The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-07-12
FIGHTING THEM OVER
What Our Veterans Have TO Say About
Their Old Campaigns.
chaucsrlorsrille-seagwieR's Movement.

ana a subscriber TO THE TRIBUNE. and have
read with deep interest the battle sketches which
have been contributed 20 its columns. il seems 70
me thai those who were actually engaged should
be able TO give better account Of a fight than
those who We're merely lockers on. Permit me TO
take up High Private }. HnntItgton.s account OF
the battle OF ClRnceilorsgille Va (which appeared
ia TIE TRIBUNE of June 9TH }, where he stopped
L. too have often thought II strange tilat the Union
army received such q ihresiBing at Chancellors-
wife and salem Church. bad management some
where must. i think, have been the cause as
brewer men never shouldeFed gun than fought
on that bloody field. II was thoroughly bloody
battle and victory should have been ours but by
some mistake General Hooker was not commander
OF corps that memorable day, but the COM
mander OF a great army. He fought corps
well, and brave and good soldier, hard TO
excel corps commander, but II seems 20 me
that The management of a large army was beyond
his grasp On the morning of May LIST. my brigade,
which the First brigade First division, sixth
Army Corps saoudered orr knaPsacSs with eight
days rations and sixty rounds OF cartridges, al
eager TO meet the enemy, and glad indeed TO get
away nom The monoionN OF camp M; &c
marched the first day 10 a point near the Kappa,
hammock River, where we rested over night, and
orders were read TO us TO the following effect;
The general commanding wishes TO say that we
now have the enemy in position in which he viii
have 10 out and fight Us on our own ground,
or ingloriously surrender. lie hopes every officer
and private VIII do has duty and. if he does, the
enemy viii he ours Cheer after cheer rang
through the air after the reading OF this order aud
al seemed anxious for the fray, and confident OF
victory.
Some eight or ten miles below Fredericksburg,
on the Rappahann0ck on the night Of the I'd,
we crossed lhe river unmolested, save by few
shArEshooters who killed several Of our officers,
and on the morning OF the Sd our lines
formed, and everything WAS N readiness before
daylight made its appearance. General Sedg-
wick, our corps commander, gave the command,
forward ? TO the division The left, while the
resi- of.fhe army was held in reserve. About one
mile IN the OF Fredericksburg are the memo
rable Marye's Heights which we had charged on
the December before, upon which occasion we got
badly whipped We did not want repetition
OF that experience, when the Sixth Corps lost some
six Thousand men killed and wounded. At the
crest Of the height, which was fortified, we were
received by voliey Of grape and canister; For
ward, doube-quickin rang through the air, while
the rebel cannon belched forth their deadly mis-
siles. Steady, was the word given by our Off
GERS. As neared the works we were received
by rolley OF nlusketry. Then came the word,
Coward " which was faithfully obeyed. Soon we
mounted the parapets and turned the enemy guns
on them Is they were fleeing before Many
poor fellow bit the dust then and there Victory
ours, but much to orr surprise we were per-
united 10 leave the enemy guns unsplked behind
us and ordered TO follow the enemy up the plank
road leading from Fredericksburg Salem Church.
Forward seemed 10 be the only order for four
miles We have got them this time, was often
shouted by the boys, as they steadily drove the
rebs from every point, until Salem Church was
reached There met them in force. Our reEsl-
Taent fronted the church, and when some thirty
yards distant from il j happened 10 look up and
the upper windows OF the church full OF
rnusiets pointed directly at company f.
recognized the SITUATION al once, ana SnOulp0
aloud, " Fire into the windows" Quicker than
can write three hundred bullets passed from our
guns into or through the open spaces IL the brick
walls LEFT for the windows, and they soon cleared
them OF the enemy's muskeis. / visited the place
months afterwards, and az that time the effect OF
the mnsket balls was still clearly visible. Bat, at
this stage Of the contest General Hill, with forty
thousand men. came down like an avalanche upon
General Sedgwick's command. We had supposed
General Hooker was driving General Hill be-
fore him at Charlottesville, some SIX miles to our
right, but instead of that he and his command had
rccrossed the Rappahannock and left General Sedg-
wick with his corps to be overwhelmed by Lees
whole army.
HILLS FLANK ATTACK.
