The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-12-24
DAY, DECEMBER "a, 1868.

rate our achievement By asserting that
Woods division charged the weakest
part Of the Ridge" Shades of Tom.
Pepper preserve usl Aud yet be ao-
knOwlsgss that we, the I'd Brigade, were
in advance Of BAird's Division, to which
latter the writer belongs. Well, if cur
position was opposed to the weakest Of
the enemy's we must candidly confess
that we can't "ses i" to use one Of bis
own terms. II 10 be placed in the cen
tre, IN line Of battls, exposed to an emf
lading fire from batteries innumerable is
an envisbls and easy position, then we
hadit But we shall not dwell spOn such
= fallaciOus aspeFsiOn. All who wit
messed the advance of Woods Division on
that memorable 25th Of November, well
know whether they fought or not. Aud
we here re-assert that the Louisville
Legion and the 9Th Indiana alone took
pieces Of cannon, and that the I'd bril-
gade captured 10 or 20 pieces, over
portion Of which they had some cOnten-
tion with the 1st brigade. The three
days fight was indeed "big thing"
and if 60 cannon were not captured, it
was only because few miaus that num-
Der were not there. Therefore, we main
tain al that we have previously said in
regerd to the part assumed by Gen.
Hazen's brigade, in the stOrming of Mis-
sionsTy Ridge, and if we have done it
without adding eulogy TO our statement,
it is merely because the men of the cold
4th brigade" with which Mr.. OVertOn is,
perhaps, not acquainted, need no super
fuous encomiums. Troops who have
served throughout the wIole Var, undsr
such leaders as Rosecrans, Rousseau, Nc
Cook, Sill, Buell., and johnson, need no
fatiering praise; they reflect the glory
of their leaders, and their deeds will live
as long as Shiloh, Stones River, Ghicks-
mauga, and Missionary Ridge remain
upon the crimsoned psge Of our country's
history! Why, the 9Th Indiana was
fighting the rebel hordes long before we
ever heard of the I'd Minnesota Regi-
ment! We do not wish to draw COM
PARSONS, or to excite envy or enmity, |
but when ones own is attacked it must
be justly defended. The honors which
the 9th Indiana wear, were not thrust
upon them" they were dearly pur-
chased by their own acts of brave
ry, and by the blood and lives
of their noble comrades in arms, whose
memories they yet revere. Mr.. Ogertop,
in attacking our letter of the 30th ult., is
Ostensibly impulsed by envy and jeal-
ousy rather than an intention of clear
ing up false ruaor; as he charges upon
our statements in general, rather than
upon the paragraph used as his point Of
approach. Well, as another writer
says, Eve are accountable for what we
say" and as an "Open confession is good
for the SOUL" we have said what we have
said, to verify our own just sense Of
right; not that we intend to immOrtalizs
the author of every STRAY wsif'' that
crosses our literary path. If men think
to arighten, US out of our cherished
passion for corresponding, we will
Inform them that their task is hope
less. Years ago we taught school, and
our discipline was "moral suasion.'
But when we had bad subject of "fesn
and blood" to act upon, we would ad
minister 9 very severe ehastisement, as
an example, and then let the pupil |
"slide." We maintain the same discip-
line in regard 10 men We fight our enc
mics in the field, physically, and those who
tack our literary eff orts, with all the |
mental force we can bring TO bear, if the
case demands it. Towards Mr.. 0Verton |
we cherish due respect, being fellow
soldier; and fighting in the same glorious
cause of Union and Liberty. Bot should |
any 'itinerant scribbler," or "any other
man" take occasion to make an Ass's
mothers son Of himself by attacking us
with view to misrepre us to read
ing public, he will find that if the 'pen
is not mightier than the sword" il is at
least capable of welding more than an
Over. ton weight of ironical sarcasm and
whitening rebuke.
Merely remarking that we have no oc-
casion TO retract from any part Of our
statement in connection with the retreat
of Gen. Johnson's Division from the
bloody field of Chiekamauga, on that
Sunday night, as following with Thom-
as Corps, not covering his retreat we
will bring this disagreeable subject 70
a close, hoping that every part Of the
great Union army will act in the spirit
of unity and brotherly love, until this re-
bellion is crushed, and not yield to the
malicious spirit of envy and jealousy, but
pray for strength and act with the viii
of Christian men, until peace is again
restored, and the I" fsg Of the free"
waves over a country one in heart ss
well as one in name. May God grant Us
the desired result!
Truly yours,
W. s. GAErSEY,
e Young Soldier)
Co. E, 9Th lad. Volunteers