The National tribune., 1885-07-23
FIGHTING THEM OVER
What Our Veterans Have to Say About
Their Old Campaigns
CHARLOTTESVILLE.
A Private Criticises the Generals and Tells His
Story of That Battle.


lenses worth naming have been thrown up"
know nothing about the Eleventh Corps, but
will put in a word for the Twelfth Corps, and
say that the works built by Williamss (Firstl
Division were the best field temporary
works that the writer assisted TO build during
nearly four years service. L think they We're
finished about noon on Friday, May l. BY
this order it would appear that Gems. Slocum
and Howard were more to blame for the dis
asters which followed than some who were
higher in command. think nobody was more
to blame than Gen. Hooker. He was a brave
soldier; and the Eleventh and Twelfth Corps,
afterwards consolidated, and under Hooker's
command, as the Twentieth Corps, achieved
reputation they have no need to be ashamed of.
But, somehow, Gen. Sherman and Gen. Hooker
could not agree, and Hooker left us, think,
some time in August, 1864, when Gen. Slocum
was again our commander for a short time,
until he and Gen. Howard were put in COM
mand of the right and left wings of Gen. Sher-
mans army. 1T would thus appear that they
were good Lieutcnants under "Old Tecumseh,"
but had betrayed Hooker
Now, we will suppose for moment, that the
Eleventh Corps had been totally wiped out
not an officer or man left. Had Hooker gath
cred his army as he should have done, he still
had enough to have crushed the Confederates,
divided as they were; but, instead, he left the
larger part of what was left almost entirely out
of the fight and inactive, putting in division
or corps at time. To tell the plain truth, the
Union armies in the East
WERE COMPLETELY oUTGENERALED
during the first two or three years of
the war, both in manuvering and manner of
fighting. The Charlottesville campaign was
the best thing that the writer observed during
the first two years, until after the LIST of May,
when Lee more than turned the tables on us,
and, believe, but for the death or fatal wound
ing of Stonewell" jackson, he (Jackson)
would have accomplished what he is reported
as having said while on his deathbed he
would have done had he been spared one
hour longer that is. the capture of Hooker
and the rout of his army. may be wrong i'll
including the rout of the army, for it might
have been handled better than it was, but
Booker's headQuarters-the Charlottesville
House-would most certainly have been taken
that night, il not Hooker himself.
1t may seem to some as though a private SOL
der is pretty free in expressing such an opin-
ion, critcising the qualities of Generals, as he
would not be apt to know very much about it
but then, you know, the privates, as a usual
thing were sober lot, because they had to be,
and the officers did not have to be. Just for
this very reason the private soldier could many
times tell as well. if not better, about what was
going on. than some officers high in command.
have before stated that Wiliiamss Division
of the Twelfth Corps had erected very good
works. / will now try and tell how much use
the works were to u.s. and why think Jackson
would have reached the Charlottesville House
Saturday night. ] can also, think, assist a
little in helping to locate the place and manner
in which Jackson came to be shot. was
member of the 10th Pa, Col Jas. L. Selfridge;
First Brigade, Gen. Jos. T. Knipe-5th Iowa,
2Sth n. Y, 10th Me-, 10th and 12Sth Pa; First
Division, Gen. Williams; Twelfth Corps, Gen.
Slocum The Twelfth Corps had only two
divisions the Second commanded by Gen. Jno
w. Geary, one of those wide-awakc, brave and
energetic commanders but who never rose
above the command of a division, very likely
for the reason that he was not military grad
uate. Gen. Howard says the plank road from
Germania Ford to Charlottesville runs nearly
east and west, and, to better understand, we will
say it is east and west This would make the
Charlottesville House front to the south, with
q level, open field in front and to the right or
southwest.
The road from United States Ford passed the
house on the west side, leading towards Spottsyl-
vania Courthouse. The chaparral or brush was
not very far away, on the west side of the house.
To the north and rear of the house was long,
narrow field, most of it on the west side Of the
United States Ford road. On the northeast
side or corner of the house, large trees were
growing to within few rods of the building,
but the brush seemed to have been kept cut
away for some distance, and the trees were
scattering, leaving narrow open strip along
the north side of the plank road while on the
south of the road the open field extended west
about one half mile, where the ground descend.
ed, forming quite bluff, at the foot of which
ran a small stream. From the stream to the
woods was probably 20 rods. Along the edge of
the bluff or slope it was 20 feet higher than the
creek. On the north side of the plank road
seemed to have been at one time stone wall.
then covered with briar bushes. To the south
the field extended a long way, perhaps a mile
or more, but directly in front of the house the
woods were less than one-fourth of a mile
away, extending westerly from the road to
Spottsylvania, say one fourth of mile, then an
open field of about the same distance to the
stream before mentioned
Gen. Geary's Division was stationed directly
in front of the house, with his line near the
edge of the wood, and extending northwest
across the open field nearly or quite to the
creek. There was, or had been, new brigade
in Gen. Williams's Division, commanded by
Gen. Thos l.. Kane, of Bucktail fame First
in the woods came the Third Brigade, First
Divisional Mass, Sd Wis, 9th Ind. and,
i think. the 10th n. Y. Next to this
was the First Brigade. i cannot now To-
cate the regiments in the order they were
in the line, and it does not matter but
the right of Knipes Brigade was at or near the
plank road, and, L think, was the right of the
Twelfth Corps unless Gen. Kape's Brigade was
on our right, as it might have been, for we were
in the woods, and did not review" this part
of the field. but was several times up at the
Charlottesville House to try and see what was
going on, as we supposed this was the front,
and the fighting, if any, would be in this direc-
ton. Some may ask, What business had you
there, so far away from your command? will
say none whatever, only desire to know some
thing about what was going On. We could oc-
casionally hear firing to the west of the house,
where the Fifth Corps was and after our works
were completed it was hard work to lie there
facing as We thought, to the rear.
The Twelfth Corps was, so far as / could dis
cover, in a single line of nearly or quite one
mile in length; the First Division, or the
First and Third Brigades, at least, in the
woods, the line cutting off triangular piece of
woods on the south of plank road, the field
forming the third side of the triangle.
Friday afternoon our brigade marched up the
plank road, past the house, and out some dis
lance on the road to Spottyslvania. We here
encountered Confederate batteries, but instead
of charging them, We expected to do were
ordered back, and occupied our old position.
think the whole First Division was out, but
our brigade and regiment was in the advance
do not think the Second Division was moved
although Gen. Howard says the Twelfth Corps
was advanced. Saturday afternoon probably
3 or o'clock, we were again ordered out
Knipe's Brigade alone this time. We moved by
the left flank along our works, until near the
edge of the woods then out over the works di-
rectly south-as we are calling it-aiong the
edge of the woods half mile, then west across
the field into the woods again. Before
entering these woods we were ordered to leave
our knapSacks, with a guard. and before