The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-06-21
What Illinois soldiers sar.

To the EDITOR NATIosAL TRIBUNE:
noticed in The TRIBUNE of May II an article
headed Speaking up Cor the Twentieth Corps, in
which II Is stated that IL Is of for Osterhaus'
division of the Fifteenth Corps 10 claim that they
drove the robeIs back from Lookout Mountain, and
that they were reserve force. Now, IN the first
pl.ce. Os@erhsls commanded the First brigade of
tie First division of the Fifteenth Corps, and Gen.
Wood. now living IN Ohio, commanded the division.
ostelllaus' brigade in the skirInsh line going
up Lookout Mountain, and my regiment-the
Thirteenth Illinois infantry-was with it, and i
have that received there that viii carry TO
my grave. There were other troops the noun
tam beside osterliaus brigade. To the left of
was Wisconsin regiment-I do not remember the
nufnber-and TO the right of us was a New York
regiment. We started up the mountain in the
morning and were all day and all night fight
ing our way up. We got up under that lofty
point OF rock, about thirty forty feet high,
tending toward Chattanooga, about 2 o'clock in
The morning Jack Dubious. a member of company
4 ard several others OF the Thirteenth Illinois in
faiitryl old ssilors-Insde ladder out of laurel
roots and grape vines and climbed mp the top of
The mountain and wanted to take the eolors of the
Thirteenth up there but the colonel of the Ihir-
teentl-Colone Gorgus-yvould not let them for
he was afraid tiat the Johnnies would capture
them; but the colonel of New York regiment
belonging 10 the Twentieth Corps. sent his color
bearer up with their colurs and had the glory of
planting the stars and stripes first the peak of
Lookout, after csserhats " Western RagnIuiiins y
had captured the pi:sce for them. When it got
light enough to see were ordered by General
beoker 20 proceed 10 RoSsville Gap while the rest
Of the Fifteenth CerDs We're ffehtinC the battle of
-OsteFhaus' little brigade Of only little over eco
nen-and got into the of the ,Iohnnies and
captured the rebel General isFeciSenridges and
Bragg's headquarters band. and we then laid down
behind bil waiting Tor boys to drive the rebs
OF OF Mission Ridge, which they soon did and
then OsteFhaJss brigade charged them. captur-
Ing more prisoners than they had in the brig
ade The Thirteenth Illinois captured also the
coiOrs Of the Eighteenth Alabama which were
taken away from them 10y General Hooker. who
SEM II TO the Sanitary Fair ut Cincinnati claiming
that they were captured 10y the Twentieth Corps.
Ne cs.nFeu on the battlefield of Mission Ridge
that night and the next morning we started after
the refreshing .gohnnieS toward Ringyroid Ca
skirmishinG with tho rebels every in Il while
until we had passed through the village of Ring
gold and struck the Taiirosd ~ a gap III the
tan, where the rebels, under C1eburne opened on
us,tlse Thirteenth fllinois,-yyho were in advance
We fought them from 10 clock in the morning
ulisii nearly O'Clock In the afternoon. We sent
back Tor re-enorceineHtS, and those famous yeter-
ana ofthe Potomac came part way. but it was very
hot, and they fell back until the Fourth Iowa and
SeTeniy-sixtll Ohio came up and re-enforeed
We captured the famous battery OF the rebels
which, - the engraving on the guns showed, had
been presented 10 them by the ladies of South
Carolina, and bore the words: I'VE never sur
render" Our loss was eighty-one killed and
wounded out of the Thirteenth Illinois. The cap
tam OF company h was Inortally wounded and
Major Beatsly, now residing In Rock Island, H.,
was wounded IN the arm by grapeshot / do
not want 10 get up newspaper quarrel with an
old coIarade but .sive US " Western Ragfnutfins.'
as You used TO call u.s. dues, and do not try to
ROB osterlEaUS' " Iop-esre3 Dutch. as the John
MES used 10 call Us, because there were two Ger
man regiments from 81. Louis in the brigade-of
the credit they deserve. We did not have a news
paper correspondents to make US all nerves like
Potomac veteran, rs YOU call yourself but was
IA ali the fights that you speak Of and know what
am writing about.
Yours, fraternaily, in F., G. and L.,
q. w, SUTHERLAND,
ILTSTONNlIIE. Late L 18th Ill Inf