davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The National tribune., 1884-10-02
2lst Ohio at Chiekamau-a.

To THE EDITOR: / noticed in your issue Of
Sept. A. 1884, an article from Comrade H. II.
Van Camp, in which he gives an account of
the 21st Ohio during Sunday, Sept. 90 1868, at
the battle of Chickamauga, and also an article
in your issue of Sept. Is, 1884, from Comrade
N. &. Wilson, Co. G., 3oth Ind, who attempted
to correct Comrade Van Camp; but fear that
the comrade made the matter still worse as
they both, i'll many respects, made terrible
mistakes.
Now, for the benefit of the comrades and
several friends who have mentioned the matter
to me, | would like to give my version of the
matter. Up to the morning of Sept. 20, 1868,
the 21st Ohio was brigaded with the 37th Ind.
and the 18th Pa, which formed the Third Bri-
gade, Third Division of the Fourteenth Corps.
The brigade was commanded by Col Sirwell,
of the 18th Pa, and when the battle opened on
Sunday morning, Sept. 90 the 21st Ohio was
detached from the brigade and formed an inde-
pendent command on the ridge Comrade Van
Camp speaks of. The 21st Ohio went into
battle that morning with SIT men, "a officers
and IL n-combatants; 342 men were armed
with revolving rifles It's were armed with
Enfield rifles; there were AZ, $50 rounds of am
munition expended, 80 rounds each to the re-
volving rifles and nearly IS rounds each to the
Enfields. Lieut. Col. Stoughton the first or COM
manding offcer) received wound, from which
he afterwards died. Three other officers were
wounded and AZ men died on the field 96
men were wounded. and several of them died
in hospital; 12 officers and 104 men were cap
tured. ] can give the names of so of those 10i
men that starved to death in Southern prisons
e. G. WETMoRE, Co. K, 21st Ohio Bowling
Green, Wood Co., 0.
The National tribune., 1884-10-02
Capture of Gun at Cheraw. S. C.

To THE EDITOR: In The TRIBUNE of Aug.
z, G. u. Butts, of the 18th Wis, makes some
corrections in regard to the munitions of war
captured at Chcraw, S. G. If my memory is
not at fault he will bear little correction
himself. Fighting Joe Mower" commanded
the First, instead of the Fourth, Division of the
Seventeenth Corps and it was the First Diyis-
ion that took possession of the town. He prob
ably makes that mistake from the fact that we
were formerly the Fourth Division of the Six
teenth Corps; but at Atlanta we were trans
ferred TO the Seventeenth and called the First.
The brass Armstrong gun he mentions was,
II i remember rightly, steel 1S-pounder
Blakely, with a brass plate on the breech, and
the inscription read: Presented to the Sover-
eign State of South Carolina by one of her
citizens residing abroad, in commemoration of
the goth Of December 1860"
The gun and Confederate 90 FOUNDER Par
rott We're brought through to Goldsboro land
/ think to Alexandria or Washington by the
battery attached TO the First Division I
should have thought that Wade Hampton, that
chivalrous son of South Carolina or whoever
was in command there, would have taken the
gun with him or run it into the river, rather
than suffer it to fall into the hands of the van
dals. / suppose that probably he was in too
much of hurry to get across the river and
burn the bridge TO think of anything else, for
we were after him in regular Joe Mower style,
which can probably be best illustrated by his
answer to a question as to how long it would
take to reach certain point: I'VE will get
there in four days if the Johnnies don't bother
us; if they do, we'll go it in two.-F NJ GEE,
Co. B, 32d Wis, Sd Brig 1st Div, 18th Corps
Sioux Falls, D. T.
The National tribune., 1884-10-02
Charlottesville.

