Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-07-20

Col SHRYRocKs REPoar-If any doubt er
i-ted AZ to where the responsibility belonged for
the unfortunate affair in Col. Shryrock's regi-
ment, which resulted IN the death OF FIVE citizens
OF our State and the serious wounding Of many
others. the rep1rr of the gallant Colonel will re
move It. he started With a regiment. hut /. fe
days w the service. on a night march over a road
With Which he was unacquainted, expecting 70
meet the enemg in force. without a guide, and
without an advance guard. There were FIVE hun.
bred men IN Lasrenceburg who could have acted
as guides aud it vas his duty to secure one il he
entertained a doubt about the road The Colonel
says on this point:
After marching nearly two miles feared |
had passed the Harrison pike remarked TO
Lieutenant Colonel Hartley, Halt the column.
and will ride forward and see If We are right as
TO the road The Lieutenant Colonel halted
the column. rode forward fifteen or twenty
yards and met gentleman in a buggy. He halt
Ell. inquired for the Harrison pike. He di-
rected me to H.
IL was at this halt that the mischief was done.
The order WAS not heard In the rear. and the
ranks closed up and all became confusion, and
the firing began which resulted so disastrously
But we will let the Colonel tell the story: -
81 said TO Lieut. Col. Hartley. Move forward
the column just at that moment a gun was
discharged ss thought about midway OF the reg
imeni. The gun secmed to be elevated at an
angle of about IS degrees. regarded II an
accidental discharge. In moment il WAS sue
ceedcd by half dozen shots, and in less than five
miutes the fire seemed general. The men scat
tered from side TO side of the road mmedi-
stely rode down the road commanding the men
10 cease firing, which they did rs soon rs they
recognized me as thei. comm anding officer
shouted To them, You are killing your own
men, | think all the firing was done inside of
minute"
What practical ear the Colonel must have to
tell the elevation of the shot The gun seemed
to be elevated at an angle of IS degrees" Ifhe
could tell so we'll the angle. could he not tell "
the kind Of sbotf Old soldiers say there is
marked difference N the sound OF the minnie ball
and the round ball from smooth bore a squir-
rel rifle In fact, they can tell the kind Of wes.
pom used from the singing Of the ball IL IL passes
close enough to- their heads. The Colonel can
certainly tell us whether or not it was a pistol
shot He continues:
lit is an occurrence much to be regretted but
the result. think. of an honest misconception of
those who fired after the first shot Rumors led
the men 10 believe that the enemy WAS
approaching from the direction Of Harrison;
also that they were i'm the front rank; ami
not knowing from whence the FIRST shot came.
they led to imagine that they were fired
upon by the enemy. Some Of nv men are Of the
opinion that il was the result Of preconcered
plan Of some enemies Of the Government who
got into the ranks unnoticed
Those holding this opinion think the first i've
six shots were from revolvers
Que Of the surgeons dressed wound made
by revolver ball Seven No . shots have been
picked from the persons of soldiers not otherwise
hurt.
Then the question arises. why did Captain
Branha ms company. noted for their zeal in the
Union cause. snifer City per cent of the loss, IL
il vas promiscuous firingS Col. Gavin il EN-
trcly exoncrated"
The Colonel thinks the frat FIVE or six shots
were fired from rcvolvers lie knew, we sup
pose. by the sound. And from this he would
insinuate that there was treason in the ranks
That pistols wcre fired IL altogether likely.
The young soldier weights himself down with
arms. We have no doubt there were three or
four hundred pistols In the regiment. mud great
many Of them discharged in the confusion. There
il nothing more natural. The men we're used To
their pistols and unused to handling their gunr,
and their first impulse would be TO fire them Oft.
But mark the contradiction In one paragraph
Above. The Colonel SAYS 1T IA nh occurrence
much ,o be regretted. but the result. think. of
an honest msconception OF those who fired after
the first shot" and then proceeds 10 say that
"somc Of the Of the opinion that IL was
the result Of prcconcertod plot OF some enc
mics of the Government who got into the ranks
unmolcstcd. Those holding this opinion think
the first five or six shots we're from revovcrs."
SO. according TO the logic of the gallant Col
oncl. tho men fired under misconccptlon after
the frat shot, aud yet they we're traitors to the
Government
The cn,iro rcprrt I. q lame attempt to- -hif tho
responsibility OF a most lamcntablc disaster from
incompctcncy. TO myth created ~ n convenient
scapegoat.