The National tribune., 1885-10-01

A Spirited Account From One Who Was The

| A Spirited Account From One Who Was There.
| To THE EDITOR: The Duke of Wellington in
his old age remarked tersely, i have believed
| that was present at the battle of Waterloo,
! but after reading various historical accounts of
the battle | begin to doubt that | was there
| | have carefully followed Gen. Carlin in his
"Military Memoirs" and as Z member Of the
old Fourteenth Corps, was more than ordi-
narily interested III his articles but l could not
recognize his Bentouyiile.
In your issue of Avg. 90 appeared article
from the pen of WA H. Seaman of Co. G., 93th
Ohio, that calls Us back to the march through
the Carolinas and the hattie Of BentOnville.
About the 10th of March, 1863, as we were
| approaching Fayetteville, \. c., the Second Di-
vision, Fourteenth Corps, under command of
Brig Gen. J. ID. Morgan, went into camp a few
miles west of the town on the plank road
Spencer'S Brigade of kilpatrick's cavalry went
Into camp at ii Clock p. III. on the Morgan
! town road four miles due north of M0rgau'S
camp. On the morning of the 11th Morgan
took up his line of march for Fayetteville just
as daylight was appearing. About the same
time we heard the sound of artillery in the
direction of H kilpatricli's camp, and soon after
| a brilliant staff officer from Cavalry HCad4uar-
ters rode into our column and reported that
| Fitzpatrick was "sCoOped,f gone up" - dis
solved" etc, and orders were at once issued to
the Second Brigade to go and see about 1t, and
we were fled to the left and started at a double
quick and to say that made that four miles
in quick time don't express it; but the time
that we made nothing compared to the
time made by the boys from the 1st Ala. Cav.
we met the road hatlcss kootlcss, and III
many instances minus pantauOnS-thcy had
escaped from their surprised camp and were
making for the infantry column; they were
Southern men in the Yankee army, and did
not like the idea of heing taken prisoners.
When we arrived at kilpatricks camp we
found that a sufficient number of TIE boys had
stayed" to whip Wade Hampton. The rcbS
had charged into their camp and actually rid
den over their tents under which they were
lying asleep. The boys crawled out with their
carbincs in their hands and proceeded to resent
the disturbing of their slumhers, Fitzpatrick
lost 10 men killed and GO wounded.
The fighting was mainly done on the Union
side by the 5th Ky. Cav. Seventy rebels were
lying dead in and around the camp. When we
reached the camp Fitzpatrick had got his clothes
on and | shall not soon forget his answer to
Gen. Mitchell when the General asked the
usual question " What's the NATTER" Mat
| ter? By Cd, six million of them came i'll
here before was up in the morning"
OF the battle of BentOnville, until quite
Gently but little has been said written. The
battle of Bcntonville does not occupy in history
the place to which ii is entitled. | was there
with regiment that had faced Beaurcgard at
Shiloh and Bragg at Stones River; that had
of the Cumberland. We had taken hand in
the terrible assaults at Kencsaw Mountain and
Jonesboro; but for desperate vaor on the part
of the rebels, and for desperate resistance and
a determination to whip them OH the part of
our own men, we saw nothing in four years of
army life to compare with that 10Th of March
at Bcntonvilc.
And now, If Comrade Seaman will pardon me,
| will criticisc his criticisms ON Gen. Carn.
He should know that Morgan's troops were the
Second Division of the Fourteenth Corps. The
brigade was made up Of the 9Sth, 1I3th and
12lst Ohio. saith and 18th H., commanded by
Brig Gen. John G. Mitchell. formerly Colonel
OF the 113th Ohio 1t is strange that an Ohio
soldier of the old Second Brigade should forget
Johnny Mitchell. l well remember what he
said TO us rs the rebel yell broke loose in the
jungle just in front of us and less than 30 yards
distant: Boys they have driven everything
else; we must whip them 20 TO Anderson
Vile" And while the battle raging, and
| il seemed that we could not hold them back,
the General, who stood just in rear of our COM
pany, was seen to slyiy pull his watch out of
his pocket and slip into his bootleg and when
that terrible assault was repulsed and the boys
asken the General for The time of day, he told
them to hurry and get stock of cartridges, rs
the rebels might cal! again.
Gen. Baird was in command of no part Of the
Second Division at Beutonville.-R. J. HEATH,
First Lieutenant, Co. 5, 3Ith Ill, Eldora, Iowa.
AN OHIO MAN TALKS.
To THE EDITOR: In your issue of Aug. 90
| VIM. II. Seaman. Co G., 9Sth Ohio describes the
battle of Bentonvillc, n. c., very well in some
particulars we'll as the surprise of Fitzpatrick
by the rcbs. Fitzpatrick was ordered TO cut off
the rear of the Confederate cavalry column.
and he obeycl his orders; but, to his own
/ language, he = cut off more than he could man
age" But why soldiers in the face of an enemy
should reduce themselves TO shirts and drawers
| did not understand then, nor do | at this
time. ! remember meeting the skcdaddters i'll
their undrcss condition, but We had no ladies
with u.s. rs it would have been awful; for one
poor fellow had no drawers, and any one who
wore the regulation shirt remembers they were
afflicted with the "tucks." This man, Il long,
lank fellow, trying To stretch his neither
| garment, TO the amusement of the fun-loying
boys of the infantry.
Comrade Seaman mentions the 9Sth Ohio.
18th and 32d III. as composing the Second Br-
gade, Second Division, Fourteenth Corps. No;
the SD Ill. was in the Seventeenth Corps. 1t
was the 3ith H., and the brigade was composed
of the 9oth, ll3th, l0oth, 12lst Ohio, 3Ith aud
| 18th III. The brigade was commanded by
| Brig Gen. John G. Mitchell, a former Colonel
of the 18th Ohio and Drawer more deter
mined officer never led IL command, and he
| knew how to handle a brigade i'll battle So it
would hurt when it struck.
Comrade Seaman complains that "CarIin
the Fourteenth Corps at the battle Of Benton
Vile" He did not have time. His division
went back on the grand scale at that place.
| But Jim Morgan's Division tthe White Acorns)
| was not moved from the ground it first occu-
pied.
Comrade Seaman again is wrong in saying
Gen. Baird commanded our brigade. Gen. Baird
never commanded the Second Division nor any
part of it. He was commander of the Third
| Division, Fourteenth Corps.
Carlin aims TO place his Division at the head
of the list by figuring that his loss of men was
heavier than any other command III that battle
| Now, any one knows that troops confused and
going to the rear are liable TO heavier loss
from an enemy's fire than they would be in
line of battle The Second Division stood its
ground and presented a front in every direction,
repusing charge after charge, yet with smaller
loss than Cariin's Division; hence, it is plain
20 see the heavy loss is no ground on which to
assume the heavy fighting was done by that
| command
These and many other things occurred to my
mind then, when | was a mere boy. | am not
yet 81 years of age, and yet was with the 18th
Ohio in all its marches and battles, and never
left the ranks except by detail.-J. G. AM
BROsE, Co. l. 18th Ohio, Moncelona, Mich.
Spring Hill to Franklin.