The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1863-01-30
Col. Gibson after Col. Hans &,
IEcg, I5th wis. Vols.

On the 18th inst. il appears Col. Glib
son, with part of his brigade, was out ol
a ioraging expedition, and on his returI
met the Wisconsin Colonel going out 70
a like purpose. The latter made repor
to Gen. Davis, assOiling tho conduct o
Gibson's men. Col Gibson believes il
making war and living off the enemy
The following pointed and prompt reply
was sent Up:
HEADQUARTERS LIST Brigade, 81 Div.l
CAMP SILL, Jan. Ia, 1868.
Capt. J. y. Bartlett, A. A. A. G.:
CAPrAIs IL have the report Of Col
Hans c. Heg, 10Th Wis. Vols, as to hi,
expedition on the 18th, and orders from
Division headquarters to report. re.
spect orders, and regret that Col. IIeg
felt authorized to sgu paper so rcplete
with injustice and !alsehood. Common
honor requires that in assailng the integ
rity OF brother officer, he should deal in
facts.
forOgcd on two farms. One was
guarded by the S9th Illinois, and the 9TH
or by the 39th lnd ma. The other for
ces and my artillery aud cavalry was dis
posed 80 as to guard against surprise, and
prevent marauding. No man was allow
cd to touch anything without the owners
consent. am not aware of single Vi
olaton OF this order. The men were kept
within my lines, except few officers
servants, who went to the front to pur-
chase supplies.
Learning that the men were shooting
pigs, repaired TO the spot and found a
negro at the plantation Hing them. On
this farm there was u small flock of sheep,
and Capt. Lowton and other officers and
privatcs, called on tho actual owner and
obtained number. Upon what terms,
or Tor what consideration, did not learn,
nor did feel il my duty to enquire. OIL
GERS found good supply of articles great
ly wanted. Personally, | experienced
great pleasure from our success, for tho
put up my last half-dime and shinplOs-
ter, my table has been, and is still, quite
inviting. am living well. We found
not only poultry, mutton and live sheep
as Col. Hcg has it, but plenty of pork,
dried fruit, butter and eggs, with corn
meal and flour. It is source of sincere
regret to me that our success has so ex-
cited the sensibilities of Col, Hcg. We
returned to camp exultant, happy-he
sad and gloomy over military dcgeneracy,
Ifhe was less successful, it was no fault
Of ours, and we wish him better luck
next time.
The vigilant Colonel says, "for two
miles in their rear, the road was lined
with stragglcrs loaded doeR with poultry,
mutton and live sheep. Soldiers were
seen in nearly every fenco corner, shoot
ing hogs and skinning sheep" Fortunate
soldiers The land of plenty is reached
at last, and the days of rations Of parch-
cd corn are gone beg leave to as
sure the General commanding Division,
that "loadcd down" us they are said to
have been, every man reached camp with
out the loss of anything eatable. The
road is fenced on both sides, SO that in
two miles we have twelve hundred aud
eighty fence corners, ("nearly") in which
the work of" shooting and skinning" was
progressing, according to the report of
Col. Heg. Did Col. heg expect any man
TO believe that storyl As had less than
twelve hundred men, il is not unchsrit-
able to say that portion of these "out-
laws" existed only in the Imagination of
the wutchlul Colonel. True, upon rules
OF legal construction, he may escape by
insisting that the word NEARLY" like
words OF propinquity, means notAing.-
The case OF Walker VS.. the nj. h, L. l..
L. r. Il. Co., 7th Ohio Reports, and 9TH
or good authority, can be cited, in sup
FORT of This rule. But in all candor now
affirm that no sush scene met his eyes |;
and that he did not see man of my com
mar one mile, nor forty rods, in my
rear. On all the grounds within and
near my lines that day, there was not iii-
" sheep nor thirty hogs and pigs.
Wh6 nee, then, came the bleeding VIC
tins! III Col. Hcg tells the truth, am
forced to claim that the ssheep aud hogs"
came BY miracle. as upon Mount Morlah
where the infant Isaac, future father OF "a
nation, was saved by the timely appear
ance OF ram, ia thorn bush.
Ii this does violence to oar theology, il
still appears essential to the exculpaticn
Of Col. Heg from the crime OF misslate-
ment. The Coloael's advance passed my
rear within mile of the extreme point
reached by my men ON that day. II is
possible that the column close in his front
reconnoitering in the direction OF Eagle
will, may have furnished few hundreds
TO the "slraggling fence corneE' host ,tor
they were not oi my command, and no
one will suspect that the 10th Wisconsin
touch, anything that day but shay, corn
and fodder"
We did not call the roll that day, but
with that single exception, no order was
violated, TO my know ledge, or with my
consent. In passing the piekets my lines
were closed up, and train and all came in
10 camp well "loaded" and in hne order,