The National tribune., 1883-05-10
PEACH TREE CREEK.
A Budget Of Letters Concerning the
Atlanta Campaign.
Comrade Fish and his Critics.

Comrade Fish and his Critics
To the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE:
In your last issue (the 26th), Comrade Charles A.
Long, OF company L, One Hundred and Eleventh
Pennsylvania infantry, of Cobhams brigade Geary's
division, Twentieth Corps. concludes that never
saw the Twentieth Corps or if did that was both
blind and deaf, did not tell all about the battle
OF Peach Tree Creek and the entire military record
OF the Twentieth Corps. L could not, from the
prominent and stubborn fact that was not with
that corps duty, but was attached TO the staff
of Major-General John A. Logan for duty as signal
officer, and formed unit i'm the force of signal
officers doing duty with the Army of the Tennes-
see, and consequently confined my sketch to the
operations OF the department to which was at
tached principally, only referring to other depart
ments when 1t became necessary TO properly ex-
plain our own movements Well what did / say
to which my comrade of the One Hundred and
Eleventh Pennsylvania takes exception? Let me
refer to the issue from which he quotes: Hood
was now in command of the rebel army -General
Johnston having been relieved-and was gradually
falling back before our advance, watching an OPP
portunlty to attack our lines. This opportunity
seemed to offer on the 10Th The Armies of the
Tennessee and Ohio were at Decatur the Twentieth
ana Fotrteenth Corps were at Peach Tree Greek,
while the Fourth Corps on the Sandtown road
Ii ne could pierce the center and separate the army
he might whip us in detail and put utter route
or capture us. 1t q bold venture, but in per
feet accord with the character of the man He at
tackled General Thomas furiousIy, hurting upon
our lines his chosen troops under his best generals
but the Rock of Chickamauga could not be
moved. Thomas men stood their ground against
the repeated assaults without fiinehng and by
tnelr WeIl-Orected ann covered the ground with
rebel dead and wounded Now, Comrade Long,
does not this give the true location the Twentieth
Corp5? and were not the Fourth, Fourteenth and
Twentieth under the command of Najor-CieneraI
George III. Thomas, who gained the name of the
" Rock of Chickamauga" by his courage and cool
headedness ON that memorable day. the 9th OF
September, 1868? OF course the Twentieth Corps
was then at Peach Tree Creek and Major General
Hooker was there ,sand was Najor-Cie jeff
c. Davis with his Fourteenth Corps both under
the command of the = Rock of ChickamaugaH and
by their 1.-THE Twentieth and Fourteenth Corpse
weli-dlreeted aim covered the ground with rebel
dead and wounded" What more could have said
comrade, that would have shown the gallant
bravery the determined stand, the heroic conduct
oil those men. than whom none Drawer ever lived,
that composed that line fiercey assaulted by
nearly the full strength of General Hoods army?
All the trouble with Comrade Long is that he has
Iorgotton that - Old Pap" commanded Fighting
"Old Pap Thomas Joe and Jeff7' won the
glorious victory of Peach Tree Creek. But / am
glad Comrade Long spoke out and hope he will
speak again, for through THE TRIBUNE the world
Is getting the real history OF the late war /
read everything in THE TRIBUNE that comes from
or relates to my old comrades in arms, and find
my mind goes back to those days that tried mems
souls, and | live again in memory those
marches battles, skrmishes and all the incidents of
army l1ie and that life which was and Is very dear
to me. In looking over another page of your last
issue, found notice ofthe proposed Reunion ofthe
brigade commanded by General q. 9. Wacutt for
merly colonel of the Forty-sxth Ohio which brings
to mind little incident that will relate as / re-
member 1t, hoping 1t may prompt some other COM
give to the day, but this incident happened in the
latter part of June, 1861 while our army was be-
tween Big Shanty and Kenesaw Mountain. At the
left of Little kenesaw high hill, continual
ton OF the range, on which was posted rebel bat
terry, which annoyed General f. z. Blairs line and
occasionally, his headquarters to some extent,
tarding the forward movement of his lines of works
and keeping back the whole army. The guns of
this battery could not be sileneed by batteries
IN the line of works. frequently rode down that
way to see how things were progressing watching
the enemy, and reporting matters to headquarters
She nay WnlIe on the line, discovered Generals
sherman and Blair approaching the place where
had stopped for observation. They We're deeply
and earnestly engaged in conversation, and as
they approached and dismounted, 1 was soon
aware of the theme. That battery must be driven
from that hill or captured, the determined ex-
preston that heard fall from Shermans lips. Gen
eTai Blair said 1t ought to be done but it would cost
a vast number of lives. General Sherman pressed
the necessity of the occasion upon General Blair
Dut uio not ofer MIN 10 make the charge General
Blair only replied " The cost Is too great" Istood
there, holding in my little sorrel. an attentive
listener, wishing Blair would volunteer to move on
the hill and attempt its capture but he did not.
While this conversation was taking place General
Logan rode up. He was out on a tour of observa-
ton also, anxious for the advance of the left wing
Sherman pointed to the hill with its frowning bat
terry, and asked General Logan if he had any troops
he could spare from his line. The answer came
asked General sherman The reply shot out of
Logan's mouth as quick as lightning: By G.,
we can try Them" says Sherman, :" order for
ward your men," General Logan turned to of
his aids and babe him ride to General Harrow's
headquarters and request him to march his divis-
ion TO the left front of the Seventeenth Corps ON
double-quick All who knew Logan in the army
knew what he meant when he said ride-not at a
slow pace, but with the speed of the wind. Away
flew the aid, and in increduous short time Gen
eral Harrow, ut the head of his DIVISION trot-
ting down the line in of the Seventeenth Corps
hating when it approached Logan. Harrow was
speedily informed why he sent for and the
duty required OF him, and he moved ON into posi-
ton. Colonel Walcutts brigade was put in advance
the charging party with his own regiment-the
Forty-sixth Ohio-as skiTmishers the other brf-
gadeS in eschelon close order prepared for desper-
ate, bloody work. Colonel Walcutt moved out
across the intervening space. reached the foot of
the HILL rode to the front of the skirnish line,
dered a charge, and away went the line, closely
followed by the entire brigade, and quicker than
am writing it, they were over the parapet inside
the works masters of the situation and owners of
the battery and its support of over 500 infantry
Waicutts loss was very light-only few wounded.
SO impetuous his charge that the enemy were
completely awed, and fired but few shots compare
lively.
The victors and the vanquished marched back to
our lines and on TO their camp the vietOrs-even
the Notwithstanding John Brown" with the
vim and spirit characteristic of our army.
Now, let some eomrade who was in that charge
come to the front and give, through THE tribune
hisview of 1t he sawt Thisis the only way get
all the history of the various campaigns of the war
Two men might belong to the same reginent-yes,
the same companyand yet tell two very different
stories of an engagement, and both true as no two
men received the same impressions of the same
scene. have read the many communications re-
gardlnS the battle OF Shiloh with great interest,
and have In hand a sketch drawn from my diary
and memory of the operations of my own regiment
during those two days of awful hard fighting and
the days spent In removing the wounded and bury
ing the dead, which, when completed. will sub
init to you for publication if you deem it worthy of
place In your excellent paper.
CHAs H FISH.
Late Signal Officer, Dept of Tenn