The National tribune., 1884-09-18
FIGHTING THEM OVER.
What Our Veterans Have TO Say Ab0at
Their Old Campaigns.
THE FIGHT AT MOSCOW,
And the Part Inc C1st Z. $. Colorcd Troops Tool
I'm the Action.

And tile Part thc G1st L. :. CoIorcd Troops Took
i'm the Action.
To THE EDITOR: ] send for publication my
views regarding the fight at Moscow, Tenn,
Dec 4, 1863 / have been much surprised in
reading accounts in THE TRIBUNE written by
Surby, J. J. Bailey, 9Th III. Cav, and by Co.
l. 9TH III. Cav" Fairfield Seb. As my rcgi-
mcnt ed w. Tenn, afterwards known as the
6Ist L. S. Colored Troops) was stationed at
Moscow, Tenn, for some time previous 10 and
after the affair Of the 4th of December, 1863,
claim to know something about it. On the
afternoon Of the Sd Of December, 1868, one OF
the members of the regiment crossed the south
fork OF Wolf River and was surprised TO see
large bodies of the enemy taking position about
one-half mile frOIn the river Their object, no
doubt, was to wait until the regiment had
dress parade, when they would charge across
the bridge, get between the regiment and the
fort and capture destroy the command, rs
the parade ground was nearly or quite one
quarter of mile from the fort. The soldier
spoken of was seen by the enemy and fired
upon. but be escaped injury. and returning to
camp, reported TO Col. F. A. Kendrick what he
SAW. The regiment was immediately ordered
under arms, and water provisions and amGIuni-
ti0n were taken into the fort. The guards were
strengthened on ali the approaches, especially
the ones at the bridge There being no cavalry at
the post TO do scouting duty, we never knew at
OF Roddy would give US trouble; consequently,
we always kept the planks off the bridge TO
prevent a charge Moscow Is on the Memphis
4 Charleston Railroad. about 90 miles east from
Memphis, ut the confluence and between the
north and south forks OF Wolf River, and there
being long railroad bridge TO guard, block
house had been erected on the south side OF
the main stream, near the west end Of the
railroad bridge, and fort had been constructed
near the railroad bridge. between the track
and the north fork OF the river, under the di-
rection Of Lieut.. Goodrich, of the Engineer
Corps, who was the only soldier not belonging
10 the colored regiment that was at Moscow
until late in the afternoon on the day OF the
battle, Dec. 4. lS63,-Surby, Bailey aud Co. l.,
9Th III. Cav, TO the contrary notwithstanding.
The enemy was repeatedly repulsed before auy
assistance arrived from La Grange, and the
Hia0ers were amply able 10 take care of them
selves and Moscow, too: and when il is said by
the above-named parties that the colored troops
were not fired upon, or did no firing il is
either made through ignorance or designed TO
ialsfy
The rebels charged the wagon bridge at day
light on the morning of Dec. 4, 1868, and were
very handsomely repulsed by the companies
sent there for that purpose The enemy then
moved toward the railroad bridge, and was
repUlsed by the companies stationed along the
river. between the wagon and railroad bridges
dIa Js 1-st-lA. ullCu- WHO VIII aOOuI tDcn
occupied the block-house on the same side of
the river the rebels were on.
On the morning of the 4th, after the attack
had commenced, Capt. Henry Surges NOW OF
Trinidad Colo.,) and your obedient servant
were ordered with Go. TO take provisions and
ammunition across the railroad bridge gseyeral
hundred feet long 10 the biock-house and re-
turn, which we did. encountering perfect
showers Of bullets. Upon cur return We were
stationed about midway between the two
bridges and remained there until nearly night
when the cavalry were repulsed and many Of
them driven into the river. We were then
ordered TO the wagon bridge TO prevent the
rebels from crossing, and Co. G expended
nearly 100 rounds 10 a man that day.
When Col Hatch ordered the plank put
down on the bridge, Col. KenGrick reron-
etrated and told him his force would be re-
pulsed and driven back. and it was while the
two Colonels were conversing that Col. Hatch
received his wound, and the command deEolyed
upon Col. kendrick.
One writer says that they did not want the
cavalry 10 know that Col. Hatch was wounded,
as the command would derolve upon Col Ken
drick, who had formerly been a Major Of the
ID Iowa Cav, and was not popular. Why was
he Unpssular2 Because he had commanded a
colored regiment. ] opine If Col. Kendrick
had claimed it he would have been the rank
ing officer before Hatch was wounded; as Ken
0fFlh NysIillkS>fpu AsS lreuEu " OF
the President. while Hatch was commissioned
by the Governor. Col. Edward Hatch was a
splendid officer, and the ID Iowa was as good a
regiment &c the war produced, and would fight
anything that came along from regiment to
division; but / would pity the colored regi-
meDt that relied Tor support from some of the
cavalry regiments. Gnnfown is a good illus
tration OF the value Of cavalry TO colored in
fantry, and Tnpclo demonstrated. TO the writer
at least, that the oolored troops could take care
Of themselves, and il was the general belief al
the time Of the fight that il was not the cav
airy that made the rebels retreat, but the ar
rival about sundown Of Col. Morgan iby train
with his Brigade, consisting of the 25th Ind
and 32d Wis.
The rebels knew Col. Morgan's Brigade
having met it before and they pulled out. Gen
s. A. H1rlbut commanding the Sixteenth
Corps. knew very well which troops deserved
the credit at the battle of Moscow. and hi
issued special order congratnlatiDg the offcen
and men Of the 6lst u. s. Colored Troops /" fol
their gallantry IN repulsing the enemy and
saving the bridges which were of inestimabl,
value 10 the army stretching from Memphis t.
Corinth.7 Mr.. J. ]. Bailey says: We pro
ceeded leisurely from Lagrange to Moscow.
Well, should say they did, If it took then
nearly all day 10 ride ten miles. Mr. Bale,
certainly must have been a second Haffed witt
All eye IN the rear, 10 have issued ammunition
anu SLdbHcI iLC MlOit UobbicHetQ al the Sam
time. Wag0nmastcrs were generally giea
strategists. have seen them pilot a six-mu
team whore common soldier could not driv,
one-horse buggy. and ] viii say, without fea
OF successful contradiction, that the rebel
could not have taken Moscow on the 4th o
December, 1863, with the force they had, il tn,
cavalry had not been there; and ] viii say
further, that the panic among the cavalr,
caused more loss of life and horses than the,
inflicted upon the enemy The query natur
ally presents itself, III the cavalry were so ene7
getic and iDyiDcible, how did the rebels ge
away Col. Edward Hatch, an honored, tru
and brave soldier, is now commanding the ct
L. :. lcolored) Cav. as his reward while Co
Frank A. kendrick sleeps at Saco, Me-, beneat
the marble slab erected by the officers Of hi
regiment as a token of the love and esteer
they bore him for his patriotic and hOnorabl
services.-LoRENzo DURHAM, Lieut. 6lst I
S. c. T.. Norton, I'll.
The 30th n. Y. Cavalry.
To TIE EDITOR: Where are all the CON
Yades Of the 20th n. Y. Cav? i have bee
watching Coz long time TO see something
TIE NATIONAL TRIBUNE from some of then
as rsr.Ta 4