The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-06-14
Freedom and Nationality.
=. O. mERCETE, Editor.
CAMP MEAN MURFREEsBoRo,l
June 10, 1863. (
Editor Of he Nashville Onion

hdftOT OF ne NdSTVttte CNiOa
In your yesterdays paper l see let
Ter from soldier of Gen. Grants army
to his brother, and find, on the writer's
alluding 10 the storming Of one OF the
forts in the rear Of Vicksburg, reference
made to the 97th Ohio Regiment (Which
he says is a German Regiment in the
following terms "The 37th Dutch cow
ardsD lost 100, but they viii turn out
much less.'
1t seems as though the charge Of cow
ardice against the Germans, had, after
the last battles of Fredericksburg and
Charlottesville, almost like an epidemic,
spread among the Americans os all class
es, and as though it could hardly, for the
justice with which it means to be pre-
ferred, be too often repeated. Cores
pondents of Influential papers lead the
van in bringing the charge; editors ox-
ert all their intellectual powers to Gil
their columns with The most virulent con-
formations Of this alleged cowardice; /;
Insignificant letter writers follow suit.
and hardly know how to fill their sheet
Of paper otherwise, than 10 sllude to the
miserable cowardice of the degenerated
"Dutch," and American journals, that
now represent those radical principles,
which were advocated and deended by
the Germans already, when slave mobs,
armed with bOwie-knives, yet threatened
the freedom of press and speech in this
direction, and played an important part
even in our consecrated halls Of Congress,
publish such letters, Of course, merely
for the simple story. In every American
society, the charge is again and again re-
peated in the most condemnatory terms
Now let us investigate with what right
this accusation is made against the Ger
mans;
Previous to the battles above mention
ed, scarcely any American, be be the
greatest knownothing, ever ventured TO
make the accusation. There had, Of
course, never been the slightest shadow
Of reason to do so. The antecedents of
the Germans, during the last two years,
were yet too freshin the memory Of every
one, as to allow anybody to cast the re-
prosch of cowArdice upon them. POr il
cannot yet be forgotten that the city Of
st. Louis aud its arsenal, in the Spring
of 1861, would have been lost to the reck-
less bands of Price and jackson, had il
not been for the Germans there, and their
speedy action to oppose these hordes.
Every one must know yet, that it was
the 9th New York exceedingly Germany
Regiment that alone won the palm Of
victory on the field Of Bull Run, that
covered the retreat OF the fleeing Army
Of the Potomac, aud that was, in honor
Of this, permitted to pass over tie long
bridge into the city of Washington,
while the whole army had to encamp on
the other side Of the river. II cannot be
strange to anybody, that the German
regiments Of Missouri, Illinois and other
Western States, bore, more or less, the
brunt Of the fights on the fields OF Spring
Held, Pea Bidge, DOnelson, Shiloh, etc,
and that they always conducted them
selves bravely and honotably Why,
now, after all these facts, are the very
men, that composed these regiments, at
once charged with cOwardice? Well, 1t
issaid that the eleventh corps, consisting
mainly Of Germans, in the Army Of the
Potomac did during the last battles Of
fredericksburg and Chancellorsville.
when attacked by Stonewall Jackson's
forces, ignominiously abandoned its post
and fled from the battlefield and by
some 1t is even alleged that the corps had
been behind intrenohments, where it was
exposed 10 hardly any danger. Now, for
any honest and welI-thinkiug man, il Ia
very natural 10 doubt these accusations
made against men, who have bravely
faced death on SO many battIe-f fields be-
fore, and it is no more than simple JUS
tice to inquire into the truth ofthis mat
ter. If this is done the facts will turn
out TO be actually as follows: After Gen.
Sigops Having his command, the corps
10 question was intrusted TO Gen. How
ard, in whom the men had but little con-
fidence. During the battle of Chancel-
lorsYille, Gsn. Howard placed his corps
ia position, and when shortly afterwards
informed by Carl Sohurz, and others un-
der his command, that there were strong
signs Of the enemy's intending to attack
our troops in flank and rear and that,
dispositions had to be made, he consid-
cred this Information to be OF no impor-
tanoe, aud felt quite confident that his
position would hold good for any emer-
gency, until it was too late and the attack
actually made, as predicted, by a force
three times superior his own, In number.
The corps, Notwithstanding the terrible
confusion which must have necessarily
kvnksn out updar ettch of,.,,..,.t -.