The National tribune., 1882-04-29
THE GUNTOWN AFFAIR.
THE OTHER SIDE.

sonalities, and we are reluctantly compelled
to decline to print the greater portion OF
very readable communication from Mr.. JOIN
Firth, Of Donovan, Ills late corporal Com
pany II, One Hundred and Thirteenth Hi
nois Infantry, relating to the battle Of Gun
town. That portion of his letter criticisin2
the management of his troops by Genera
Sturgis is entitled to consideration, and il
as followsl:
Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE.
To my surprise and establishment l reat
in your issue Of April s, 1882, a report by
General StUrgis of the Battle of Guntown.
The General says the expedition numbered
about 5000 men. In this, from official re-
ports he understatcs his number not less
than 1000 My advices are that the expedi
ton WAS fully 10000 strong and with the
exception of the colored brigade, experienced
troops, under able officers and the highest
estimate of General Forests forces placed
them at 45C0, and yet General Sturgls
speaks of the overwhelming forces of the
rebels. The General has mixed up both ex-
petitions into one sketch; the GUntown
expedition started from Memphis fully
equipped, with large wagon train, well
provided with good artillery, and cavalry
under General Grierson, and mardhed along
ordinary country roads, cavalry i'll advance
but instead of mud and rain, as the General
says, the ground was dry ard very dusty
| dust ankle-deep at least, and hot June sun,
and no rain; therefore the General is in
error when he states that the roads were
! bad on account of mud. This can be sub
! stantiated by a number of survivors living
I here. The army marched along slowly,
foraging freely, until June 10, when Grier-
| sou with the cavalry struck Forrest and
forced him to develop his force; then Gen.
Grierson sent Lieutenant Avery, Ninth Hi
nois cavalry, one of bis aids, back to General
Sturgis to notify him that he Grierson) had
struck the rebels and developed them in
force, and for General Sturgis to take his
time, choose his own ground form his line
of battle, and the cavalry would fight and
fall back to his line; but instead of this,
and to the disgust of General Grierson and
his astonishment, while falling back the
artillery began to come on the field: then
the ammunition and wagon train then the
iGtrantry began coming up in Squads all
crossing narrow puncheon bridge and over
swampy grouna-the edge of TiShomingo
Creek. 1t seems that Lieutenant Avery
reached General Sturgis and reported. Gen.
Sturgis, after little hesitation, sent orders
to the infantry to double-quick to the field,
and they started. Any sensible commander
knows what good men are, after double
quicking for four to five miles on dusty
roads, under hot June sun. The infantry
were simply beaten before firing gun. My
own regiment when they filed into the field
had less than a company of men, and they
blown. Regiment after regiment came on
the field in the same condition. One regi-
'1ent filed into line with seven musl1ets
Ias it any wonder they were beaten? All
long the road lay men sun-struck and
layed out When at last the General drew
ear the balls had startled the teamsters,
I'D there was rush for the bridge, and but
w guns and wagons got over the creek
efore the bridge broke down, and then the
ain was at the mercy of the rebels. There
eiDg nothing between the train and rebels 1
1t few guns speedily captured, of course
when the infantry came up the cavalry re-
tired, and before they could resume the line
the day was lost. The General was wrong
in saying the cavalry began to give way"
They were ordered to retire to give the in
IN hut Of ,nc,
there were only fragments, the balance |
having dropped out on account of the double |
quicking What few guns and wagons did |
get away were afterwards lost while passing |
a swamp.
The command struggled on. The ammuni- |
tion train being lost on account of being run |
over the creek, the men were soon out of |
and comparatively powerless. |
Brains and competency would not have lost |
so many men on that fatal field, nor con-
signed hundreds Of noble men to suffer worse
than death, viz: Imprisonment in that in
fernal hell, "Andersonville Prison" When
energetic, loyal officer was sent
soon after over the same ground with an
expedition of equal force, he had no trouble
to supply his men, nor to defeat Forrest
when he met him. / refer to that gallant
soldier, General A. J. Smith. And yet Gen
eral S. d. Sturgis is bold enough to charge
cOwardice and misbehavior on his unfortu-
nate men, when he alone was to blame for
the unfortunate "Guntown Affair" Who
ever saw his official report of that battle
and who was responsible for the pigeon-hol-
ing of the report of the court of inquiry at
this late day. No doubt the subtle influence
Of West Point freemasonry was the cause
the same that now influences the attempt to
restore his compeer of the Army of The
Potomac, General Fitz John Porter.
General Sturgis had men who fought as
we'll, and were as brave and noble as their
comrades of the Army of the Tennessee
men tried at Chicasaw Bayou, Arkansas Post,
Port Gibson, Raymond, Champion Hill and
to say they would become
and drift to the rear, without
'ause, is doing a gross injustice 10 the few
survivors of that march. Had the General
aiken some Of the blame instead of throwing
t on the rank and file, l would have re-
NAMED silent. If the General thinks am
lard on him let him openly meet and rebut
harges preferred against him by Dr. Gessner.
)r. u. can present him donuman+e +bo+ | !