The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-03-20
The 9sth New York at Fair Oaks.
e Editor NATIoNAL TRIBuNE:

To the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE:
We are so apt to be mistaken that hesitate
to write, and yet in reading Messrs. Stillman
and Alexanders letters in THE TRIBUNE ] be-
heye / can make clear what appears to be a
contradiction between them. They will both
remember that attacks were made upon our
pickets the two days preceding the battle of
Fair Oaks Each of those days our regiment
(the 96th New York; was placed upon the left
flank at a right angle to the fence, on the left
and in front of the Napoleon guns, think.
But on that day / think the ODD New York
took our old position and we theirs At any
rate, we were at the fence,-not alone, how
overland we stood there till the shells from
our own battery OF Napoleon guns battery A,
LIST New York. burst ill our ranks. | distinctly
remember pulling from my right eye and face
the brains of one of our own men in company X
that were scattered over US by the bursting of
a shell coming from that direction but / do
not, like Mr.. Stillman, attribute it TO wild fir
ing on the part of that battery. The rebels
were SO close to us that i don't see how they
could help it, and we were forced TO fall back
to the rife-pits, where we fought with the S5th
till We were all driven out. Since then have
been In seventeen battles, and / never saw any
better fighting than was shown by nearly all
that day The battery did noble work, aud
could see the enemy fall at each fire until the
range became so short that we were in danger
Afterwards we were brigaded with the S5th
New York, and that day and everywhere they
proved themselves worthy sons Of the Empire
State. The losses of the 92d New York in that
battle tell also how brayely they fought.
If the old veterans would eonfne their mar
ratives 10 what they do know, their own regi-
ments action, &c. we should get nearer to the
real facts. ] do not know that the 92d took
our place, but | suppose they did. / do
know that many OF the 9Sth were IN the rife
pits with the S5th and Others, for was there
myself after our retreat from the fence. was
among the last that left the rifie-pt. / was
looking for my father, who was supposed to have
been shot while there, and ] Staid till driven
out and across the field by the enemy. Other
brave regiments were represented there, too.
! passed. in retreating, pickets calling them
selves of the 18Th New York, and sometime
after came to Couch S lines and was stopped by
mounted cayairymen, who allowed none but
wounded 10 pass. At eleven o'clock that night
/ found my father and wept in his arms; for
was only fifteen years old. | was too young to
be frightened. 1t was my first great battle, and
| remember it all as If it were but yesterday.
/ went down on the train with Gen. Howard, /
think and aboard the Nelly Baker, and
awoke as / thought, in heaven after hours of
pain. / was not wounded then, and so General
Howard again errs; but he so understood it. 1t
was the order that wounded alone should go
down on that train but in my case the order
was stretched a little. The Sisters of Charity
took for angels on the hospital transports till
/ came fully TO my senses. / was sent to New
port News, while Gen. Howard was sent East
| was on picket the night before the battle, and
the one-arIned man who rode up the road with
his staff to make reconnaissance was pointed
out to me as Gen. Philip kearney. Was it
Who knows? REV a. L. MoREY
HAMPTON, n. II. Co.G, 9Sth New York