The Portland daily press., 1883-12-13
The Twentieth Maine Volunteers.
AN O61cer of the Regiment Critieises the
Rev. var. Gerrishs History as Unjust to
COMPANY K,

Rec. T Gsgrish.
Dear Sir:-Having with considerable care
read what you claim to be a complete history
of the 10th Regiment Maine Volunteers in the
wsr of the Rebellion, feel compelled as one
of the thousand or more men comprising that
regiment to enter my protest against your book
being accepted as such.
AS work of fiction, or as a history of per-
haps ons or two companies, with the usual
quota of officers have no particular fault to
find, but as to its being considered history of
the regiment have very decided objections.
In writing this conn uuicstion I want il to
be distinctly understood that disclaim any in.
tention of detractiDg from the record of anv
company, or dsparaging the individual efforts
of any man or of any officer.
Without entering into any detailed state
ment OF the many errors, more perhans of
omission than OF commission, propose to con-
fine my objections to the important omissions
relative to the history of Company X. with
which was connected, and because in the
line of my duty with that COMPANY was an
abled better to judge of its Operations than Of
those OF any other company. Take as the frat
illustration the battlefield of Gettvsbnrg
where the general good conduct of Company
\ should nave at least entitled them t. some
Kind OF recognition in the book purportino 10
be history OF the regiment Such recoon,-
tlos has been awarded to this companv nv
the general government, and the record has
been made in the War Department at WASH
lnglIn, Wnere SAID company, and that only, is
singled out and honored by brevet promotion
for what the record describes as "distinguisbed
services on the battlefield of Gettyspure -
This, aud several other acts of good copdnct
on that DAY, such as making the discovery that
tue regiment was being surrounded by the
enemy, and promptly communicating this dis
covery TO the commanding officer thus en-
aiding him to make disposition Of his com.
mand IN time TO meet the emergency, find no
place in your history.
Again, when by the mistake, or misappre.
nension, of-sn order given by one of our acting
held OF officers the Companies on our right
wavered and broke to the rear, Company K
held its ground, firm as the rocks on which II
stood; not one loot or one inch, or for one mo.
ment, did they waver or yield, but held their
position, thereby rendering some considerable
aid to the commanding officer who so gallantly
rushed up and rallied them into line, and con-
nected them with US. 1t was these and other
similar acts OF good conduct, presume, that
| General Chamberlain and General Grifin had
IN view when they recommended the promo
| tion above referred to.
Now you staie in your history that when the
order to charge was given, there was DISPOSE
Ion on the part OF the regimen TO hesitate,
and reluctance TO obey. This is an imputa.
ton OF cowardlce which [ respectfully deny
IL may have been true of that part of the line
where you were, and of this l will admit Won
are better informed. If go, your company was
not the first TO advance, nor could YOUR officers
De the flrst to be in front in that portion of the
line occupied by us. Your statement SO far as
1t relates to Company x, is decidedly inaccu-
rate say, and know what say to be true.
that instead of any hesitation on The part Of
Co. K, and before the completion of the order,
it was anticipated by them, and when the
command charge" was given they were al
ready on the move, and that with such rush
that the officor who could get in front of them
must have been exceedingly alert in his move
ments.
Now, Reverend Sir, you may think this crit
icism severe, but when you consider that said
company was raised largely by me, nv towns
men and my neighbors, every one of them nv
frlends-as brave set of men as have ever been
permitted to meet an enemy, manly, young and
ardent IN the cause whose mothers, wives and
sisters promised should be protected as far as
l was able-you wi see il was impossible to
let this pass without a contradiction. 1t
seems TO me that should be recreant TO the
promises made, and that my duty to the mem
DRY OF those brave men who fell on that day.
and those who survived, both demand that JUS.
tice should be done to them.
Respectfully yours,
j. III. NICHOLS.