The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-08-30
FIGHTING THEM OVER.
What Oar Veterans Have TO Say About
Their Old Campaigns.

To the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE:
r. c. Browns account OF the battle of Spring
Hill, which appeared in THE TRIBUNE short
time ago, was no doubt correct as far as il re-
ferred to the part his regiment ithe Sixty
fourth Ohio took in it, but it was far from
correct In what ii said about SchoGeld aud the
balance CT his army. j viii try 10 write an
account of the campaign as seen by one of
General Cox's priyates, and will begin where
General Gapron said he saw a column Of in
fantry coming from the direction Of Pulaski
on the dOuble-quiek; for il Is A fact that when
we saw the desperate situation of Caprons
command. we struck oHt az a gait that was
quite an improvement on the ordinary double
quick, aud I shall never forget the cheer that
went up from Capron's boys when we ran in
between them and the enemy. We held the
enemy bask that day and part Of the next;
then we fell back and crossed the river at
Columbia in the night, where our division
alone 1.-THE Third division, Twcnty-third Army
Corps disputed the passage OF Lees TWO d.
visions, with nearly all of Hoods artillery,
till after dark on the 29th Of November. These
are the facts, yet Z. C. Brown would have US
believe that all Of SchoGelds army lay opposite
Columbia, confronting a rebel skirnish line,
while his regiment whipped the Confederate
army atTSpring Hill. About 10 o'clock p. m,
November 29th, the Third division of the
Twenty-tiiird Army Corps moved out from
opposite Columbia. left Of regiments in front.
We understood that 10 mean danger from the
east and dat was what il meant, for Hoods
army reached from Columbia TO Spring HILL,
fronting west, toward the road on which we
moved He made an attempt 10 throw bis
right wing across our road at Spring Hill, but
the Fourth Corps was there and put IN a pro-
test backed by all Of Sebofeld's artillery ana
by Schoield himself and when X. c. Brown
claims that but for the heroic yalor of his
regiment Sclofelds entire army would have
been sacrificed. he puts me IN mind OF Mrs.
PartingtOn's remark that the elephants
would haze made sacrifice cf her, II little
key hadn't pushed them away" Hood was
better acquainted with the temper of Scho-
fields army than r. c. Brown appears TO have
been. Bat TO proceed with our story: Our
division moved right on toward Franklin,
where We arrived on the morning OF the
memorable 30th of November. and formed
line with eur left wing at the river, cur right
joining the Second division OF our coTps--the
First division of the Fourth Corps being still
further 10 the right, with its right wing at the
river This was the main line. two brigades OF
the Fourth Corps lConrad's and Lanes being
out Ia front as support for the sklrmfSh line,
with orders las we understood to lal back be-
hind the main line as soon as the enemy
should appear in force About four IN the
afternoon the enemy advanced in solid lines of
the two brigades 70 come in and give Us a clear
sweep Of the field with our rifles. You may
Judge with what atnazement and horror we
sawthem stand and open fire. We knew that
meant land-to-hand struggle for us IN few
moments, and We Were not mistaken. The
two brigades were swept from their position
and mixed up with the rebels, the entire mass
rushing on 10 our main line. 4 gap was made
IN the center al the first shock, exposing the
right flank of our division for a few moments
We delivered an eblique yOlley in front Of the
gap: then rang above the roar Of battle our
peculiar battle-ery,-" De dog, or eat the
hatehet and solid mass of rebels struck
our front; they rushed headlong on to our
works, were caught on the points of Federal
bayonets, lifted over the line, and dashed on
Abe ground behind the ditch fifes were
brokeE over the heads Of Confederate soldiers,
and the melee was general till about o'clock
D. m, when they retired a short distance, and
aplungng fire was kept up till about 10 O'Clock.
If anything worth telling took place after that.
some one else viii have &c tell ii, for about that
time caught Confederate lleaden, messenger
and measured my length in the bottom of the
ditch. WM. n. Brown,
Co. Z, 65th Ill Y. vi
PoMERoY, Iowa.