The National tribune., 1883-06-14
FIGHTING THEM OVER
What Our Veterans Have TO Say About
Their Old Campaigns.
The Charge at Resaca.
z NAr1orAr TRTRrNF:

To The Editor NATIONAL TRTBrNE;
have read, with great deal Of interest, the
friendly controversies IA your columns concerning
the battles Of shiloh, Cedar Creek, Jonesboro'. and
Resaca. ana can bold my peace no longer. Com
raoe CAT. IN THE TRIBUNE of tie 3t says: II Is
true tha; Gearys division made the charge al he
SAGA say is not and IN proofof my assertion,
quote from n official report 10 Captain John Speed.
a A. g. OF the Third division, Twentieth Army
Corps 10y Colonel John CobuTn, Of the Thirty third
Indiana. commanding Second brigade, Third diEls-
ion Twentieth Army Corps. Colonel Coburn says:
May 18th the brigade moved IN the morning with
the division the left some two miles, passing the
, Fourteenth FOURTH and Twenty-third Corps and
here, having halted. received order TO advance
in OF the First brigade, IN echelon, IN two lines,
snd IN their support as an asSanltiag column oathe
works Of the enemy. On coming to the position
where the formation to be made II was found TO
he inpraciioable on account Of the location of a
part OF the Fourth Corps our right The brig
ade then formed in close column of battalion
Immediately in rear OF the First brigade. Soon
after this order was changed, and the brigade was
directed 20 be formed IN two lines in rear OF the
First brigade, which was being done. but before
the completion Of the deployment orders were
given 10 advance al once ano as rapidly as posi-
bic, 60 support the First brigade, which was max
ing advance on the enefny's works. The brig
adc was moved forward at once, in she following
order: First line, Eighty-fifth Indiana, Colonel
Baird on the right; Nineteenth Michigan. Colonel
Gilbert. the left Second line, Twentieth Con-
nectcui, Colonel Ross, the right; Twenty second
Jhirty-hird Indiana, Major miller. IN the rear OF
the Twenty Wisconsin. The brigade was
thus formed in narrow rayine, thicl1ly wooded
with low and bushy trees with steep hillsdes and
out OF view Of the enemy and their works. The
advance WAS difficult up this steep hill.
at the time Of receiving this order 70 advance,
and throughout the movement up the hill, the
Second division of the Twentieth Corps was NOV
ing by the left-iiank, in from six 10 eight lines.
from right 10 left, through my brigade, breaking
and snterceptiDg the lines, and preventing every
regineotal commander from seeing his own troops
the possibility, for the time, of managing them
The brigade, notwithstanding, moved forward
Il. = r,gaf
the Second division with them and losing Others of
Its men. who swept with the heavier
current TO the left The summit Of the hill is COW
cred with woods but the slope beyond and the
valley. are cleared in front of a portion of the
eneny's works. which situated on the hill be-
yond, and which here presented opposite our
right salient angle receding with long sweep
sharply TO our left.
The brigade advanced across a portion of the
field to the works and the left along she woods TO
Its left This was done under d tremendous fire Of
artillery aud musketry, which killed and wounded
many of our men; but they brayely advanced, and
planted the cOlOrS of the Nineteenth Michigan and
Twenty-seeond Wisconsin in a small fort of the
enemy occupied by four of their feldpieQee. Such
the fury of the enemy fire. that the could
not advance further and here portion of the First
and Second brigades remained during the day,
holding this position under the very brow Of the
rebel earthworl1s."
Comrade Calf says the First brigade captured the
battery. and that there were three guns contend
that the battery was not captured, but silenced and
stolen cautiously after dark. The above report
says there were four guns, which know TO be a
fact my location on that day was close up TO the
eInbrasIre. where i could see every gun. Accord
ing TO the Official report the Second brigade lost
during the engagement twenty-eight killed and
go wounded, of which number my regiment-the
Nineteenth Aiichigan-lost its colonel one captain
fourteen men killed and sixty-six wounded.
Comrades, in our communications let us confine
ourselves TO what we know by actual experience,
and there viii be less chance for disputes 1t is
less for privaies. non-commissioned line officers
70 undertake to make accurate statement as to
the movements Of brigades and divisions. If posi-
BILE, back your statements by official records.
NJ. Z. McNIrT Co. @, 18th Mich.
RED CLOUD, NEB.