The National tribune., 1884-10-16
FIGHTING THEM OVER,
What Our Veterans Have to Say About
Their Old Campaigns.
PORT GIBSON.


Gome Sensible Remarks About Criiicism-impossi-
bility Of Any One Nan Knowing All the Facts
Concerning a Fight-An indianian's Memories
Also Those Of an iilinoisan.
To THE EDITOR: 1t seems to be the fashion
now days when somebody writes something
somebody else don't like TO rush into print and
call the party of the first part liar, or words
TO that effect. Seeing so much of this going on
in THE TRIBUNE, tand II appears the true in
wardness OF this thing cannot be brought out
in any other way,) ! think il about time for me
10 stick in my shovel, or l may get lett entirely.
While / will not call any one hard names, j
shall take firm stand on what am about to
write. ! have just finished reading an article
by Comrade C. i. Morris, III which he describes
the crossing OF the river at BruInsburg by the
33d H., and the subsequent battle of Port Glib
son, or, as some will persist IN calling il, Thomp-
sons Hill. BE sure you are right, then go
ahead" is an old maxim accorded 10 Davy
Crockett, and one which will not only apply
60 Comradc Morris. but 10 great many others
The trouble with SoHle OF the boys seems 10 be
that they expect two much from writer. Not
only must he give the correct formation of his
own division, but of the entire army as well :;
besides, he must be familiar with the evolutIons
OF each regiment, or straightway you hear the
cry go up, "COmrade So and-so must have been
taken sick about this time, or he must have
been back with the wagon train"
When such writers Gen. Howard and
Carleton" are brought up standing in almost
every issue OF THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE. you
must not expect too much from men who served
in the ranks. la regard TO the articles written
by Comrades Mason and Fry, have read them
with great interest up TO and including the
battle OF Champions Hill, and | must say, in
all fairness that for truthfuineSS they are equal
10 any set of articles ever written for THE \ A
TIoNAL TRIBUNE. / kept no diary during the
hurI I will
rade Morriss diary i'll any campaign or engage
ment the regiment WAS III. In regard TO the
33d III. being the first regiment To cross the
river i know nothing, but j will say that if
they crossed at p. IN. OF May /, they must
have been the last, aud could not have taken
any part in the battle of Port Gibson. Now,
few words about the battle and the capture of
that four-gun battery. There has been quite
controversy about who captured that battery,
as Gen. Benton claimed 1t after the battle, and
Gen. McGinnis gave 1t up to him. will give
my version Of the affair, as l saw it from the
time the fight commenced until after the capture
OF that battery, and L think L will prove con-
elusively that neither the 33d Ill. nor any other
regiment in Benton'S Brigade had anything to
do with its capture. AS soon as it was light
enough for Us TO get our bearings, our brigade
(McGInnis's OF Hovey's Division Went into the
fight. After climbing the hill, we filed of 10
the right Of the road and laid down, while
that battery made the air look blue with can
ister In short time their fire siackened,
when we again started forward through hoi-
lows filled with pipe-stem cane, which when
broken would cut like knives, and over ridges
until we came out in little glade running to
the right from Magnolia Church tnot know
ing how the ground laid, i am unable TO say if
it was east, west, north or SOUTH. Our line
was composed OF the 24th, 3ith and 46lh Ind,
xnd the 10th Ohio battery. The llth Ind. and
29th Wis. was the reserve. While standing in
this glade we bad several men wounded While
wondering what would be done next we heard
some one call out from the woods in our front
and from where the bullets were coming thick
=" If there are any Indiana troops over there
send them over" This call was repeated two
or three times, when an orderly rode up to our
Colonel and handed him a paper, which he
glanced at and turning TO US, said: Boys,
there are lots of JOhnnies right over there"
pointing III the direction from which the call
came. We waited for no further orders, but
raising cheer to let them know we We're
coming, we started on the run. Just beyond
the glade, and in the edge of the woods, we
came TO another rayine filed with cane, be-
tween Us aud where Benton'S Brigade was
contendlng against overwhelming odds. To
cross that ravlne and throw ourselves into the
fight took less time than for me TO write it;
but quick as We were we got there none too
soon. as the Johnnies were coming down the
opposite slope as We drew alongside the 18th
saw all officer waving the cOlors aud cheering
his men. This, / was told afterwards was the
Colonel of the 18th Ind, and that he had lost
two cOlor-bearers at that time. / had fired but
two shots when the whole line moved forward
on charge. i heard no order to charge ex-
cept from our Second Lieutenant. Both Gems.
Benton and McGinnis say they did not order
it, and think it is an unsettled question still.
Now, a few words in regard 10 the position
OF Bentons Brigade and ours and the capture
of the battery, and will give way to the next
man who thinks he knows it all. Benton's
Brigade and the 46th Ind, of McGinniss Bri-
gade, were formed on the right of the road run
ming north and south (as / have the lay of the
ground in MY mind), short distance south of
Magnolia Church, and facing south the Gath
and 34th Ind. were in the large field to the left
OF the road. The battery in dispute stood
about the center of this field, and little south
east OF the two log houses that stood there. The
11th Ind. and 29th Wis. claimed the capture,
but they being on the reserve, it hardly looks
reasonable that they should have come to the
front without orders, and made charge and
captured battery; but they have claimed it,
and say If 1t had not been captured by the re-
serve, Gen. McGinnis would never have given it
up Be this as il may, Benton took the battery
and the credit also, although, for the 33d H. or
any other regiment of that brigade to get in
striking distance of it, they would have had to
swing TO the left, cross the fence, and charge
night down our front; and, will ask, who ever
saw or heard of such thing? heard Col. r. A.
Cameron, of the 34th Ind, give his regiment
the order to charge in the following words
Gath Indiana, charge that battery" 4" and TO the
34th Ind. belongs the honor Of its capture.
i would like TO hear from Corp. p. Mitchell |
OF the 10th Ohio battery. Come, Corporal you |
kept diary, and you have not been to the |
front for some time, would like to hear that |
gun of yours talk like she did IN the afternoon |
~ Port Gibson, when Gen. McGinnis asked you |
If you could hit that officer on the white horse |
away TO our left; Or better STILL as she did by |
the little log cabin on the west slope of Cham |
pion's Hill. Step TO the front, Corporal. and |
give us a solid shot for "Auld Lang Syne"-R. |
ID. MARTIN, Orderly -Serg't, Co. i, 10th Ind, |
Delphos, o.
THE ILLINOIsAN's STORY.
To THE EDITOR: Your correspondent, c. D. |
Norris, 33d Ill, has called attention to a point |
that ought to be settled, and word or two |
from another may help TO do it. But first let |
nl that he does Stal tha dow for hoth