by an officer Of my staff (for being disabled
In my right arm could not wrte) distinctly stated
that the points of assault the adjacent angles
md mt in aaff tcft1 that
report for the sake Of brevty and for the purpose Of
designating the positions Of the two assautng forces
speak Of batteries Nos and ., without repeating in
each paragraph the words adjacent angles"
At this supposed angle no guns could be seen, and
Of reconnaissance, somehugpresentng the appearance
Of one gun was seen Still 1t believed to be the
weakest point in the line Of works and was therefore,
selected by the engineer on duty with my brigade for
the assault.
Agreeaby to my plan Of attack Haskelrs assaulting
force to attack the left of this angle Wynksop
the right to engage at the time the forces
upon both sides Of the angle Gen SCOTS order of bat
Of the nth, and too late TOR have the necessary
copies OF 1t prepared and issued to my command. /,
therefore sent for Coils Campbell Haskell Wynkoop and
Roberts and at quarters road to them the gene
raj order Of battle and explained to them particularly
tho position Of the different batteries my position for
assault and the order Of movement for each regiment
and the position to DO assumed by each preparatory
the assault.
The assault made at the place previously deter
mined upon, and made known to these officers and
though this point turned out to be strong work
mounting eight piece: Of artillery Immediately in front
moment Of attack, entirely concealed and completely
masked by the stone wall and brush yet,up to tina,
time, it was believed to be an angle in the large stone
breastwork, connecting the batteries Nos. l and ,
That such the position intended to be- and actuay
assaulted will conclusively appear my official re
ports Of this battle, made almost after tn,
battle dated 18th and 2sth April, marked and b. and
prepared long before the appearance OF this attack
Col Haskes and yet, in the face Of these startling
errors misrepresentation Of facts this assault upon
me modestly processes to be simple statement OF
facts and made solely for the purpose Of justice to the
| signers of that article.
Col Haskell cannot understand why his regiment was
placed between Wynkoops and Campbell's, and Camp
bells between his Iaskells) and Roberts regiment
the march from the encampment
This Ito him) incomprehensble order Of march, which
he seems to think bunder OF mine, will perhaps
be understood by him when state to him the object
The narrow pathway along which obliged to
march, pierced tho enemys line Of works just at the
place selected for the assault By my order Of attack
Wynkoop's assautng column TO form the left o.
the path fronting right side the angle and Has
kes assaultng force to form the right side OF
the path and to attack the works the left side
the angle Wynkoops position was further advanced
the road than Haskels and therefore, he placed
in the advance. When Wynkoops regiment reached III
position 1t to FORM and did form the proper side
| Of the path When Haskells regiment had formed
it cleared the path for Col Campbels regiment to pas
| up TO Wynkoop's support The passage Of Campbell
regiment left the way clear for Roberts to come for
ward to Haskes support Thus 1t will be that tn,
only order Of march by which 1t possible to hay.
placed the regiments with their supporting forces
proper position adopted and 1t resulted in the pro
per formation Of each assauting force without the
confusion or disorder although there was road but
Again-Col Haskell says that placed his regiment in
position by directing him to rest his right the right
Of tho path extending his left square Oh to the left
to form his line Of battle parallel with the centre field
work Of the enemy He then says that 'by this ma
ncuvre will be perceived that the ranks Of Col Has
kels command reversed the front rank becoming
the rear and the right of the regiment its len Now
how Is possible for regiment which is marching by
rng to e bs order win be r apy m
tary comprehend II the right Of the regiment
upon the right Of the path and the left extended
square off to the left ~ he says was ordered by me- 1t
was impossible for the wings to have been by
that order 1t would be for to the posi-
ton Of his own arms and equally for the ranks to
have been for they could not possibly be re.
versed except by the whole regiment being ordered to
face by the ranks which would have turned the
backs fthe to the enemy and yet, Col. Haskell
to the conclusion that by this order his wings and
his ranks reversed cannot account for such in
explicable confusion mind in military To sup
pose him ignorant of the principles OF military sci
ence would show him utterly unfit for the command Of
regiment; and yet we are forced to this conclusion
or to the belief that he much perturbcd by
sensibity, that he did not know his right wing
from his left, his rear rank from his front defy
himself any Of his friends to extrcate him from this
dilemma. II would be entirely immaterial by which
flank he marched-thc order which he says did give
would executed place the regiment in proper position
for the assault upon the snsmy's works
First then Col Haskell misstates the number Of work,
in the enemys line and their positions. secondy-hs
msstates the work which in fact intended either him
self Wynkoop to assail, and the work which
tuaIy as.ailed Thirdlythe order Of march, which h,
regards n bunuer OF the ONLY
one by which the assautng parties could possibly reacf
their positions the regiments each placed IN
the march with this express object Fourthly-my or
der for the formation of his command into line Of battle
which he says reversed the wings and the ranks OF hi
regiment, right and proper and ngrceaby to tina
order there was no possibility OF his wings and his ran
being reversed-and yet the public told, in the very
outset Of this article that the publication ia to be
simple statement Of facts which il by com
plimentary to the Generals talents military
" my military reputation to be affected before an intel
Eent nation by such an assault as this In the very
effort to assai me he exposes degree OF mbecty and
Ignorance as military man, which excites in my bosom
nothing but q sense Of pity and contempt.
Again he says protested to have carefully reconnoi-
tered these works "but the truth is the General was
ignorant ofthe ground and Of the encmys strength ana
preparations Of defence" did profess TO have recon
notered these works and ground, rs carefully a. from
the nature Of the ground and other obstacles could
but deny that either the engineers or myself did or
could carefully reconnore them or ever said wo mad
Gel johnson, engineer, while engaged IN rsconhgs-
sance Of these works shot through the body twice
Lieut. Tower engineer and myself devoted three other
ediy .hot 81 and once hoty pursued and narrowly