The National tribune., 1883-05-10
The achievements of the Twentieth Corps.

To the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE:
In recent issue of THE NATIONAL. TRIBUNE
Long, One Hundred and Eleventh Pennsyl-
vania volunteers, in reply to Signal Officer
the battle of Peach Tree Creek. The latter states
that General Hood IN attacking the Union forces
found the Old Rock of Chiekamauga immovabIe
Now, L was a member of company F. FoTty-sixth
regiment Pennsylvania volunteer infantry First
brigade, First DIVISION Twentieth Corps composed
OF three divisions commanded, respectively, First
division by General Williams, Second division by
GeneT Geary, and Third division by General
Howasts- The First and Second divisions composed
the old Twelfth Corps the Third division was the
old Eleventh Corps-both from the Potomac Army
After the three days battle of Gettysburg the Eey-
enth and Twelfth Corps was consolidated. named
the Twentieth Army Corps, and transferred to the
West under General Joseph Hooker, to re-enforce
General Sherman. When, therefore General Hood
and his army of Johnnies met the Slittering bayO-
nets of the Twentieth Army Corps il was the rock
OF the Potomac. and not ChickanIauga as the sig
nal officer says, which they encOunteredf It had
been tossed about and shattered on MANY a bloody
field in old Virginia.
The Twentieth Corps crossed Peach Tree Creek
early on the morning of July 90 1854, the Third
division the left, Second division in the center
and First division on the right,-my own regiment
being the extreme right of our COrps.-and one bril-
gade OF the Fourteenth Corps, believe being still
to our right l do not think this brigade OF the
Fourteenth Corps was engaged however We
were located in open field on high ground and
could see along the line Of our and the second
DIVISION When the Dali opened the roll of mus
kerry and artillery moved from left to right and
In the afternoon when that horrible mass OF john
nleS struck our line, we found them six deep COM
ing up hill through heavy timber and unClerbrush
We were on our knees and gave them the first
reception OF mines In thar position at a distance
OF not more than thirty feet. But they soon showed
themselves SO strong IN numbers that they sue
eeeded IN ffinging their left around cur right and
some OF Us We're forced to face about and fight them
both ways with our single line We held the
enemy IN check, however, till darkness closed over
this bloody battlefield and the Johnnies withdrew
leaving US to bury the dead Our loss was heavy
In my own company twenty-four out Of fOrty-eight
were shot down. lacked at the time but thirteen
days of having served out my term of three wears
Ii Is miracle that any of escaped that shower of
lead General Hooker stood in this field like an
iron statue hat in hand and exposed ali sorts OF
dangers. A man that would desert such a general
as he was Fighting joe" as we called him
must be lacking IN all sOldierly qualities. He was
the bTayest of the brave. Hooker's report to Gen.
erals Thomas and Sherman puts the loss of corps
at 500 and states that the enemy left 6O00 dead
and wounded IN his front 1t will be remembered
that General Sherman issued order compliment
ing the Twentieth Army Corps for their conduct
on this battlefield Nor shoed il be forgotten that
it was General Gearys Second division Twentieth
Corps, which charged and took the famous Lunett
battery at the battle of Rcsaea, Ga The ellnners
used their hammers TO beat out the brains OF our
soldiers rs they scaled the works but were finally
oVefpowered and the cannoneerS nailed to the
ground with our bayOnets. And il was General
Geatry Second division, Twentieth Corps too. that
scaled the rocky peaks of Lookout Mountain and
fought the battle in the Clouds $40 feet above the
sea-and thereby opened the great Cracker
Route for Sherman's army.
JOSEPH ENGoMAR-
MILLvILLE, n. J.