The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-07-04

The truth of history must be vindi-
Gated. His (Veatch's regiment,
the Gallant Twenty-ltth, was not
under his (Veatch'sl immediate COM
mana At Fort Donelson. Every man
In that regiment knows that Lieut..
Colonel w. H. Morgan commanded
the regiment in tire bloody conflict at
Fort Donelson, and that Gen. Veatch
fingered in the rear until the surreu-
der Of the rebel forces, and then, be-
decked ia bis new military trappings.
upon which there was no smell Of
gunpoWder. undertook to place him
self at the head of the regiment, and
10 claim a participation in its gallant
deeds, but the singing rebuke adj
ministered BY Lieut.. Colonel Morgan
made his feathers fall, and he again
skunk back into the rear ldld1a-
0polis SeatineI.
The central organ Of the Indiana
Democracy has gained an unenviable
notoriety byits recent attacks upon
the candidates Of the Republican Ma
tional and State tickets. which are
made up of base falsehoods. support
ed By forged letters and groundless
statements. It. has been convicted
by the Cincinnati Commercial and In
dianapolis journal Of forgery and
wilful lying in its attacks upon Speak
er CoLFAx. And the above extract
may be added to the list as of like
character.
We can appeal to the survivors Of
the Twenty Fifth Indiana, who par
ticipated in tia battle of Fort Donel-
son, most of whom are citizens of the
First District, to sustain us in the
assertion that General VEATcH was in
immediate and personal command Of
that Regiment during every moment
of the three days fighting that it was
under the FIRE of the enemy. The au-
thor of the extract from the Jour-
sNA1, the truth of which the Sentinel
denies, and the writer of the present
article, was present with the Regiment
during the entire time in question,
holding the position of Major, and
he AYERS from his own personal posi-
tive observation that such was the
case, and challenges any member Of
the Regiment or other person present
st the battle to deny it.
1t will be remembered by the mem
bers of that Regiment that during the
early part of the Winter General
VEATcH had been attacked by Sc
we're and dangerous camp fever, from
which be had only partially recover
ed, when the Regiment received its
orders to join GRANTS army, in the
campaign against Fort Donelson. He
was quite feeble, and if he had fol-
lowed the advice of DR.. JOHN T.
WALKER, the skillful surgeon OF. the
Regiment. he would have accepted q
sick leave, but he went forward with
his command: During the three days
lighting. the army, without tents, was
exposed to very inclement weather,
which. it is well known, resulted in the
death or permanent disability of many
a gallant soldier. During all this ex,
posure, General VEATCH remained
with his men. At the close of the
last days fight, after the Twenty fifth
under VEATCH's personal leadership
had joined il storming the key point
Of the euemy's line, which virtually
decided the contest, fully two hours
after the last gun Of the entire BATH,
had been fred by the enemy, after tn,
darkness had come on, and after the
troops engaged had been reinforced
By large numbers from the right
General VEATCH, with the approval OF
his Brigade Commander, did turn
over the command to Lieut.. Colonel
MORGAN and go to the hospital al
the foot Of the hils, where be spen
the night with Surgeon WALKER; bu
he Joined the regiment early in the
morning.
But it does not depend upon tn,
present testimony of any living wit
ness to prove the utter falsity of tn
ScntinePs statement. We can appea
to the Official Reports Of the battle
it viii be seen By. reference to the of
fetal records of the battle of For
Donelson that the report of the move
ments and conduct Of the Twenty-fiftI
Indiana was written by Col. JAMES c
WATCH. in which he claims to haV
been in immediate command. The
brigade commander was Col. J. G
LUNMAN. In his report dated Feb
18, 1862, addressed to Gen. G. It
SMITH, commanding Second Division
referring to the Gzst days fgh
he uses this language:
To accordance with your order,
moved the lett wing of my Brigade
consisting of the 14th Iowa, CoIone
Shaw, and the 18th Indiana, Colone
Veatch, from their encampment, to
wards the enemy. =
Here we halted until III,
line could be formed, when the 25tl
Indiana, asadey. Colonel Veatch, move,
steadily up the hill and towards tn
sntrenehments under most gallin
nTe OF musketry and grape, until thei
onward progress was obstructed b
the fallen timber and hrnshVood
which impeded their nroorasa Hav
ing, however, succeeded IN ca;nino 4,
advanced position, thew hsId Il nm
hinching y for two hours, until ordar
ed to fall back out of rance i of ~ ~
enemy's ERE. The loss of this ~ -
ment, in killed and wounded. Ta
very severe"
In giving the account Of hi
Brigade in the last days fight, Co