The battle ragged hotly and furiously from
early on that Sunday morning, May 5. until IL
O. m. During the entire tine we had been dEiv-
ing the enemy before US. but at this uncture Gem
eral Hills re-enforcenenfs arrived and routed US
at every point The First division composed prin-
clpally Of Pennsylvania and New Jersey troops,
suffered the most The First brigade, which was
composed OF the First Second, Third, Fourth. Fiji
teeath, and Twenfy-third New Jersey, lost in
killed and wounded nearly out of every
three. Some Of the New York troops. who fought
like tigers beside their comrades from Pennsylva-
MIA. suffered greatly. In fact, Sedgwiczs entire
corps came near going 10 Richmond as prisoners,
for, with al his generalship. had not night come
on he could not have saved his command. which
fortunately succeeded under OF the darkness,
Ia recossing the river, with artillery and wagon
wheels wrapped in blankets 10 prevent them max
ing any noise. The morning of the Attn found Sedg-
wicks corps on the north side of the river. with
dOOKeTS command miles away, w nv IL That
General Hooker Withdrew his command on the
night of the ID and len Sedgwick TO fight alone on
the Sd, has always been mystery 10 a large part
OF the Army of the Potomac and If any of the boys
in blue can ten the reason doubtless thousands
who fought in that battle VIII be glad to see il
stated in the columns of THE TRIBUNE. Quite
early on Sunday morning. while lying near the
river, Lieutenant James Bucd, of company +.
Twenty third n. Y V. L. old friend Of mine, who
had just returned from leave Of absence on account
of wound received at the former battle of Fred
ericksburg, came up 70 me while at a halt. and
proposed that we should go to the river near by
and battle. " i think we are going to have hard
fight to-day" said he, and ] feel as though
should be killed badly wounded" and he re-
quested should his fears be realized that
his remains taken home. Offering at the same
time. 10 render similar service for me- Later in
the day, during the fight, Captain Smith is
wounded came from the orderly sergeant of his
company Il viii lead you, was Lieutenant
Budds reply, with one arm hanging at his side,
shattered by bullet. lie jumped to the head oi
his company with uplifIed sword, but only 10 re-
ccive four bullets in his body. UnhaPpily could
not fulfill my promise. Another incident OF the
battle Al the church, which small structure
company ordered some twenty rebels TO surren-
der. This they did, and, as ] gave the order for
them TO march to our rear, rebel captain
shouted. Surrender, you Yankee deyils!'' Look
ing around found that j, Nylth a few others had
been left alone. An order 10 fail back had been
given and we had moi heard it. There seemed but
Little chance Of escape. but Private Mnl- Mals1ury
OF company j. suggested that make the attempt
and. amid voiley, made dash through the
woods. which fire. As he turned TO call Il
with many Others nset his death among the bum
inE trees. MARTIN Y. HARGRovE.
Late Orderly serg't, Co. K, I'd N. ]. Vols
BRowE's Mills, n. j.
ANOTHER sEw JERSEY SOLDIERS EXPEEIENcE.
To the Editor NATIoSAI. TRIEUxE:
] am a new subscriber 10 THE TRIEUsE, but
very much IN love with it and want ii as long
as j hive. ] greatly enjoy the letters of nay old
comrades IL arms, but often wonder why we dom
hear more frequently from the men who fought IN
our Eastern armies. was member myself oi
the Eleventh New Jersey volunteers First brigade
Second division. Third Army Corps, famlarly
known tie " White Diamond " division IL
which Tire famous Excelsior" or Sickles
regiment ar also the Second New Jersey brigade
which was equally weli-known for good fighting
aud staying qualities. i notice in your issue d
June Zlst a letter from OF the members Of Co
u First New York light artillery, concerning the
affair Of PEBBLES Run, and, although can't answer
any Of his questions, still ought TO know some
things, for was with the Second Corps on the las
day Of March, 1865, at which time the old Third
Corps had been so reduced in numbers that fol
some months previous to that time had formed
the Fourth division Of the Second. and know thai
from the crossing Of the Rapidan, May. 1864 and
IA the battles OF the Wilderness, Spottsylgania
Cold BaIbOr, and other little s.irnishes like them
the Second Corps never had the reputation Of run
ming away from the enemy.
should like 10 hear from some of the boys o
battery D. First New York artillery Captain ms
low. for ] served on detached service with then
fifteen months, and went back 10 my regiment JUS
after Spottsyiyania fighting the battles Of Clance
louisville, Gettysburg, and sspottsylyania with IL
Well do remember Chanccilorsviilc. They sas
we were whipped tHcge, Iut never knew i
until rec Oi IL. On tllat Saturday afternoon Ma.
:, 1868, when we came up. were for Sighting bu
IL seemed We were not needed SO we went int
park about quarter Of a mile in the rear Of TIA,
Old Charlottesville House. and Just before sun
down, as things were getting more easy al Tia,