The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-12-04
FIGHTING THEM OVER.
What Our Veterans Have 10 Say About
Their Old Campaigns.
PORT GIBSON.
Vino Cemncncea the Figh.l


particularly so in the lively skirm;sh the boys
are having in The TRIBUNE over the battle OF
Port Gibson, Magnolia Church, or Thompson
Hell, as il is vari0usly named As i happened
to be there also, have quite q distinct recol-
lection CT SOME events that occurred on that
eventual day, aud also the day ana night pre-
cedlEg. will only assume 10 state what saw
and know took place in the vicinity where my
regiment was posted; aud departure from that
rule has evidently led Comrades Fry, Mason,
Swigart and Morris into some mistakes, unin-
territorial, Of course some OF which may notice
hereafter.
l will sneak at present of Comraae Morriss
letter in your Issue of the 3Gth of October last,
in which he SAYS he stands corrected There is
no doubt whatever that the first troops crossed
the Mississippi at Bruinsburg on the 39th of
April, 1853 aud the battle of Port Gibson took
place the LIST Of May. / was waiting for
some OF the comrades TO fix the hour of crossing
the river, and then ii would be easy enough to
determine priority Of crossing Now, desire to
speak OF the Second Brigade OF Carrs Division,
TO which my regiment belonged. Comrade
Morris will remember the Blue Racers, or Gov.
Randall's pets, as the boys of Bentons Brigade
styled The lIth Wis. As our regiment was in
their brigade in 1862, I know that the Second
Brigade of Cars Division, composed at that
time of the 18th Wis, 2lst, 22d and 23d Iowa,
and Griiith's LIST Iowa battery, was aroused at
3 O'clock a. H., April 30, 1859, and the last regi-
ment was on the Mississippi side of the river
by 10 o'clock a. m, got sone bareback, and in
the afternoon took up our line of march for the
interior. We took the lefthand road around
cornfield in the bottom for the high ground be-
You'd, while other troops, reported to be those of
Gen. 0sterhauS, took a road farther south to the
right of the field. / did not think then, nor do
now, that there were any troops in advance of
our brigade OH the road we took, for this reason
that after ascending the high ground and travel
ing some distance, about an hour before sun
down we came in sight of the large plantation
house mentioned by one of yonr correspond
ents from which the Confederate flag was still
wavin :, and could distinctly see some Confed-
crates watching our movements and few were
captured before they could get away. This
confirms me in the belief that the Second
Brigade had the lead on that road at least We
trudged along all night, occasionally hating
few minutes to rest, until about II o'clock p.
m, we halted TO rest In q narrow valley, and
the men being very weary sat down. many of
them in the road i sat with my back against
q tree by the roadside, aud was startled by loud
yelling away to the rear, and soon heard the
cry, The rebs are upon us!" and falling
by the side of the road, stood our ground
and awaited Developments We could dis
tinctly hear the sound of horses hoofs
coming at gallop and the yelis of troops
in the rear. Some few shots were fred by
excited men, but our Colonel, c. L. Harris was
after appeared that the rumpus was caused by
the horse of some orderly of regiment away
In the rear breaking loose and Gashing through
the troops along the road. 1t gave us a good
waking up and prepared us for what was soon
to follow; and / have always looked upon the
circumstance since as Godsend TO US. There was
one company Al Of the 2lst Iowa in advance
skirmishers, and we had not moved mile
when the company mentioned, in passing down
8 hill through deep cut, received the fire of
the eneny'S picket posted on a little creek |
should have stated before that in the carly part
OF The night Osterhaas's troops crossed the road
We were on Just in our rear passing from our
right to our left, and following road leading
more to the north. ! make this statement to
show how easily it is to be mistaken in regard
to toe position of any brigade or regiment at
given time, what troops are next to you.
After our advance guard was fired upon the
brigade pushed forward rapidly to their sup
port, and cur advance drove in their picket in
quick time. After crossing the creek we as
cended a very large and steep hill through the
timber. The road TO Port Gibson wound along
the top of the ridge between two cornfields
The advance had moved about half way TO the
timber in front, when Co. A, 2lst Iowa, our adj
vance-gu2rd, was fired upon by battery sta
toned in the timber of to the right and
front, already mentioned and one man was
killed and several wounded. ! took out my
watch, lit was clear, moonlit morning. and it
was 10 minutes to i o'clock when the battle of
Port Gibson opened, and the Second Brigade
Of Carr's Division opened the ball. and the
company aforementioned shed the first blood
and gave up the first life. l knew all the time
that we were in at the beginning, and my old
friend Morris will see, by his own admission,
that the Second Brigade was there an hour be-
fore the First came up as he fixes the time of
their arrival at o'clock and he is right about
that. But il was nearly two hours after Ben
nm RrlU adp hafo D-+a
were heard away TO our left. We tore down a
rail fence and let our battery into the cornfield
on the right and then began brilliant artil-
lery duel, which became more lively when Gen.
Benton with his brave boys and battery came
up and took hand. The eneny's guns were
soon silenced, and the infantry moved toward
Port Gibson-the Second Brigade in front.
1t was now daylight, the sun just rising.
The road suddenly diyides-one turning to the
left and the other TO the right past Magnolia
Church. The Second Brig ade took the LETT and
the First Brigade the rghthand road and
both halted and prepared to eat some hard tack
and coffee; but We were TO be disappointed.
Between the two branches of the road men,
toned, and at the foot of steep hill, was
dense canebrake, and beyond was high hill
covered with timber and from there the rebs
sent shell over our brigade as we began to
eat, and that spoiled our breakfast.
The brigade was under arms in few mo-
Brigade springing to their arms at the same
time. Griffish's battery was the first to open
on our side. Gen. McClernand was on high
ground in our rear, where he had good view
of the field, and those who pretend to say he
was not there at that time, simply show they
know nothing about il and do great injustice |
TO a brave man.
We were ordered TO lie down Just behind the |
crest Of the ridge and close behind our battery |
We lay there but short time when / heard |
some shouting in the rear, and looking around |
saw Gen. McClernand swinging his hat and
shouting TO us TO look out, that the rebels were
making charge on Griffiths battery and on |
looking over the crest of the ridge saw bri-
gade Of rebels coming up in good style. When
we thought they were near enough, we sprang |
TO our feet and poured into their ranks a ter |
rlbe volley of mGsketry and Immediately |
charged upon them. Down the hill and through |
the canebrake they went the Second Bri- |
gade after them. On getting through the cane |
brake VIC came directly on the left of the 18th |
Ind of the First Brigade. and it was that !
regiment who captured that gun, as they had |
Just taken it when we got through the cane |
brake and one Of the boys was sitting on the |
gun. So our comrades Of the First Brigade |
will now see il was the Second Brigade of Carr's
Division, and not 0sterhaus's command that /
was on their left that morning We pushed on |
up the hill in pursuit-the First Brigade on |
our right-until we reached the position where |
we fought the remainder of the day and lay |
down at night in our tracks; but the Johnnies |
rxzV ~ h.,