To THE EDITOR: In the paper on Chancel-
lorsville lately printed by you, and prepared
by Gen. o. o. Howard, are sundry statements
which have patiently waited for some one 10
inquire about. No one seeming to have noticed
them, feel compelled 10 call attention TO one
matter in which Gen. Howard's recent asser-
ton is in direct variance with the official
record. Howard says, in substance that on the
morning Of May 2, 1863, Gen. Hooker rode out
TO his position, and frequently exclaimed as he
viewed Howard's line: How strong. How
stro1g." In THE TRIBUNE Of Sept. II, Mr..
ID. M. Conner knows that "Hooker's EXPIRES
sions OF satisfaction with Gen Howard's posi-
tion were unqualified" Both Howard and
Conner omit any reference to a dispatch sent
by Hooker after this visit TO Howard's line 1t
is dated Headquarters Army of the Potomac,
Charlottesville, Va, May 2. 1863, $50 a. m"
and closes with these words: The right of
your line does not appear to be strong enough.
No artificial defenses worth naming have been
thrown up, and there appears to be scarcity
Of troops at that point, and not in the Gener-
ais opinion as fayorably posted as might be-
We have good reason to suppose that the
enemy Is moving TO our right. Please advance
your pickets for purposes of observation as far
as may be safe, IN order TO obtain timely infor-
nation Of their approach"
Now, Hooker swore to this dispatch on March
ii, 1860, before the Committee on the Conduct
Of the War, and believe the original is still in
the files of the War Department
Does Gen. Howard, by his silence regarding
it, mean 10 deny its authenticity? There is a
very different story in Hool1er's dispatch from
Howards tale Of How strong!" and the at
tention Of the Eleventh Corps commander is
respectfully called to this discrepancy.
Mr. Conner evidently considers Gen. Derens
the seaPe goat Yet, in Schimmelpfennigs
report, dated May 1e, 1863, VIC read The
only reconnaissance undertaken were made by
! my brigade, and the hostile movements were
/ reported b. me full two hours before the OPEN
I ing Of the engagement" While Mai. Frueaf,
of the l53d Pa, Oh May 16, 1863, reported that
at noon Of May 2an attack on our right flank
/ was expected Mr. Conner's attention is also
! invited TO the followinge from letter of
/ Gen. Howard's, addressed to Gen. Devens
More than an hour after the attack ] saw
you, still rallying men, forming lines to resist
the encny's attack though suffering from a
severe and painful wound received early in the
action"
1t is well-known fact that the Eleventh
/ Corps was caught by Jackson entirely unpre-
pared. The reports Of the officers Of the corps
ali show constant sending of warning to
their corps headquarters. The later utterances
of Gen. Howard and Mr. Conner would put a
new phase on the matter were il not that the
evidence and record is overwhelmingly against
them. a careful reading OF the reports will
show that the earlier tale is the true one; il is
too late to unmake history on that matter
The National tribune., 1884-10-02
oTnER TESTIMONY.

William Campbell. Co. +, 26th No. Moline
Kan, says that Col. George was not killed
while trying to arrest the stampede Of the 18th
Iowa. he was wounded while leading the
26th No. up 10 the support Of the llth Ohio
battery, but got well, and was killed while
leading his brigade in the charge OF May y at
Nicksburg. The IIth Ohio battery did splen-
did work at Iaka. One gunner fired his piece
Of after the rebels actually had their hands on
the guns. If he remembers rightly. the 5th
Iowa and the left wing of the 2Gth No. went
into the fight together and staid until relieved
By the lltB No.
b. Knoepfelt, Co. +, 10th Iowa, Hannibal,
ho.. says that they are all wrong about the
support Of the 1lth Ohio battery 1t was the
10th Iowa that did that duty. That regiment
belonged to another department, and happened
at luka by accident; SO, being strangers, nc
one is willing 10 give it proper credit They
were in the advance as lnka was approached
and about 800 marched up hill into a little
clearing at the doubie-quick, receiving as they
came into the open yolley Of grape and can
ister Just then the llth Ohio battery came
up behind them, making its way with much
difficulty through the thick growth, and took
position in front of the regiment. he heard
the command distinctly Of the rebel General
vino led the chaTge,-Gen. Little, of Missouri
and who was killed in it. The words Of the
command were-they ring through his ear;
yet" Forward. Guide center Double-quick
march," The llth Ohio battery received the
charge splendidly. The number of the 10Th
1owa's dead and wounded tells how well Il
stood its ground.
The National tribune., 1884-10-02
BRUINSBURG.
The First Regiment to Land-Running into the
Enemy at Port Gibson.

