The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-08-09
Yellow Bayou-A Correction.
To the Editor NATIONAL TRrR1JNE.

10 the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE:
In The TRIBUNE of July IL appeared let
ter from G.. w. McKinsey, Ninth Indiana bat
terry, relating to the engagement at Yellow
Bayou, on May is, 1864. | have been very
much interested in the soldiers letters in THE
TRIBUNE, and | note that the closer a writer
sticks to his own regiment or brigade in re-
counting scenes and incidents of campaigns
and battles. the more interesting is his letter
But the fact is that the cavalry of the Nine
teenth Corps fired the first and, | think, the
last shot at Yellow Bayou. / belonged to the
Fourth brigade Of cavalry, commanded by Gen
eral Davis, a Texan, and afterwards governor
of that State. The regiments were Eighth New
Hampshire Second Illinois, Sixth Massachu-
setts--formerly Thirty-first infantry,-and as
a temporary cOnsert, the Third Maryland. This
brigade made heavy fight. The loss in my own
regiment-the Sixth Massachusetts-was Sc
we're. Company ID went into action with eight
men. and four were shot dead. survivor in
the same company captured an officer and two
prlvates at one pull. A part of the Sixth
Massachusetts was posted on the extreme right
OF the Union line, near the Bayou, and directly
across the turnpike road. | remember well
that the fighting was of a desperate nature. A
few incidents L will here relate. At about 1890
a. IN. we We're pressing the rebels hard and
gaming ground, when suddenly an infantry
man broke through the brush, fell into our line
VA odttiC AnG NtIG utSilDuHGcul, anu COM
menced firing on his own hook Our Major
Rice inquired who he was. The infantry SOL
der replied: am a cook in the Eighty ninth
indiana" The major responded {" wish to
God there We're more such cooksl"
l saw pair of alligator boots protruding
from sluice- way; they were pulled out, and
with them came fiiteen-year- old reb OF the
Fifteenth louisiana, and though white and
trembling with fear, he growled out: % You
frnt inf np't arr,t A
ments later an infantry regiment came up be-
hind us. and IN the mass of underbrush and
smoke mlstook US for rebels, and opened fire
upon us. was sent back to stop the firing,
and, in making the two minutes Journey, got
a Union bullet through my hat and my left
temple brushed, while my horse received
slight wound in the head. What regiment sent
the cold lead never knew. was too thoroughly
mad to inquire.
Nine pieces of Confederate artillery in front
of us opened at 500 yards, about 10a. IN. or a
little later, and Union battery soon took po-
sition IN the road On our line. My place in
line was about loo feet from our battery Both
the Union and Confederate guns We're worked
with prodigious energy. Gen. A. J. Smith
came out to US on his brown PAGER, and our
commander asked permission to carry the rebel
battery. The old chief replied Wait a lit
tie: give me this cavalry and l could get to
shreveport" And now, Comrade Mckinsey
IN closing, viii say that / am willing to be-
stow the brightest of honors upon the fair
lame of the Sixteenth Corps, but in this case
am not willing that they should get away with
the whole cake / would like to hear from
Ransoms men of the Thirteenth Corps who
fought by our side at Mansfeid-the day of
disaster,-or from the Nineteenth Corps whose
Infantry, on that terrible night of Sth of April,
1864, received and repulscd the determined
charge of the whole Confederate host.
L notice that some of the Sixteenth Corps
have fallen into the erroneous presumption that
the infantry of the Nineteenth Corps were
whipped at Mansfield. The truth is they were
halted and formed their battle lines about five
miles in the rear of the contending forces Had
the Nineteenth Corps proper been joined with
the cavalry and the Second division of the
Thirteenth Corps at Mansfield, the Confeder-
ates would have been defeated. As it was,
eighteen skeleton regiments were pitted against
segenty-two. Yet they fought desperate bat
tie of five hours duration
III. N. CLoTRIER
Late Sergeant, 9th Mass. Cav.
HEBRON, ILL