The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-10-29
FIGHTING THEM OVER
What Our Veterans Have TO Say About
Their Old Campaigns
DURYEA'S ZOUAVES.
Their Courage at Gaines NiiI>-tn Answer TO
CoIaradc DoSIes Criticism.

C0mTadc BuSie'S Criticism.
To THE EDITOR: There have been so many
articles la late issues OF THE NATIONAL RIB
UNE referring 10 the 18th y. !. ut the batthe Of
Gaines's Mills. June -, l~62. that ! thought 1t
unnecessary 10 place mysch among your con
tributors but the communication OF Edward
Boyle. 9th L. -. Inf, under dat OF Oct. J, seems
to me TO require some answer 10 the charge that
about all Of the uaiuiured members Of the regl-
mcut employed themselves in bearing 10 the
rear the wounded at that batt}c.
Believing that a field officer would Know
something IF this If true. ] called the attention
Of Gen. Hiram Duryea who commanded the
regiment ou that day} to the article, ana give
herewith copy OF his reply:
NEW YoRK Oct. Is. 1855.
b. i. FINLEY, President, 5th y. \. Vol. I'M vet
My DEAR CoNEADE: ! arrived home last night
and am just l.. receipt If yours oi 9ln ms cAis
my attention IL san article 10y I.dw3r! Boyle IN HE
NGTIoNAL,!U!Il->l. Of oct J. relating to our rcgi-
ulent the iu,tlc of GalHcss Mills, Ialmatng tllat
an unnecessary number OF sound men h.iped
wounded from the field in order TO shlTS duly.
am surprised that you, ono OF the regiment anu
President of IL veteran association. should teei IN
d-ngnt aud ask me the comnlanuATt ia ne p''l!'
referred Co. TO contradict the statement must,
however SAY You in reply that 90 not think Il
at sli necessary give importance to the statement
by taking public notice of IL the general service
record Of the regiment and especially IL gllAntry
and effective service on The ueid az question: mas
not Only been generally aVlno" lodged, nut mas
Gle appears between Two Others. winch are sH!lcieI
regulation 10 his mistaken impression and state
ment. nE=t, however, a. your letter gives me an
opportunity mere again express l" you anu NN'iS
member of your association my grateful reinei.-
braHce and admiration of the devotion 10 an"
prompt discharge Of every duty. 1t was never d'lh-
Culf To hold the command steady it. work under
fire or at amy Time did L ever as an oTE;iniIi
ton nor did its RIen5erS-wIth 70 lew exceptions
that 4 can count them on my tnser7-siirk GhtH
Every man-Wi;lI the exceptions Staic'i-WiiS ana
ever will be ende&red to me 10y hls devotion 10
duty, galiaHtry and service
Yours, very truly, HIRAM itRNEA'
Gen. Darvca was rs able and gallant an Off
Ger as served or that field. He rose from sick
bed to assume command of his regiment at the
beginning of the movement on June ., and IL
must have a5touiShcd such members OF ms
command Is read the effort OF Comr&de Boyle
to learn that his men would have been allowed
to leave the line Of battle while engaging Inc
enemy.
The many friends of Gen. G. X. Warren viii
also be surprised to hear that, with a brigade
other than his own, he calmly watched the
progress q the fighting, while the regiment
that he had commanded as It's Colonel, and was
then 4 portion of his command, had sneakea 10
squads t. the rear under pTetense of assisting
the wounded. Those who knew Gen. Warren
in the grand old Army of the Potomac will be
slow TO believe that his energetic nature would
have remained as unrutlied as described by
COmrade BOYLE, when he did not know where
to find six OF his old regiment.
was with the regiment from the beginning
of that battle to its close at dark, ana there was
not moment that we were not confronting
the enemy in line as fairly any command on
that bloody field. That some may have gone
to the rear in the manner described may be
true hut not 10 any large aXtent else Gen
Sykes would net have said, as he did, that Its
death-roll and list of wounded tell how and
where it stood better than any words OF It's
commanders" it was the duty of the musl-
clans Of the regiment 10 assist the Surgeons,
and ii doubtless appeared TO Comrade Boyle, as
he went TO the rear alone with wounded
friend. that the Z0uaves had an excess of help.
do not think il to be wise or in good taste to
assal the record of any command; enough OF
praise can lee justly awarded to every regiment
for its conduct on some occasion without blam-
ing it even when deserved.
The regiment composed OF the poorest ma
terial In either Grmy must have had IN Its
ranks some men who did their duty under fire
and elsewhere, and their whole military service
being with that command, it necessarily follows
That one wounds the pride OF many good SOL
diers in telling OF its faults. So, too, the best
Of regiments must have had some members who
believed that the path of safety lif not OF duty
led TO the rear. and if q critical observer hap
pened to be on that portion of the ground where
these and these only came under his eye, 1t
were not wise TO judge the whole command by
the conduct and position Of the few who passed
under his observation.-B. +. FINLEY, Co. u,
9Th n. Y, New York city.