, 1869-04-27

NAOAt nHa E1AE LQtn IOF Tue 1ElA
teEJ Joined the ranks OF the organized companies
Of the state: and many were disappointel ..
this command, which Am proud to Say w1as COM
posed q As gallant and lo5al men as ever bore
atmS ,a1Q Materials were purchased fos uniforms,
fahor Of Rhot}e Island Women Equipments were
purchased; and IN few days the command was
equilnents, ratons, bountles and transportation;
and the United States haS refunded to the State
the amount thus pald. These are matters Of
OF Nhptlc lsland Of their well-earned reputation,
bE saying that the raisnc or maintaining Of any re
Rimcnt Or company was due to his !ndiyidual exet-
loyal sentiment OF the people, and the expenses
Nj. spra9ue states that the Marine Artillery
vas, for a tine prior 70 the war, maintained by
his personal contributions The hlt;cry which
went OUT with my INST regiment was formed iroin
correct this unttuih{nl statement. The company
Eas then composed, as It ts po#, OF tiae buly OF
Jonng ,nen, who always have been quite able nnl
willing 70 oear their ,'E1s IN keepi1g up their
them. and the State has helped them. Mr. SpraGue
then their Colonel, ou'y bore his fair share OF the
The regiment aud battery, being Organized,
left the State for the field, cheered and sncour-
aged by thelr krlyc aht! loyal mothers. fathers,
yal th Washington the work Of drilling and dis
cipllnng commenced, and never did men make
uorr rnpd progress Their So1,l!er!y bearing
soon oElered to join General Patterson on the
Upper Potomac. Mt. srrague says We "Movel
III fear" saT that no body Of ttoops ever moved
FatstFsen. H cadEaiisder and Seorse I H. Sea Thoaas
know with what prornptness We ubeyed ordeya-
a few taJs aftGr We Joined General Patterson is
Washington. and orders came for the regiment to
hasten BACK. This order Was obeFc,i By marching
the nrst lay thlty1ye miles, to reach the raroad
n Frederick The regiment cnrur1itnn1 m 1t.A1
By General Scott for It's prpmptuesa
When ne moved towards afanassas, I Was placed
Hhod. Island. second Khod. Island, seventr-drst
New 1orI, Second Nun Hampshire aud REYNOLDS
Battery. ME. SpEague says the First Rhode Island
fused to move" Tnis statement Is talse- Aslght
discussion among few men, with reference To thu
y m9 In md sse atnq M
trn4ng, and wns quieted at once, without aug in-
reference on the part Of Governor sprasue. It
pline Of The regiment. lie Was with it part Of
tie time, and, at mr. suggestion wore the uniform
Of tho regiment, but In no sense commanded It, rs
werc then IN The n,1 un!,e States ssFycs
| was under the command Of Major j. P.
Dalch, as brave and eicient rrgin'eata on1cer a.
was on the fell Tac action was onsned BY The
manl Of the Second Rhode Island Regiment and
never did men light better than hts regiment As
| soou aG tile reil'atn4er OF the brigade could be
was ordered to remain In reserve, and the other
regiments ordered to support S1ocum. The bat
tety WAS placed On the extreme right The First
Rhode Island WIS held 1D reserve but short time,
before found It necessary to order them up: and
instead Of coming up axe 8 dock Of sheep, y as
81: snrague say, they moved up and formed line
for1n--loaded aud fired coolly, and held thelr
ground firmly. The battery, which Mr.. SpsaRue
eass needed his example to keep them
the contrary they tonight like old soldiers The
seventy-nf New York and Second New lIamp,
sT fsvs nv h enaII g1antf NJ II ao
j. Is not nj Intention to discuss the battle ii ull
refer 70 he otsial reports of ,ha, lay, together
with the statements Of impartial Correspondents,
TO learn how gallanty the Rhode Island troops
Tic Tie reeori * ri of tic Ftsst sh Rhole islani Regi
ment does not end with the nrzs battle Of the
| war. It furnished over stI hundred officers ami
| the Positions OF general. nela sIad and company
officers, Ar. sp2aRue's trst and last battle was
| Bull Run; und, with the exception Of occasional
ence ended With that hattie, anil beg TO suggest
thas his military criticisms may be tribe crude.
ats ooas - e eem ee efSt ses &
llallou had been aa9rtauy wounded: L'eutent Col
| one' taow Generan Ft,ink Wheaton coul1nandetl
4arston Tas seriously wounded, ana Lieutenant
! Colonel Fitch was in command OF the Second New
1inlnlshlru. General Hunter, In command Of our
action. The men Of fnF brigade, together with
| Major {now GeneEaN Sykes's regulars, aud
| Lieutenant <now General Richard Arnold, 9
to cross Cub Run, In retreat The fact Is well
| Known. Ar. spfa91e himself crossed long before
them, and waa resting n camp At Geatresias When
| ordered To rerurn to WasainGton. The loea whom
Mr. $EraEue seeks to elan,let marched back in q
service ID each other and to ther country called
| upon. Nj. sprague, who assuucs that he con-
| trnIIed these men, hastened into Washington IN
as as ;a aDa vas Il ed wsf she
Rhoic Island soldiers we're steadily marching back
to their Oh camp. NJ. spEag9s says my rsT.
statement is untrue. We reached washington
9ns It asss!nt ns day a'es ns
went to Genera! Scott and offered to stay longer,
but he told me that troops were arriving. and more
Were On their Ho7: that he considered the capital
quite safe, and directed nc to take my regiment
| bone.
sr. sprague seeks to dcfame member OF the
hs eenue1 o. tRe oceas'oas x!saoas % = nans nSas
| him. The first Vas m alteration about the Gus.
tod5 Of nag, which took place OF the Patent OF.
