The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-04-26
Harksr's Brigade at ChisEamauga.
To the Editor NATIoyAI. TRIErNr:

To the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE:
The following is quotation from an Ohio SOL
d1erS story OF his escape rom Danville, pub
hshed in THE TRIBUNE of March %: Every old
soldier who took any part IN that sanguinary strug
gle, (CEIeamauga,j VIII distinctly remember thas
after Generals Cook (McCOoE p and Crittenden's
eoTpS-the extreme right and left-had gwen sway,
and when the day to the Union army was supposed
TO have been lost, what little was left to save was
thrown upon the corps of Granger and Thomas"
As participant in that battle and as a member
OF the Twenty-Erst Corps, (Crittenden's,) I GER
taIniy cannot subscribe to any such statement Fsy
the withdrawal of Woods division of Crtfender's
corps from the line on Sunday ncrning-which di-
vision was 70 have been sent 70 Reynolds support
on the extreme left-a gap made Through
TINS gap, before it could be closed Hoods masscd
brigades poured and drove back to new positions
amid great confusion and dsorganization Of Fegi-
mental and company formations the lines that b1s
a short time before were well closed and awaiting
the assault OF the enemy orders to advance. e
Is the writer's experience that during all the time
subsequent to the breaking of the lines and not
withStantiin there seemed be no head or leader
to direct the reformation of the disorganized reg-
mentS and brigadeS. there was no stampede or
panic or throwing away of arms by the rank ard
hle OF that part OF the army with which the writer
was connected All that soldier carrying mus
ket wanted to be told at that crisis was face the
enemy and fOrIn under any regTnentaI color you
see. Within a short time after the first graTd
break Of the lines, another line had been formed,
in this way. from the 6isorganized-not denn0rat-
lied panic 5trieken-reginens that met the adj
vancing Johnuies and held the position thus finally
taken, from EoOn TIL dark The writer only speaks
for HaTker's brigade Of Woods divsiOn of CFItten-
den's corps, but hopes that others of the various
divisions and bFigades OF MeCOokh5 and Crittea-
den corps VIII take 1t upon themselves to resens
the lnputatson that there fighting done by
the Twentieth and Twenty-fiTSt Corps at Chics-
mausa, on Sunday, September % after the lines
We're broken by the assault Of Hood. For twenty
years we have heard nothing In connection with
that battle that did not contain the praises Of the
Fourteenth Corps and Changers reserves ths
saviours of the Army Of the Cumberland rom an
initiation or capture. Speaking simply for the
survivors of HaTker's brigade the writer claims
for it as much efficient fighting Sunday after
noon as any brigade of the Fourteenth or Changers
corps. That II not only held the positions taken
alter the break IN lines IN the morning, but during
the lulls IN the lighting the OF the differels
regiments reformed under their eoioE5,
and when ordered from the field that night Hartc-
er's brigade was, except to numbers, perIees
an organization as when it went into the fight IN
the morning. As to numbers, they were all pres
{ ems accounted for. Those who not in the
ranks were the field among the dead ard
wounded Further than that, the brigade did not
get into Chattanooga Till Tuesday, September n
having been confronting Bragg forces N the mean
time.
No one has higher appreciation of the fighting
qualities OF the Fourteenth Corps than yoar e0rrs
spondent, but TO be constantly told that NcCook
and Crittenden's Corps were CisorgEnized mobs 20
that those two corps were simply wreck &e-,
Is getting to be mOnotOnOus. VIII not some others
Of the Twentieth and Twenty first Corps give their
experiences OF Sunday, September 20, 1868?
HARKER's BRIGADE.
PAIyT CREEK W Va