Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1882-02-17
GENERAL sruReIs AGAIN.
Severe Charges Against his Conduct
nt Gunt0wn.

iE VI, n 0cNAileTt Oi rTctHOntt Ofe VI tnt
survivors OF the 72d o. v. v. l., and who
passed through lbng siege ofprison life
through the acts of Gen. Sturgis, furnishes
the Cleveland Ludcr with a two column
article in which he makes specific and sc.
we're charges against the conduct OF that
officer at Memphis and at the battle Of Gun.
town, which, with much more testimony Of
like import, should securo an investigation.
Atthe Prisoners Reunion in Detroit last
June, resolutions were adopted severely
censuring Gen. Sturgis, and asking for his
removal from one Of the softest positions In
the army, TINT Of Governor OF the Soldiers
Home at Washington.
Wecopy belowa portion OF the charges
made by DR.. Gassner:
Not long since you published very
graphic and truthful account Of the Gun.
town disaster, written by DIR. William
Caldwell, late OF the Seventy second O. V.
V. l., and delivered by him at one OF our
regimental reunions. Possibly the fact OF
its having been written for such an occa-
sion might lead some of your readers, es-
pecially those who could and ought to
help us in our efforts to bring Sturgis to
justice, TO suspect that the terrible picture
given by DR.. Caldwell OF that calamitous
affair is painted with stronger colors than
the facts would warrant. l desire, there
fore, to supplement- aud corroborate his
utterances by n statement Of such fncts rs
can be, and have been, estab lished by au
over wlielming array of testimony.
charge $. ID. Stnrgis with having dis
played criminal incompetence nj the battle
of Guntown IN his management of the fine
body Of troops which were intrusted to hi,
command only to he disgraced and des
troyed. His incompetence was shown by
the disposition he made of his immense
aud valuable train of over Two hundred
wagons, which he parked almost within
musket range OF the rebel lines in mnrsl,y
field, from which il would have been i'm
possible 10 cxtricale il in less than half n
day, under The most favorable circum
stances. Again, his ammunition train
forty wagons) was thrown ncross creek
over nm old, narrow, md unsafe "pnn.
cleon" bridge, TO II point 40 near the rebel
lines that the mules were shot down in the
traces before the wagons could be brought
into position, thereby making the loss OF
the ammunition, 80 essential to the exist
ence Of AN army, absolutely certain in
event Of The slightest reverse to our forces;
and then actually bringing about this re.
SUIT by Withdrawing the cavalry from the
line, and compelling them to look idly on
from their lorses' backs, while the ex-
hnusted Fragments of the infantry COM
mands were nmniIiilated in detail. say
the infantry whcl, WIS called upon 10
face Forres's . well rested and well station
ed furces consisted OF ex lla,isted fragments,
because they were brought from their posi-.
tions in the column of march four TO six
miles to the battlefield on double.
quick, over u road which was 20 sandy
that the men, loaded down as they
were with knapsackA aud other accoure-
ments, sank almost to their knees at every
step. The road was flanked oil either side
by denSe pine forest, which rose like an
impenetrabe wall to a height OF from
sixty to eighty feet, and most effectually
shut out even the slightest motion OF the
atmosphere, which was fairly seething
with the burning heat of Southern
summer sun. Regiments which started
win 800 men, arrived on the line with
hall, or even less than half that num-
Der. The rest were strewn along the
roadside-some dead, others SO much
overcome with the heat and fatigue as 10
be utterly unable to move. Those who,
by virtue OF almost superhumnn powers
OF endurance, did succeed in getting to the
front, were in no condition to hold posi-
tion Just vacated Thy order OF Sturgis) by
M force OF di.inounted cavalry under GrIer-
OH, double ~ number and armed with re-
peaiing carbines.
/! charge him with having shown COW
ardice in hls shameful Abandonment nj
Ripley OF the wretched remnant OF his
superb division OF cavalry, infantry, and
artillery. Instead of protecting his foot
Sore ana exhausted infantry against the
constant ASSAULTS ol their mounted pur-
suers, which he could have done with
the fine hody OF cavalry sti remaining,
he took Warmers brigade as a personal
escort and fled with II to Memphis by n
dtJerent route than that which he ordered
his command to take. He did not care
Tor ii'e loss of his splendid infantry and
artillery, which had won high commen
dntion at Shiloh and Oh many other
bloody fields, which hnd helped Il
achieve the brilliant Union victories in
Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas dur
ing the eeventiul years OF 1852 63. ll'
cared only to save his uhisky soaked car
cass, which unfortunately he succeeded
in doing.
chnrge him viii, having been drum
on the day of the fight at Gun,own and
almost daily Tor several dnys before