New-York daily tribune., 1863-07-03
The Grent G.ilantry OF the Negro Troops
M Wi.iiLen's Bend-An Authentic Ac-
count Of the Fight.
From The GsIena nlll Ady,rti.e,.


From The Gaena CIlI.) Advertiser.
We publish below a very interesting letter o
Capt. NJ. VI. Miller Of this city, of the 9h Louisiana
(coloredl Regiment.
Capt. NJ. is a son Of w. II. Miller, esq, for many
yesrs citizen OF Galena. At tho time OF the break
my out OF the Rebellion he was a student in Yale
College, nearly through with bis course. lie left
hs studies however and returned home enlisted az
"A private IN the celebrated Wasbburne Lead Mine
Regiment, from whence he was taken and made Cap
TAIN of q coored company. His statement can be
relied on as literally true, and we venture to say the
history Of the world shows no desperate fight
ing than that done by bis company at Millken' 4
Bend. Every mall but one in hs company waH
either killed or wounded, aud many Of them in u
hand to hand bayonet struggle.
MILLiKKss BErD June 10. 1863
DEAR Aunt: We were attacked here on June z,
about o'clock in the morning, bya brigade OF
Texas troops about :, 800 IN number. We had abou.
600 men 70 Withstand them-50O Of them negroes.
l commanded Company 1, 9Th Louisiana. We went
into the fight with 50 men. l hhd 10 killed and III
badly wounded slightly. / WAS wounded slightly
on the head, near the right eye, with bayonet and
had bayonet run through my night hand, near the
oreinger; that will account Tor this miserable sty lie
Of peumanshp
Our regiment had about 800 men in the fight We
had one Colonel wounded, four Captai1s wounded,
two lst and two % LieuIenHuts killed five Leuten-
auts wounded. and three white Orderlies killed and
The liz. OF killed and wounded officers comprises
nearly all the officers present with the regment-a
majority Of the rest being absent recruiting.
We had about 30 men killed IN the regiment and
50 wounded 20 you can Judge OF what part of the
yht INV company sustained / never felt more
gIieved and sick at heart than when saw how my
brave soldier, had been slaughtered-one with Blk
wounds all the rest with two or three, none less
than two wounds. Two Of my colored sergoants
were killed both brave noble men, always prompt,
vigilant ana ready for the fray. never more wish
to near the EXPRESSION "Ihe niggers won't fight
Come with me 100 wards frcm where rIt, aud car
show you the wounds that cover the bodies OF 10
brave loyal and patriotic soldiers as ever drew bead
Oh a Rebel
TIE enemy charged us 30 close that we fought
with our bayoneis. hand 10 land. have fix broken
bayore,s to show how brnvely my men fought. The
23d Iowa joined my company on the right and de-
clare irulhiuy that they had oil fed before our reg
ment fell back, ~ We were all compelled TO do.
Under command OF Col Page, led the gth and
llth Louisiana when sIe riho.pits e-taken and
held by our troops, our two regiments doiug .Ac
work
/ narrowly escaped death once. 4 Rebel took
deliberate aim at me with both barrels OF bis gun,
and the bullets passed 70 close 10 ne that the pow
der that remained on them burned my cheek. Three
of my men VINO sAw him aim AMI fire thought that
he wounded me each fire. One OF them wAs killed
Uy my side and he ,ll on me, covering ny ciotLo,
With biz blood, and before tie Eelei could Lic again
blew lis bsa,us out with my gun.
Il was horrible hsht, the worst ! was ever en-
"a. cd m-uol even excepting Shiloh. The enemy
c.ed " No quslierl but sou.o oi them were yr y
.iad 10 take lg when mnfe pfi-onerf.
Col Allen Of the Eth 1exa, was killed IN front Of
our r.. iuieut and Brighten. Walker wR- wounded.
We killed about lSD Of the enemy. The guuboai
Cloc;Aw did goOd service shellu. them. utOOd on
the brrAsisorks aller We took hem, and gave tho
elevations and direction Tor TIE gunbo4. hy pointing
nv sword aud they cent u ,lell ugLt into their
midst which sent lbem ~ Nil directions. Three
,lels fell ihorc and O. Rebels lay tucIe when tho
helt WAS over.
Nv wound is no, ssr ous but Troublesome. VIA,
few men | hnV, oft seem 90 think much OF ~" be-
cause .;oud up witu tlcu ~ the hsat. ! Gao say
flr ihtm tAA, never sAw n hTavet ,ompALy OF men
lu my HE.
No, one Of them offered 10 leave hi, plac- until
ordered 10 fall back ~ fact very few ever Oh fll
back. went down 10 TIE hospital. three miles to-
dAy TO zee the wJundrd. Nine oi tacm were there,
two hAViug died Of their wounds 4 toy ! had
cooking fof nc came and begged n guu whcL tie
keieis were advancing anu took bis plHc, With TIE
,onIany. aud VIXEN we rctoo. %, trcAsiwofks ]
iouni hIm badl, wounded with one glu.tAoi aud
TWO hayouc'i 'iwouud-. 4 new recruit hat ssucd o.
gun 10 the DAY before the fight wEr found deaf with
"a i.fm gp.sp % hi. gun, the bAyouoi Il which SGs
broken Iu three pieces. 50 they Tough. aud died
defending tie cAlsc thai We TrNcrc. IDry mct
death coolly, brav-iy-uot rastly did iLcy cxi or,
themselves, but AL were steady and obcdisni 10
orders
80 God has spared s.rin through many dan
gcr, | cnnlOt tell how II Wa, / csonied.
4r.h.-In,i. u,phs~. u. MILLER