Enemy at Port Gibson.
To THE EDITOR: have just read the first
chapter of the Vicksburg Campaign" by
Mason and Fry, of the AID Ohio, and ! wish
to say that the beginning is good and in the
main truthful, and will deeply interest thou
sands of the old boys who are now fighting
their battles over again in THE NATIONAL
TRIBUNE / only wish to add by way of cor
rection to those gentlemen that the first troops
landed at Bruinsburg was the 33d H., which
was part of the First Brigade, First Division
of the Thirteenth Corps, and the landing was
made at about p. m., May l. that Gen.
Grant was on the boat and landed with us and
marched along on foot with the 33d until we
had passed over the bottom lands and reached
the crest of the hills overlooking the river.
We went up In very great hurry, expecting
to find trouble in reaching the high grounds,
as small force could have made it hot for US.
The balance of ouE, brigade, the Sth and 18th
Ind. and 99th H., came up with us there and
the 18th, think it was, taking the advance,
we struck out with a "whoop. ala and de-
termination :" to get there" toward Port Glib
son. and at about 2 a. M. of the ID day of May
we ran into the rebel advance and stopped for
daylight. You will observe that Messrs. Mason
and Fry put the date at May 1. If my diary
is not at fault the battle Of Port Gibson was
fought on the I'd of May. Our brigade, after
being on the road all night walked into the
Johnnies as soon as it was light and we had
our hands full for n while, until the Second
got up, and then Osterhaus's Division and then
Hovey's. The four -howitzer battery was just
across the rayine from the 33d Ill.,, and when
we went down into that ravine and up to the
top Of the hill and found the rebs didn't want
to stay it always seemed to us as though we
captured that artillery as we'll as two or three
battle -hags-that is the First Brigade of Carrs
Division. Let us hear from some of them
c. d. MORRIS, Co. E, 33d Ill, Columbus Kan.
The National tribune., 1884-10-02
Forneinr in Virginia.

To THE EDITOR: In the Summer Of 1862,
sbont the 10th OF July, if my memory serves,
Maj. Dodge, In command Of the First Battal-
lion, Troop a, b, c, and ID, lst n. Y Mounted
Rifles, went on a raid from Suffolk, Va, TO the
Blackwater. The day was intensely hot and
the roads dusty. After marching "a hours
without rest, the command halted TO feed at
plantation near South Quay, on the border of
South Carolina. Three companies were sent
across the road 70 the plantation proper 10
feed. while the other b remained al the home
stead with the officers, who went up 10 the
mansion and were right royalty entertained by
the master, who was at home A table was set
out on the veranda. and chicken, ham, biscuit,
eggs, and milk IN plenty were set before them.
The boys Of Troop B could smell the delightful
aroma Of the rich yiands as they were brought
out Of the kitchen and placed on the table hot
for the officers. Now, this did not sit well on
their stomachs, especially on top Of their cold
fat pork and hard-tack and coffee without
milk 50 a reconnaissance in force was made
under Serg'ts Corby and Murray, ably sup
ported by the cook and Corp. Geo. Hill The
sInOke-house was discovered, built Of square
hewn logs set up on a brick wall about two
feet high, heavy door and lock, with guard
belonging 10 Troop G, Capt. Hamilton, a good
natured Sullivan County tanner, walking up
and down in front Of the door, which was also
IN full view Of the owner, who sat Oh the We
and occasionally speaking word IN our favor
On account Of our respecting private property
religiOusly, according 10 the orders of Gen. Nc
Clcllan, which was more than the COnfederatcs
did.
council of war was held in the cornfeld
IN rear Of the gmoke-house. Corp. Hill was
OF the opinion that Serg't CoFby should put his
shoulder 10 the corner Of the box (he called it,
and we would all push together, showing it
over. when we could al grab ham and in the
excitmcnt got away; but we had briclllayer
with us-Corp. J. I. Labaugh-who suggested
that be could, with his saber, pick cut the
bricks, as the mortar was rotten, then small
man could crawl through the hole and hand
out the hams. This plan was unanimously
adopted. In I5 minutes Labaugh had hole
made, went IN and passed out every ham lover
d hundred) in that bodse. We were CON-
pletcly hidden from view of the officers, guard
and owner; being in rear of the house, in the
eOrnlield, the corn at the time being over our
heads. A few hours afterward the bugIe sound
ed saddle-up," we were mounted. on the road,
aud the guard was relieved and returned to his
Troop. Just before We started that confounded
planter walked down off his veranda, passed
over TO his ham-honSc, unlocked the door, saw
the hoie az the other side, but saw no hams
be hurried down the road informed the Major
WHO passed along the line inspecting every
man, and those that were foolish enough to
hang the hams on the saddle were compelled
10 drop them beside the gate and then we
The National tribune., 1884-10-02

