The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-12-25
FIGHTING THEM OVER,
What Our Veterans Have 10 Say About
Their Cid Campaigns.
CHARLOTTESVILLE.
The Eleventh Corps at charlottesville.


To TIE EDITOR: as Comrade Bird, of the
I54th \. Y, has called the assembly for the
Second Brigade Second Division of the Flying
Half Moon, / will stick my head out OF my
deg shelter" bat still keep Oh my knees,
where J have been silently watching for some
thing which harauniZed with the knowledge
and opiaion / had always had and held of the
stampede Of the Z" Half Moon" Ny regiment
iI34ih " y, SD Mass. and, ! think, the I'D
Pa and l5ith y. Y, were of the Second Bar
lows Brigade Now am quite sure that our
position was we'll fortified, Gen. Howard
thought ana said During the night previous
to the rout a good defense of rails and dirt
was built in front of my regiment. / know
that our regiment with others advanced across
the plank road and field, near to the woods,
with videttcs out, between sun and dark. Gen.
Steinwchr RAISING down the line with Keep
cool and steady. pOys, und fire ven yous
der vi;es auf DER eyes" No enemy made
show, and we fell back and lay down where
the breast works were made for us, as i before
said. l think we had been out on picket i'll
those woods previous TO this. and were called
in doGbe-quicil." l know / had charge
of the outposts on the extreme left and
took her cross-lcts" for the " Grand Reserve"
in style that would put an average Full-Moon
to shame. but | did not find the q. r. till got
back 10 camp: then we formed and advanced
IN line of battle as aforesaid. / know that. so
lar as cur regiment and brigade were concerned,
we were wide-awake and well prepared for an
attack until the afternoon of the r0ut. Then
| was sent with a squad of men (knapsacI and
all of 10 the right and III rear las | think of
the First Division to dig some rliie-pitS. We
had worked but few minutes when had or
dcTs TO join the regiment imme !iately, but on
reaching camp j found my regiment gone;
struck their trail down at a little run" Here
we had orders to shoot " our knapsacks, and
Of a. ( fhan, baaly
where the rest Of the regiment had left theirs.
Our regiment then continued its course Il
think due south from the plank road for some
tine and through woods While the sun was
vet well up word was passed down. No cheer
ing" Soon we were halted, and string of
Johnnies passed from left TO right across our
route and disappeared. They were prisoners,
and the boys said they were Georgians. We
then continued our course without interrupt
ion until it began 10 grow dark. We were
then fled TO the left halted, and guard de-
tailed; but the order was almost Immediately
couHtermanded. We lost no time in retracing
cur steps. After it became thoroughly dark
we were halted-it became evident that we
were in trouble. We received strict ORDERS
/" No talking, and secure your cups, and no noise
whatever" We then filed TO the right and
east, and passed out-oyer new rubber road"
between line of cavalry pickets and in plain
sight of rebel camp-fires-of what l always be-
lleyed TO be mighty tight box. We struck an
opening about midnight, filed to the left and
north, and laid down behind the artillery.
Now, this is just the little that l know of the
Flight into Egypt / always supposed our
whole brigade were ont that night meandering
through the soughing pines and noble oaks,
but am very glad TO know that part of it was
left behind and did their best to stem the tide.
Now, what heard The comrades left behind
to guard the knapsacks alas where are the
sacks and sackero?) said that some regiments of
the First Brigade two years men whose time
was nearly mp broke almost Immediately.
Also, 1t was common talk in camp after the
fracas was over, that Gen. Dcvens was drunk
and taken by surprise. If Gen. Howard was
not as dashing and successful leader rs some
Others l don't think any intelligent and OBJ
serving man Of his Corps will say that he was
not an honest, humane, upright man. l be-
lieve that If the bottom of the Chancellors-
Vile affair was turned up 20 air and sunlight,
Howard would stand clear and free, while some
of his subordinatcs would afford more examples
Of petty ambitions or g hog contrariness," such
as thwarted the plans aud successes of more
than one OF our brave and manly leaders. But,
no doubt, it would be far easier to duplicate
FitZ-Jo,in Porter than to defend and acguit
brave. unsefsh leader who fell short Of success.
&c. L. WARNER, bath \. Y, Charlottesville,
n. Y.