The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-01-22
JACKSON. MISS.
Who Planted the Flag on the Court.housei

To THE EDITOR: In your issue of Dec. %,
Capt Geo. A. Clark, of Co. II, 4th Mimi, tells
of the planting of the flag of the 59th Ind. on
the Court house at Jackson, Miss, May Ia, 1863,
and says: 81 was in command of the skirmish-
line in front of our division (Quinby's, Seventh
Division, Seventeenth Corps-McPherson s. and
was inside the works an hour nearly before there
was any regiment marched in" The Captain
is certainly mistaken as to who commanded the
skirmish- line on that occasion, and If The Ma
TIoNAL TRIBUNE will kindly allow me space l
will show Just how the thing was did SO far as
Quinby's Division was concerned in the taking
of Jackson. Before going into action our brigade
(Second) was formed as follows: On the right,
10th. Mo-, with Co. L, oath Mo-, attached; CEN
ter, sOth Ohio; left, 18th Iowa; (Col. Samuel
A. Holmes, of the 10th Mo, commanding bril-
gade); supported by the First and Third Bri-
gades. Four companies of the 10th Mo. were
deployed as skirmishers, and moved forward
under command of Capt. Chas. A. Gilchrist, Co.
A, he being the ranking Captain of the four
companies detailed. After driving In the Con-
federate skirmishers to their first line OF battle,
they had two strong lines, with six pieces of
artillery the skirmishers were halted and your
humble servant was sent back to report the
condition of things to Col. Holmes, which did
in the presence of Gen. Croker commanding
division, when was ordered to return to the
skirmish-line and have it remain where it was
and fall into line when the brigade came up,
and did So Within a few minutes after my
return to the skirmish-line, Col. Holmes called
"attention," the brigade rose to its feet, and
then" Eoruard double quick; GIVE THEM COLD
STEEL" rang out above the din of battle and
the boys went in. They charged down hill and
up hill, through the woods and through hedge
fence, and never stopped until the enemy were
on dead "skedaddle." The LIST Mo. battery
charged with the column, the only time l ever
saw artillery charge with line of infantry. The
brigade was then halted, reformed, the same
four companies were sent forward as skirmshers
again, and the same Capt Chas A. Gilchrist, of
Co. A, 10th Mo-, commanded them. They kept
steadily forward until they reached the main
works of the enemy, and then they didn't stop,
but went over them, and / verify believe Pri-
yate p G. Hadix, of Co. d, 10th Mo-, was the
first man of our division to enter the works.
As he jumped over he cried, See what have
found" and seated himself upon large
breech- loading rifle cannon of English manu-
facture. The four companies then moved on
through the rebel tents, which in their hurry
they had forgotten to strike, and into the city,
where they met Gen. Sherman's Fifteenth
Corps skirmishers who had entered the works
on the right about the same time we did. And
all went to Pearl River Bridge together, where
they gave the JOhnnieS parting shot, when
most of the 10th Mo. skirmishers returned to
their command, which was inside the works.
When Col Sanborn came In with the 59th Ind.
colors our brigade had been there for some time,
had their arms stacked, and the boys were TAX
ing a rest IT'S true Col. Sanborn placed the
colors on the Court-house-why the honor we
do not know; but it is not true that Capt. Geo.
A. Clark, Co. H, 4th Mimi, commanded the
line of skirmishers which preceded Quinby's
Division of the Seventeenth Corps into jack
son.
According to Gen. McPherson's official report,
the division lost in this engagement 265 killed
and wounded; out of this number the Second
Brigade lost $685. so there were just 81 killed
and wounded to be divided between the First
and Third Brigades and the artillery. Let
justice be done though the heavens fall."-A
MEMBER OF Co. d, 10th Mo-, Glenwood, Mo.