The National tribune., 1883-03-15
FIGHTING THEM OVER
Conflicting Opinions Concerning the
Great Battles of the War.
To tbs Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE:

the
In THE NATIONAL. TRIBUNE of May 6. 1882. I saw
en- article on the second assault on Port Hudson
La June If. 1853 in which the writer says a pOr-
ton of the Twelfth regiment Connecticut voun-
teer- formed part OF the StOTnnG party that day
To correct this viii give part Oi my experience on
this occasion AT n O'Clock on the night Of tha
18th of June my regiment was formed and issued
sixty rounds of ammunition and at midnight started
for their destination. Before the regiment left L
ordered to remain at this position. with orders
to report to the commanding officer of the Twelfth
Connecticut volunteer regiment, who, with his
regiment, soon expected to pass here AID pilot
them To position heit ny part oi my regiment on
the third and fourth days OF the siege. which was
nearly mile TO the Icft. As l had been over the
route but once / hardly expected to find the posi-
ton before daylight. Owing to tine nature of the
ground direct line could not be taken and
the cireUitOu5 route pursued lay through Brush
tangled cullicS and over hummOcSs covered with
wood. The darkness OF the night made it still
more difficult to find the way. The regiment
marched in single file, the colonel keeping close to
my heels. When Thought we had gone far enough
in this direction L asked the colonel to halt the
regiment and would reConuOiteT Seeing q light
some distance to the left started in that direc-
ton but had not gone far when | fell into whas
proved TO be the Cry bed OF a creek, which / re-
membcred rs being but q short distance in the
Of tile position we We're looking for then led the
regiment up the little hill, where we found posted
the Twenty-first Indiana battery, to whose support
the Twelfth was ordered. Here l left them and
started i'll search Of my own regiment, which sup
posed to be still further to the left / could hear
rapid firing in that direction. It now getting
quite light, and as | followed down the Clinton
read for some distance met several wounded men,
but none had seen my regiment, nor did 1 find it
until night.
have never been able TO find any one that knew
who gave this order to the Twelfth until three
years ago at first regimentGl Reunion, where I
met old division commander, Gen. Godfrey
Wetzel. knew he cOuld;relieve my mind on this
subject. L asked him if there was not some mis-
understanding in regard to the Twelfth Connections
volunteer regiment on this day. He replied thas
the regiment was ordered to this position in sup
port of the Twenty-tirst Indiana battery, and was
therefore, not expected to take part in the assault.
Ii this is the case then, why the delay in the at
tack? The only hope of success depended a
surprise before the enemy had time to concentrate
their force at this point, which seemed to me the
strongest position on the whole line. Nearly one
half of my regiment were in the ditch directly
under the works from daylight until after dark,
when they quietly crept to the rear and joined the
regiment at the Clinton road.
The history of my regiment on this occasion says
the Seyenty-fifth New York volunteers and Twelfth
Connecticut volunteers, under LieUt.-COl. Babcock,
We're to head the column and at the end of the sap
to dcploy as skirfnshers There a long delay was
caused by the failure of the Connecticut boys, who
to share in the advance with the Seventy
ffth TO put in appearance again. The Twelfth
Connecticut volunteers not being on hand to take
the position before the other angle, as had been
planned the left of the Seyenty-fifth under Capt.
Savery, was deployed thither. The above agrees
with nearly every history that have read in regard
to this assault the failure of which is charged to
the Twelfth Connecticut volunteers not being
hand to take their place In line.
Yours, in F., Q. and L., F. II. G..
WEEDSPORT N Y. March 2