The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-03-27
FIGHTING THEM OVER
What Our Veterans Have TO Say About
Their Old Campaigns.
The Last Battle of the War.

NV attention has been called 10 your issue OF
September l3. 1883, containing an article from
Mr. A. r. Carr in regard to the last battle of the
war The histories of the war and the records
Of the War Department VIII prove that MIR.
Carr even denies the commander of his
own regiment, for his lieutenant colonel
lwho was afterwards contaminated for cow
ardice), and not the gallant Major Haddington,
was IN command Of the Saith Indiana that day.
Neither the Slst nor the S5th L. s. C. i. nor
any part Of them were in the last battle of the
war The last lighting in that battle was done
on the strip OF beach between the mouth OF the
Rio Grande River and the BOca-Chica Pass,
within three miles Of the shipping anchored at
the mouth Of the river. IL does not require
very powerful glasses 20 see three miles; If
il did, navigation would be exceedingly dam
gerous. Mr.. Cars mistake was TO suppose
that the war ended with his captare; whereas
the fight continued some hours after lively
TebA had bounced 0pon Carr and carried him
OF 10 his Gen.
Sergeant Murphy said that General Grant,
before beginning battle would always ask,
in tones which could be heard mile, and
which shook the young peaches of the trees I:
I" is Sergeant Murphy in the ranks?" To which
Mr. Murphy would reply: Here, your honor"
General Grant would then command: " Let
the battle begin" However this may be, ii Is
not true that General Barrett, on hearing the
sad news OF Mr. Carr's taking of, became dis
consulate and said: Let The cruel war terni-
nate
Colonel Branson did give the last COM
mand, . Cease firing" AS 10 Mr.. Carrs in
quiry, Who heard ftp" all who were on the
field heard il, as they generally did when Colo
mel branson gave a command. Mr.. Carr was
captured early in the tight By his own adj
missions il was impossible for him TO know
anything about what he disputes-the closing
scenes IN the last battle Of the war.
- y u o.
May 70, 1850, although most of mis- troops dis
handed uneereInonioasiy and went home. Gen
erai Sheridan dad not 90 TO the Rio Grande to
suppress Kirby Smith" lwho had kindly sup
pressed himself some time BEFORE but TO be
ready, il necessary, to enforce the order of orr
Government TO Napoleon III 10 remove his
troops from Mexico. None Of the ground fought
over in the last battle Of the war WAS the Palo
Alto bait ground Palo Alto was five miles
away, on the road from Point Isabel TO Browns
vile Nor was the last battle Of the war fought
on the anniversary OF PaiO Alto. Palo Alto was
fought May {; Palmetto Ranch, May ID.
General Barrett tuas entitled 10 the title OF
general, ;llla Colonel BTauson to that of colonel
for that was their brevei rank, as a reference
TO the records viii show. Aud what is more,
they did lot owe their posi- tons 10 any man
who happened 10 be the governor of a State
when il WAS raining commissions; nor to any
mans favor They We're both passed for the
grade of colonel by examining boards CON-
posed Of officers of the Regular army. How
many OF our nlajor-generals could have passed
such III examination?
The rebels did not have six pieces Of artillery,
but only two. The albuquerque Journal did not
stale eighty men-of-war." but eighty men-of-
war and other shipping" and the statement
was correct. The errors made by the writer OF
the article in the Albuquerque Journal the gal
laBt soldier and exhibited states Senator T. @.
Ross. were trifing and affected no one; and, il
they had, Colonel Branson would not be re-
sponsible for what another man might choose
10 print IN his praise, but Mr. Cars misstate-
ments are serious perversions of historical facts
IN which facts many are interested. The Al
buqneTque Journal only erred In stating that il
was Kirby Smith instead of Dick Taylor who
surrendered May 4, and that Colonel Branson
had served i've years instead Of four.
1t was the cd U. s. C. /. list Missouri. az
Mr.. Carr Wei knows, having for a long time
been stationed with them instead Of the Slst
and o5th which bore the 5rlnt Of the last battle
OF the war, and through whose ranks rushed
fraDtlcailE that portion Of the Saith Indiana
which broke and fed with their cowardiy
Lieutenant Colonel Morrison. The cd u. S
q. l. is The regiment thai Carr ignores; il is at its
brave commander that he makes bis silly filings
do not think there Was a better regiment III
the Service than the Bath Indiana. They stood
the storm and shed their blood on many a hard
fought Desd, and il some Of them broke under
the denloEalizing effect Of runaway com
maDoer, II was no more than part of any regi
ment wOald have done. Moreover, the war wa
already practically over. 1t seemed useless
slaughter, and We were st the mercy Of the
encmy-tbey having light artillery while wt
had n0ne. They could play upon us and keeI
entirely out OF our reach, and, but for theil
poor ammunition and amateur artillerymell
they would have cut US 10 pieces long before
we could have reached our camps.
PHILADELPHIA, Pa s. n. STEWART