The National tribune., 1884-08-28
Corinth Again.

To THE EDITOR: ask permission to make
slight correction to the 63d Ohio mans recol-
lections of the battle of Corinth Miss. He is not
only mistaken in his correction of Carleton"
but badly mistaken in what he says about Fort
Madison.
"Carelton" is correct in his statement where
he speaks of our building fires to get breakfast
before daylight on the morning of the 4th of
October. We did build fires in our company
quarters, and very soon after, before our ceffee
was done, the rebels opened fire from a battery
to the right aud front of Robinet, and their
shot struck in aud around our battery pretty
lively for Il while. 1t is needless to add we put
out our fires without orders, and distinctly
remember we put them out with water, and
took lunch for breakfast " 63d says; "Our
batteries took no notice of them until broad
daylight" Let US see abOut that. My diary,
written at the time, says: The rebel fire was
promptly answered by batteries Williams and
Robinet. Our battery BATTERY Madison) and
others prepared for immediate action, but were
not allowed to open. This artillery fight lasted
until near daylight, when the rebel battery
was silenced and withdrew, and all was quiet
again. and, with the exception of several sharp
vollieS from small detaehments of our advance
infantry, remained so until about o'clock,
when we got down to business again" Now
for 63d's main mistake: He says Fort Madi-
son-an inside earthwOrk, mounting heavy
guns--was manned by part of Co ID. .my regi-
ment,) and did good execution, under COM
mand of Capt. w. B. Cav, an engineer officer
from Sandusky, o. Now for the facts: Fort
Madison was an earthwork erected by the COM
pany in charge of the battery and lot of con-
trabands on the night of the Sd of October 1t
was built on a slight elevation in the southeast
ern suburbs of the town, a short distance south
of the NJ. & G. X. r.. facing east and southeast.
What fighting we did do was done with our
guns faced almost square to the rear, with no
Notifications in front, and our guns bearing on
the northern part of the town aud command
ing the rear of small earthwork Just north Of
the town and occupied by a portion of Maj.
Stones 1st Mo- Art. will copy a few more
lines from my diary at this point. " Just
then another large force of the enemy. led by
Col. or Gen. johnson. crossed the NJ. & o. K. X.
north of the town and came down on our right
like hurricane. That part of our line being
thin could not withstand the terrible shock,
and after short but desperate resistance was
broken, thrown into confusion and forced back
across an open field and through the northern
part of the town. The small earthwOrk with a
portion of Missouri artillery, was taken, the
rest of the battery and all the caissons coming
back in advance of our flying infantry. Just
at this time, without orders, We opened on the
rebel line then in possession of part of the
town, and before they could turn the cap
tured guns our 2i-case-shOt and 64-shell were
/ playing mischief with the now exultant
JOhnnies.' Our infantry Immediately rallied
/ to the right and left of battery, and before
/ the rebels recovered from the surprise our
| goose eggs gave them, led by Co.'s. Rowell,
Mercer, Sweeney and others just as true, our
t infantry went sweeping back, retOOk the bat
/ terry, and soon drove the rebel left what they
did not capture) beyond the reach of our guns. !"
And that was the extent Of Battery Bladison's
/ fighting that day. Instead of being manned
| by Co. ID, 63d Ohio, and commanded by CAPT w.
| b. Cav, of Sandusky, o. the guns of Fort Madi-
son were manned by Co. B, I'd III. Light Art,
as good company as ever cracked hard-tack
and commanded by Capt. Riley Madison, ably
assisted by Leuts. Dawson, Crane, Chapman
and Hoyer.-GEo. c. JENKINS, Corporal Co. B.
Washington, o.