were countermarChed to the rear beyond the
sunken road, unslung our knap5acks, and then
marched forward iii front of the batteries. All
was confusion. Meades Division was in full
retreat. Aids and staff officers were riding toand
fro in all directions. just to our left flew the
blood-red battle-fag of the lamented Kearny,
and beside it the Division of Gen. Birney.
Here was the Brigade of Gen. J. III. Hobart
Ward, consisting of six small regiments 18th
Me-, the 35th and 10th n. Y. in front, and in the
rear were the 99th Pa, Sd Me. and goth Ind. as
supports The critical moment was at hand.
/ looked along the line at the faces of my COM
rades,-many for the last time,-bu no sign of
fear was displayed.l. Each man seemed to feel
the responsibility resting upon him, and nerved
himself for the onset The batteries had
ceased firing as the rebels emerged from the
woods. Our brave young commander, Maj. L.
Allen Lindsay, sprung to his feet, and i'll q
clear, ringing voice gave the order: "Atten-
ton, 40th Forward Double time!" With a
wild cheer we leaped the ditch and made for
the foe, who at once retreated to the woods.
One moment more and we were at the railroad,
gave them our fire and pursued them up the hill.
Would that we had had fresh troops to hold
the ground we had gained. Re-enforcements
arrived at this juncture for the enemy, and we
were outfanked and had to reluctantly yield
the dearly bought field at the price of nearly
two-thirds of the brigade in killed and
wounded Inc enemy Ioli0Wed US 10 inc
ditch, which from exhaustion we could not
jump, and consequently were captured by the
rebels.
Such is my recollection of the part taken by
portion of Birney's Division, this small bri
gade of five regiments taking the place of Ia
regiments of Meades Division, which / deem
is worthy of more than passing notice, yet
deeply regret that the facts could not have
been better represented by an abler pen.-GEo.
E. HARRINGTON, Sergt, Co. C, 10th N. Y,
Mozart Reg't,) Boston, Mass.
The National tribune., 1884-10-02

Gen. Devens was division commander; he
repeatedly notified corps headquarters of prob
able danger, but no attention whatever was
paid TO his notifications.
1t is said that a General, now prominent in
political life, once needed a Judge Advocate
lie wrote to a legal friend at home to come out
Immediately. The friend, on arriving and learn
ing of the honor proposed to be thrust upon
him, promptly declined pleading absolute igno-
rance of military law. The General laughed
at the plea. Whereupon the legal man asked
for some explanation Pooh !" said the Gen
eral, military law is simple enough. | can
give it you in nutshell. First tell your lie,
then stick to it." As Jack Bunsby would
say, The bearings of this observation lies in
the application ont" But if the assertions of
the reports of 1868 are false, there certainly
was great unanimity displayed in sticking to
them.-JAMEs BEALE Philadelphia, Pa.
The National tribune., 1884-10-02
. -------7-------------
Who Captured the 23d Ga!

To THE EDITOR: In your issue of Aug. Z I
notice letter from E. A. Wilson, Co. c, 1st
U. S. Sharpshooters, from which / learn that
there has been some misunderstanding as to
who captured the 23d Ga. ON May q 1862, at
Charlottesville, to which / wish to add my
testimony.
The 23d Ca, including the Major-in fact,
the whole regiment except the Colonel and II
men-(as was acknowledged by the prisoners)
was captured by my regiment, the Cd u. S.
Sharpshooters / think Cos. A, of Minnesota,
and L, of Vermont had most to do with it, and
yet am not certain; but the whole regiment
was in skirmish-line at the time know we
took about twice the number of prisoners there
were men engaged. 1t was in that skirmish,
just before Jacksons front struck the Eleventh
Corps that Capt. Dudley p. Chase of Co. A
(my old company, of Minnesota, received his
mortal wound, 1t was there that our Surgeon,
a wild, reckless young fellow, attempted to
establish a field hospital in front of the skir-
mish-line, and got bullet through his right
arm for his drunken foolishness. My regi-
ment, as well as the 1st U. s. Sharpshooters,
was composed of companies of select and tested
rifemen from different States The 23d Ga.
was Stonewall Jacksons rear guard at the time
The National tribune., 1884-10-02
The Third Army Corps to the Front.

