The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-02-14
our commander aud Of his record, both in war
and in peace.
BY order os1poas:
50 rs. v. c., Post No. 173.
MCLEAN, Ill
CHICK A.iMAUGA.

|
CHICK AMAUGA.
Tho story About s.eafaan and the Colors-an-
ofher Version.
To the Edior NATIONAL TRIBUNE:
l have just read General John c. Smiths
report of General Steedmau's operations at
Chiekamauga, a8lL was as much eliagrlfed as
astonished to hear that the cowaFdice OF an
Illinois colonel was the reason why Steedman
himself became celorbearer, fo- q time Of the I
regiment.
The facts in the case are: Tt was the colors /
Of the 18th Illinois volunteer infantry thai I
Steedinan seized, and it viii be noticed that I
General Smith, although he denies any cow I
ardice, leaves the inference that the colonel of I
the regiment and the coor-sergeallt were not /
acting as they should have acted, and Steed- I
man had to come to the rescue to save the I
regiment from utter confusion.
A short explanation of the part taken by our
brigade at Chickamauga win make this act of
Steedman's more plain to all ex-soldiers, and |
/ think to General Smith himself
Our brigade consisted of the 18th Illinois |
volunteer infantry, 9Stll, 18th and 12lst Chic
volunteer infantry, Colonel John g. Mitchell
commanding, ID brigade, 1st division, reserve |
corps, Army of the Cumberland. The writer
hereof was member of company I, 18TH Hi
nos volunteer infantry, and was in line all
day, and what transpired within radius of
ten rods of where ] fought that afternoon OF
September 20, 1862 is indellibly impressed on
my memory.
THE PART TAKEN BY THE 18TH.
Our regiment tho 18th Illinois) went into
! the fight with seven - small companies.
/ Companies and had been captured some
nine months before, and at that tiiae were pris-
oners of war. Company T was Gu detached
service in the rear during the day The colers
/ a.. Lee T g4t.1
| company to which [ beionged), and during
/ that day were not five rods from me. In our
/ first charge up the ridge, the summit Of which
| we fought so terribly to hold. our majar-Wli-
/ liam L. Broaddus-Svas instantly killed by
mimic bali while calamity leading the left Of
our regiment. Tire ball struck him fair IN the
neck md dislocated it. No Drawer soldier CT
truer gentleman evlr FIJI than Major Broad
dus. Yet, General Smith, IN enanerating
| the number of officers killed, does NOT even
/ mention his fsroaddns'j name. It was bnt
short time until theJohnnies charged us again.
In this charge cur lieutenant-colonel-C
Van Week I'VE had no Colonel at this time
had his horse killed from under him. In the
next charge they made he was severely wound
ed-so much SO that he had to be taken off the
field. This left us entirely without field o4h-
i GERS. During the third charge OF the evening
Captain Allen, of company II Captain Pollock,
Of company i, and Capt. Houden, OF companyt4,
Captain Black, Of e6fnpany d, WIS OF Cologel
MitchelI's staff Several of the lieutenants also
were wounded-Iieutenant Chandler, of COM
panv l. for one. Our adjutant was in command
OF the regiment, and he nobiy stayed with us,
and seemed TO bear charmed life as he was
terribly exposed, yet did not receive a scratch.
THE FOURTH CHARGE.
It was during the fourth charge, late in the
!, day. that Longstreet made his most desperate
effort to break through our lines And here let
me explain: our brigade was in the shape of a
, curve, and the regiments were placed from
right to left IN the following order: 121sb Chic,
, 18th Illinois, 93th Ohio, 1l3th Ohio; the
18th Illinois and 93th Ohio being in the center
of the curve, the curved shane of the line
threw them little il front of the right and
left regiments, and of necessity the assaulting
| column struck them frst.
! It was during this most famous charge {the
, most furious ever experiencedl that the 95th
) | Ohio and 18th Illinois were pushed from the
summit Of the ridge not to exceed five rods
but there was no disorder, no confusion, no
: / struggling. It WIS simply an attempt to gain
shelter until the faTgs of the charge was spent,
| / for it was certain death to show your head on
) / top OF the ridge, slice the mimic balls we're
5 thicker than / ever saw haistones fail. Ii
was q critical time for If the line had given
| way the road would have been open to Thomas
rear
These victorious troops had routed EfcCoolz's
and good part of crittenden's corps early in
the morning, and were rolling up the balance
a of Crittendcn's and Thomas corps about' as
) fast they could march. Our division (Steei-
Z mans was brought from the extreme lett on
4 | the donbIe-quick and thrown against this
! | avalanche that was approaching Thomas right
: | We were stretched out into one single line
i and had no reserve line behind US. We were a
t single living wall between Thomas and de.
1 &c f51oto ba
j. that Steedman and his division saved the
q Army Of the Cumberland from total annihila-
: ton.
G The brave and generous Thomas had ell he
d could manage. Bragg was hurting his whole force
{ against his front, expecting TO drive him as
g Longstreet had driven MeCook and Crittenden
q But the Rock Of Chickamauga' was there Il
;. stay. Yet, if Longstreet had succeeded in get
G ting on Thomas flank and rear, as he made
r such q desperate effort to do, the brave Thoma:
! and his corps would have surely been swallow,
o ed up.
. WHAT sTEEDaAE REaLLY SAID.
= This was the situation at that critical time
Z when Steedman came up on foot in the rear o
= our regiment. Our color-sergeant had beer
: struck with missile and was unconscious a
. this time. Steedman walked through the color
4 guard and asked the corporal, who had takeI
!. charge ofthem, for the colors and with them il
4 his strong right arm, stepped three or foul
q PAGES TO the front Of the line and with quicl
q motion, forced the color-staf into the ground
= and turning around as coolly-as if on dress pa
, rade, with that great strong voice, said g Men
q form new line on these colorsi" Thonen o
j the 18TH Illinois assobeyed that order, for th.
q enthusiasm that the presence of our genera
created raised Whoop from a few who were
e near him, and it was soon caught up along boti
: regiments, and without forming any distinc
line they went to the top of the ridge with such
N yelling and firing as TO create confusion in TIL
= Confederate ranks, and thus was the tide o
!. battle turned again.
a No one adnires General Steedman more thar
,e the 18th boys; but he never said !" Go baci
10 boys, if you will; but your colors never shall
re- There was no cause for anything of the kind
RI and was too close upt to be mistaken about wha
Is he said. And any intimation of cowardic
2 against Colonel Van Week or Color Sergean
II Edmonson iof the 18th Illinois, would quicil,
es excite feeling of resentment on the part O
10 every soldier of the old 18th.
If Both are dead. Colonel Van Week was kill
Of ed near Atlanta-shot in the head. No true
or Drawer officer aver led his regiment into bal
of tie. Sergeant Edmonson, although wounde
es once or twice, carried our colors through til
40 Chattanooga campaign and the Atlanta cam
paign, and through Georgia and the Carolinas
through the last battle of the war; at Benton
vile, to Washington, and finally brought ther
home Aud the same flag that made such