This alteration was the result OF IN eort on the
part oi IN officer to obtain custody of tho Gn9.
Neither the officer nor soLlser Was aetnatc1 BY
and certainly nothing occurred to show that any
coRardice was displayed On the occasion. The
sols. retained s;, possession Of sae n1as "a
| 70 this atzsir on The part Of Mr. sprazue
is an Instance Of special malice, as the IL.
G!dsnt VA co9sdefea 9s. . mater s.e Of % no
der is also charged by Nj. spragne Win eowar,i+
ice 8. Bun Run. This charge i false. The cir
| wns the rightfnl commander .! = company OF
| sharp shootesA The result OF ibis dspufe 80 iaf
| hmm I{aHr 1f a. r.
| soldier 30 unJust1y assa,led hy Nj. Spra.ue took
] the muslet of the wounded man, md with his
men fought gnilanty In the ranks while the regt-
Win reference to the personal charges against
NE ! have nothing y say. NJ conduct ta well
J known to my comrades Had to the people. Ny
| character and reputation must rest upon their
testimony. and not on any abatement Of 1ans. l
will add fhe following 10 SHOW the nut1nthfulness
| oG Mr. spraSue's charges mala 10 long nfle1 the
Of i1ia ialn, i6e kgtsl.tafs ef Nhose lsfand
ssaa y ssst. .as hssse
CsLnel II Flint Resiueus R,<>e i.lAaA Des.ea..4 Nj
Re.eh*,s That the thanks ot the Genera! A.ssats BE-
~ e. ., s., ~. seTssy X, t. abE.e u Eur,
ssi q 4: L sss. I'D IL A'. .v MI.
.s r. {: N. ~ s
4 S.s,! Is. Ts III ~! = e. S.Fs + TT; +: 81
Rs.Ah~L Thai lht.sA ClA,i tturnsilr Mr H., tt.t.
ds1 sA.aa, i }Gs .:sn*s.a A.'.ths $, tn, sassss
rns;sy r. ~, se,1 hs,nn.ty 'sks ..,,s
is.ia & e. ,'s.t "s IL &c Il
Nnttsf te hnlhealA'e aannAnd II .tvnersl AN1n~r X
Kt.aiss1 That ata E1c+tsuss the tssve.nes h r.
Hsisssi u hsSn.> % .ss % ,S.' sSssi L i Hum ss
Id Id h T.t IT. Il s same ' '
| Tho it,lionln1 ~rgv tsAn.!atteA ua.,et s>,vss
VI tho felh,~ tnx letter iEsM ta"serntx aprAENe:
| kxtvvrtNR n1FAHr4INE
| . FA.tinxstA AuSust Il, ISM
atsaas r ~ ..a+ kAs. t>A~*a tN~+s<a..ia.s ~ v
sia: hen~,th trssss,h IL s.u The e,A,a,aa, q,
r.. Is sesstss nv, II; ..ssSE IT. S'st :.
isl ,ssGaa.1 Il .hslr ssTrets{s Y sas = sSsss NM
II y"a,aslf An yanr rsh4e A,.s rs>,pest wa
S :s's As IL. .: ssss IL van van IN n
ss.'sv% d r. httst, ,s x,.i b.. in > .sSs ss
trnder .S1v sS... III ,s ~,. soa es,tt 4.
's II. ss % J H. IT, - @l ~ " wshiSa W.
S,r1s sts~s LII 'he urw s~sl,t" ts shkh ytsa hat .
sA's the h't"st" ' yNar frsnd md ese.en. .css
kiso hnro In my txssc.s!au lcstsfx AMI docu-
.ashts "Macta' ana rEttntts frua1 MI, SpfaGur,
dated II t'litnFunt lsfioi4 VI the waE In which tho
Rtoatsst ft!eilAhtp for an1 confidence In nc nsc
e2{.srAsrtt-Nhtch will not tsurtneu Tou With.
WHAT has induced him to make this Outrageous
attaes n!Nsn mo anti my regiment do not know.
eHrr le gtntrtni for thta rencwed- expression OF
tritnuahlp mt support 1t asl,ls one moro to the
MsnJ ohldAton8 due from me fof your numerous
acts 81 NuhnetA
Very tnlJ, JourH 4 E BuRHszpK
Bru~rF- ~Avx~n..,c cmrnss- oturlnnnH1