The National tribune., 1883-08-23
SMITHS GuERRILLAs.
How the Boys of the Sixteenth Corps Came TO be
Called So.
To the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE:

To the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE:
In your issue of July 26th, Comrade Alfred
Burkey, Of the One Hundred and Seventeenth
Illinois volunteers, inquiries who applied the
cognomen Guerrilla" to the Sixteenth Army
Corps As l was Que of old A. j. Smiths
troopers, or rather guerrillas, and tramped
along with him on the expedition TO Meridian,
Miss, and also up the Red River with Banks,
will say that the name was given to US by
Banks men after we reached Alexandria, La.
j suppose the name was applied to us on ac-
count of our rough and ragged appearance, for
we had been campaigning nearly all winter,
not having a chance TO draw new clothes, and
consequently We We're a pretty rough, ragged
and dirty looking set of boys when we reached
the Red River country. Some OF us were pretty
mad when those Yankee boys from Maine
laughed at the Western greenies," yet it was
those Western greenies, or Smiths guerrillas,
whichever they were called, who kept those
boys, with their paper collars and blackened
shoes, from seeing the inside of Tyler prison.
The excuse for retreating after the battle Of
Pleasant Hills so far as could ever learn, was
that our transports were in danger of being
captured by the rebels; but this seems to have
been a rather poor excuse, as we knew that
Porters fleet Of gunboats were lying near Grand
Ecore, watching for the Johnnies. The battle
of Pleasant Hills was fought late in the after
noon of April 8, 1864. On April Sth our COM
mand was encamped at Grand Ecore, about
twenty-five miles from Pleasant Hills. AS soon
as General Smith was informed of Banks de-
feat at Mansfield he ordered US forward, and we
arrived at Pleasant Hills late that evening.
About FIVE miles from that place we came up
with Banks supply train, which was stuck in
the mud. The drivers were cursing and fog
ing the mules and doing their level best TO
move. The Western greenies did some solid
work there IL getting those wagons out of the
mud holes. Our boys mounted the mules. and
with kicking, yelling, and lifting at the wheels,
managed TO raise them all upon solid ground.
Soon after this we went into camp, as we sup
posed, for the rest of the night, but had hardly
pitched our tents and got ready for supper when
wewere ordered To put out our fires, and tho long
roll was sounded. The Second brigade, Third
division, Sixteenth Army Corps-Col. w. L.
Shaw, Fourteenth Iowa infantry, commanding
took position in the very front, and there we
stayed from early dawn until o'clock in the
afternoon, skirmishing with the enemy. Soon
after o'clock the ball opened in earnest, and
from that time on until after dark there was
one continual roar of artillery and musketry.
When darkness put an end to the fighting,
Smiths guerrillas'' had gained the battle
and saved Banks army from certain defeat and
ruin.
We supposed our tired and hungry bodies
would get a little rest and something TO eat
after the battle, but instead of sleep and food
we received orders to fold our tents and steal
away through the darkness towards Grand
Ecore, leaving our dead and wounded where
they fell. We marched all that night and finally
went into camp near small creek or bayou,
where at last we were allowed to rest and cook
something TO eat. Here again the Western
greenies, acting as the rear-guard of Banks
army, had some hard fighting, while General
Banks and his men marched rapidly off across
the steamboat bridge to Grand Ecore EN- route
for New Orleans, and we guerrillas afterwards
q lit out for Vicksburg.
WM G. LITTLEFIELD,
ELDoN, Iowa. Co. B, l4th Iowa inf.
Comrade Geo. Nawman, North Platte, Neb.
writes US as to the origin ofthe name of Smiths
guerrillas, as follows: % As near as remember
when General Banks saw US on the Red River
expedition he said: General Sherman promised
TO send me 10000 soldiers, but he has sent
Smith and lot of ragged guerrillas.'"
I'VE have received letters from Comrades J
J. Lyons, San Francisco, CAL; Jerry Foster
| Cherokee, Iowa; J. ID. Malthir, Martinsburg
Neb., and Samuel Scott Rapid City, Dakota
which give substantially the same account as tx
the origin of the title Smiths guorrillasp ~