To THE EDITOR: 1t seems somewhat singu-
lar that among the veterans of the old Third
Army Corps we have no historian who can
conscienti0usly render Justice to the former
wearers of the Diamond and qualify them for
some small niche in the Temple of Fame. Can
1T be the organization was simply made up of
fighting material, without sufficient literary
talent to give us our legitimate need of praise /?
Long and vainly have we patiently waited for
some sign, until forbearance ceases to be vir-
tue, and sincere desire that we may provoke
some of our old comrades to emerge from their
chrysalis state, and develop into first-class
scribes, is the reason of our discharging paper
lance at this time.
1t is a fact patent that most of the war writ
ers, as rule, simply mention this corps only
in casual way, while even nine-months' troops
often receive more credit at their hands. Gen.
Howard, in common with others, gives the
honors at Williamsburg to Gen. Hancock, yet
the survivors of Heintzelman's Corps are con-
versant with the actual facts and calmly await
an impartial statement that credit may be
placed where it rightfully belongs.
Williamsburg, however, is but one of the
hotly-contested battlefields on which the Third
Corps fought with honor to themselves and
credit to their country. No battle was fought
in which the Army of the Potomac was en-
gaged-with the exception of Antictam and
South Mountain-in which they did not take
an active part. All the survivors claim is
their legitimate portion of the credit and to be
placed on par with other organizations who
participated in the conflict.
The principal object of the writer, however,
is to controvert statement made in former
issue by your correspondent Carleton relat-
ing to the battle Of Fredericksburg, which, al
though very interesting, to the best of my recol-
lection, is incorrect His opportunity for obser-
vation was far superior to mine generally, but
Fredericksburg was a notable exception, as
even a musket-bcarer had good view of the
battle. To begin, he has formed his line of
/ battle with Gen. Birney therein, when the fact
is that Brney did not cross the river until
noon, and almost Immediately went into action.
Again, he says, after giving glowing account
Of Meades brilliant action: +" Birney advanced
and Gen. Aver wheeled 80 guns into position
and hurled canister into the faces of the Con-
| federates sending them back to the woods
Here We differ, and believe my comrades will
all join in substantiating my views, and that
due credit should be given to Wards Brigade
for their devotion. Twenty-one years have
passed since that December morning, and yet
the scene is vivid in my mind as ON that day.
| We were in an open feld--as a support to the
batteries -sloping gently to the woods. Meade's
Division was doing heavy fighting in the
! woods, but was eventually driven back. We
The National tribune., 1884-10-02
Allatoona,

To THE EDITOR: Reading J. J. Whitney's
account of the above battle, and believing that
we should always give honor where the same
is due, and as DR.. Whitney has made several
errors in his account of the troops engaged,
will ask for space in your valuable paper to
correct him. In the first place he says that we
had the 4th Mimi and 18th Wis.,, together with
a part of the 9th Wis. battery. The fact is,
that there was none of the 9th battery there,
they all being stationed at Cartersville; but l
distinctly remember that the 18th Wis bat
terry was there in full force, armed with six
guns; two 10-pound Rodman and one 12-pound
brass gun in each fort on the east and west
side of the railroad-cut, and as the guns in the
east fort could not be used when the rebels
made their charges on the west fort, we in the
west fort run out of ammunition, while in the
east fort they had enough and to spare; but
how to get it was the question. Here DR.. Whit
ney says that Capt. Bruner, of Co. K, 18th
Wis, solves the problem. If my memory
serves me- it was not Capt Bruner, but Edwin
r. Fullington. of the 18th Wis. battery, who
crossed that foot-bridge, in the face of the en-
envy. and brought ammunition from the east
TO the west fort three times in succession. In
proof of the above assertion, will say that a
petition was presented to Congress to grant the
said Fullington pension for acts of daring
and bravery, by which acts the fort and Sher-
mans supplies were saved, without which
Sherman never could have made his march to
the sea. The petition above mentioned was
signed by the officers and comrades of the bat
terry, Col. Tourtelotte, Gen. Corse, and Gen.
Sherman. Congress, passing on said petition,
rejected it on the ground that if they granted
the petition, thousands of others would claim
on the same grounds. Again, DIR. Whitney
says our batterymeil were all either slain or
wounded. While it is true that many of our
brave comrades went down in that carnage of
death, we that were left ran and fred our own
guns until French and his men retreated and
left US masters of that hard fought field.
Fl. WHITE, 18th Wis. Battery, Lavalle, Wis.