The National tribune., 1885-08-13
HARTSVILLE.
How the 10th iii. Squared Accounts With the
JOhnnies.


To THE EDITOR: In answer to j. NJ. Jones'
why such small command was stationed SO
near the enemy as was the one at Hartsville,
Tenn (he calls it Huntsville,) l will say that
at that time RoSecrans's army was at Nashville
aud Bragg's at Murfreesboro Huntsville is
located on the Cumberland River, fordable at
that place, and on nearly line to Gallatin,
Tenn, from Murlreesboro, on the L. 4 N. X. H.,
| in the rear of Rosecrans. Bragg was then con-
templating moving north, and think this
command was there as a lookout, but 1T has
always appeared to me that there was some
carelessness in its being stationed there without
any forts or defenses of any kind. We were
- miles nearer the enemy than our own army.
1t is true that the rest of our division was IL
miles distant but was unable to reach us in
time. John Morgan knew every road and by
way, and no doubt knew just what force was
needed to take us in. He timed his attack
well. This was our first engagement, and al
though the most of Co. d, 104th Ill., was with
the provision train at Galatin, our regiments
loss was 40 killed and wounded.
This defeat made US feel downhcarted, but l
felt a little better when heard Gen. Morgan
say that he did not expect we would fight at
all, as we were entirely surrounded with
force three times as large as ours. We were
hurried across the river and marched on to
Murfreesboro. We had been pretty short of
rations, but when we came to 60 50 hours with
out anything to eat, handful of flour that we
received and mixed up with water without salt
to stiff dough and baked in the ashes was
feast. In our after marches and fightings we
always looked back to the Huntsville battle as
a surprise.
And now, while writing, want to say
word in regard to planting the first flag on
Mission Ridge. 1 clipped the following from
the Nashville Press soon after the battle, and
now have it in my scrap book /: The honor of
first planting the National flag on the top of
Mission Ridge belongs to the 10ith Ill, First
Brigade, First Division, Fourteenth Corps.
This regiment charged over five distinct lines
of the enemy's works, driving their sharp
shooters before them and planting their flag on
the enemy's rife-pits on the summit OF the
ridge in advance of Others"
have always supposed that the man who
wrote this was the correspondent that l saw on
a horse with a Henry rifle across his shoulder
Just in rear of our lines as we started to adj
vance on the enemy. believe that his state
ment is correct from my own observation. l
know that the Confederates broke to run in our
front sooner than on our immediate right and
left, aud that we received a few shots from
right and left as we gained the summit of the
ridge. One other circumstance: Just after we
had got the last work in front of us an officer
and his staff galloped diagonally across our
front from our right. 1t proved to be Gen.
Bragg and staff. who had stayed to the front as
long as it was safe for them, and then put SPURS
| to their horses.
But, comrades, there was glory enough on
that day for US all of the Army of the Cumber
land. 1t was like bursting prison walls that
had bound us in for two long, weary months of
hunger. The bravery displayed in that men,
orable battle was equal to any in the war. l
often wonder how our Gen. Carlin escaped from
being killed that day. He rode his gray horse
almost to the summit of the ridge right along
with the line,-sometimes in advance of it,-a
conspicuous mark for rebel sharpshooters.
Proud we were that night as we lay down to
rest on that field of battle, joyous at the
thought of a few more such victories and the
Union would be saved and we be permitted to
return to home and loved ones.-WILLIAM II.
COWARD, Co. E. 104th ILL.,, Ransom, Ill.