The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-09-10
BENTONVIILE. N. C..
Part COgswelrs Brigade Took in the Fight.

The Part COgswells Brigade Took In the Fight.
To THE EDITOR: 1 read in THE NATIONAL
TRIBUNE of Aug. 6 an account of the bat
tie of Bentonville, n. c., March 10, 1863, by
Brevct Maj Gen. VIM. P Carlin Colonel Of 4th
u. S. Inf and in his description of how his
division was overwhelmed in that fight he says
among other things this: Being convinced
that they were Confederates, decided to run
another great risk by riding through their line
again. As | would soon expect TO strike their
main line if continued TO ride forward, rode
back and passed very near one of these Skin
mishers and scanned him closely. He paid no
attention to me. Having passed through this
line, met Gen. Davis and his staff and told
him that he was riding into the rebel lines
He replied IN language emphatic if not polite,
that he was not. l repeated the warning, ard
he then saw that he was mistaken. He directed
an officer Of his staff to call Col. COgscelTs MaSsa-
chusettS regiment then near at hand to fire into this
line of Confederates. This uas done uery quickly,
AID the latter disappeared suddenly, excepting
those who fell under the fire"
Now, this Col. COgswel's Massachusetts,
regiment " was brigade, consisting of the 33d
Mass, Goth Conn., Goth Wis, 55th Ohio, I'D
Ohio and 136th n Y, commanded by VIM.
Cogswell, Brevet Brigadier- General, u. s. Vols,
and in this account of Gen. Carlin's it is wholly
ignored, or not properly described, and its part
in that battle mentioned as that of simply
brushing away line of skirmishers which he
(Carlin) had Just ridden through and back
alone and at will. The orders to that brigade
that day, when it had marched up from seven
miles in the rear (where it was guarding the
wagon train without dinner or halt, and
arrived upon the field, We're to report to Gen.
Davis, of the Fourteenth Corps" which was
done Then its orders were to 60 into a certain
piece of woods and take and hold the ground
that Carln's Division had been driven from"
What that brigade did let others say. E. ID.
Westfall, the correspondent of the New York
Herald who was at Slocum's headquarters dur
ing that battle writes, under date of March Il,
1865, as follows:
on JEFF c. Davs's two divisions. Buell. and Hobart
were overwhelmed and pressed back more than a
mile and a half. Vandervers, MitchelPs. Fearlngs
and Cogswells Brigades, on the right, fought bit
terry and desperately and lost but little ground.
Again, in a letter to the Herald, dated March
%, 1865, he says;
Dustan and Cases Brigades twentieth Corps
were put in reserve the left of the line, while
Cogswell's Brigade was put In the Fourteenth
Corps line, between Carlin and Morgan, at the wise
suggestion of JEFF G. Davis. During the day the
at different points The first of these attempts
was directed against that point OF the line held by
Cogswell's Brigade and the left brigade of Morgan
(MitchelS). Hardee and Hoke led the charge. The
rebels came through the woods CALAMITY with arms
trailed at right shoulder, firing but little as If
determined to crush our line by mere weight OF
bowed their heads and came on They penetrated
between Cogswelfs and hIitchells Brigades, but
here most terrific. Mitchell faced his line
where the enemy came in most strength. :"
Cogswels men lay in the water, and fired at rebels
wherever they could be seen. When the
fight over the rebel dead were found on four
sides of Mitchels Brigade, in rear and front of
Vanderver and Fearing, while they lay In win
rows before COgswell. The rebels fought with
spirit and determination all the afternoon in front
of Cogswell's Brigade. Their line was relieved
three times. and fresh troops sent ill.,
Again, Gen. McClurg, who was at that time
the Adjutant- General of the Fourteenth Corps
in his article in the September atlantic, 1882,
says:
Seeing at once that as Fearing advanced his right
flank must in turn be exposed, Gen. Davis sent to
Gen. Slocum begging for another brigade to move
in on Fearings right and support him. Fortu-
nately Cogswelfs fine brigade OF the Twentieth
Corps arrived not long after upon the field Not often
does an officer coming upon the field with tired
troops (for his brigade had marched all the night
previous) display the alacrity which Gen. Cogs-
well showed OH receiving his orders from Gen
Davis to move forward into that roaring abyss of
musketry firing. 1t was spendidly done. The
men of these two brigades-Fearinga and Cogswel-
seemed to divine that upon them had devolved the
desperate honor of semmins the tide of defeat and
turning it into victory, and magniicently they re-
sponded Finer spirit and enthusiasm could not be
shown by troops, and II Is no wonder that, after
fierce and bloody contest, the flushed and victori-
Gus troops of the enemy thus taken in flank, gave
way. and in turn fell back in confusion.
NOW, this service is all described by Gen
Carlin in the way above quoted from him. In
the same article he complains that justice has
never been done his command in that engage
ment. Can he expect it, when he himself, in
attempting to write its history, treats so flip
PANTY and inaccurately and unjustly the
services of other commands, which wore right
beside him and trying to help him out of a bad
fx?-WM. CoGswELL, Brevet BrigadierGen-
eral, U. S. Vols, commanding Third Brigade,
Third Division, Twentieth Corps at Benton
vile, Salem, Mass.