The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-04-16
ROUND TOP AGAIN.
A Comrade Who Was There Tells His Sto,

COmrade Who Was There Tells Ills Story.
To THE EDITOR: There can hardly be found
| any one who dislikes newspaper notorlety more
than l do, especially when appearing rs a
blower of my own horn" But sometimes per-
| sons, however much they may be aVeise 10
such position, feel impelled to assume 1t Tor
| the vindication of the truth of history. am
led 10 these reflections from reading IN the
columns of your excellent paper of the 9th ult
| a letter purporting to come from the pen OF one
" II. ). Melcher. President of the goth Maine
| Regmental Association" Mr.. President Mel
cher undertakes To give history OF the taxing
OF Round Top" in the following style: FIRST,
he goes on to give history of the gaiiantry OF
the goth Ne, which shall not c0ntrovert, Tor
the simple reason that know nothing about
| it, not having arrived OH the battle-ground until
| late in the afternoon. and of course do not
| know what feats of valOr were performed ny
| that organization, and hence have noshilS 10
say. But President Melrher then goes on to
say that after pursuing as far as seemed proper
the 20th Me. returned with its prisoners to
| occupy our original position, and stayed there
until ordered forward, in the early evening, to
occupy Round Top, which we did, supported
| by the 5th and 18th Pa. Reserves, OF FISHERS
Brigade which reported to Col. Chamberlain
! for that purpose"
! Now, am free TO say that for cool contempt
| for truth aid vigorous rei,imcntai blowing the
cake"
| Let me give the facts as 20 the taking OF
! Round Top, and we will then See to whom the
honor belongs.
| On the "a of July, 1868 the Third Brigade of
the Pa. Reserves, composed of the 9th, 9th, loth.
| llth and 18th regiments were ordered to move
! To the left of the position which we then occu-
| pied TO support what was known as Nincents
! Brigade. Vincent, who was one OF the most
| gallant soldiers Of the late war, had about the
! time spoken OF been MORALLY wounded and the
command of the brigade had been assumed by
Col. Rice, of New York regiment. One of the
regiments composing his brigade was the 10Th
Ne, commanded by Col. Chamberlain. and
chcerfully admit that il performed its duty
faithfully both at Gettysburg and elsewhere,
and | know that Col. Chamberlain was gal
liant officer and is entitled to receive 81 the
credit due TO good conduct III the field; but
neither Col. Chamberlain nor President MeIcher
deserve credit for doing what they did not DO.
Hence, as they did not take Round Top. as j
shall presently show, they are not entitled to
its credit. / have never heard that Col. Cham
bcrlan claimed to have taken it, and j do not
know whether he will indorse the statement OF
President Melchcr or not; but thing do
know. and that is, President Melcher in his
statement has been very economical OF truth
/ now proceed to give the facts as they can
be proven by hundreds of living witnesses,
| among whom l take the liberty 10 name MaJ.-
Gen. S. w. Crawford, now or the Retired List;
Gen. NJ. ID. Hardin. of Chicago, and many 9TH
ers who might be mentioned. As before re-
| marked, received an order TO move my brigade
to the left to support the troops then com
manded by Col Rice think, OF the 4Ith n. Y.
placed at his tRice's) request two OF my regi-
ments III the rear of Rices line and formed two
others covering his left flank. to prevent the
enemy from attacking cur line by flank
movement. 1t was not long until the rebels
discovered that re-enforcementS had arrived on
the Union side and retired for the night. After
the enemy had fallen back, while COL Rice and
myself were engaged in conversation about the
battle in which his (Rices) brigade had taken
so conspicuous part, j called his attention to
the hill now known as Round Top, and asked
him whether he had not been annoyed by
the eaemg's sharpshooterS during the battle of
the afternoon. He replied in the atfirma-
tive. l then said Il will take that hill to night
as regard it as dangerous position to be held
by the enemy" Col Rice remarked that the
attempt to take that hill might prove a hazard
Gus enterprise. Ny reply 10 this was that all
active warfare was more or less hazardous; to
which the Colonel replied that if was deter
mined TO take the hill he would like to join me
in the effort. | agreed 10 this. and said would
take two of my regiments and he could send
one of his to report TO me. Col. Rice then called
Col. Chamberlain and introduced him to me-
and we all together talked the matter over
During this conversation asked Col. Chamber
lain what guns his regiment was armed with,
and he replied Springfield rifles, or muskets
am not sure which. then said, will deploy
your regiment as skirmisherS as my men are
armed with Harper's Ferry altered muskets."
We at once started up the mountain. | being in
command, and the Goth Me. deployed as Skin
mishers. We took the hill, and in doing so
captured q few prisoners. and held the top of
the hill until relieved on the next day by Gen.
Wright, of the Sixth Corps.
This, then, is the true story of the taking of
Round Top. of which so much has been said.
l did not regard it at the time as a great
achievement, nor do think so now, but what
ever il was the men who did the work, surely,
are entitled 10 the credit of il.
] do not believe that Col Chamberlain will
attempt to dispute my statements here made
for know him to have been valiant soldier,
and believe him TO be a truthful and honorable
gentleman, and no such man will deny the
truth TO gain credit for what he is not entitled
to receive.
Let me call attention TO one particular part
of President Melcher's statement He says that
the 9Th and 18th Pa Reserves. of Fishers Bril-
gade, reported to Col. Chamberlain. Is it likely
that Col. Fisher, who was and had been for a
long time in command of brigade. and who
accompanied the troops up Round Top, would
report to a Colonel of another brigade for spe-
cial service? Another thing: the article in
HE Tribune cOhceueS tDaC TWO OF my regl-
ments were engaged and only one of Rice's
Brigade; is it likely that my two and myself
with them would report to my junior? l said
in the start that do not like newspaper noto-
riety, and ara sure | should have let the mat
ter pass without word in reply, but ! want
the truth of history vindicated, and besides
that, want my soldiers to have credit for what
they did. and mot let their work be stolen and
appropriated by Others. The Pennsylvania
Reserves can leave Gettysburg out of their list
of battles and have record left sufficient to
cover them with glory, but they do not intend
to he cheated out of what rightfully belongs to
them. ] fearlessy ask Col. tnow GcueraI
Chamberlain TO say whether have not given
the true version Of the taking of Round Top
j. w. FISHER, Cheyenne, Wyo. Ter.
The 18th Ind. at Chickasaw.
To THE EDITOR: In THE TRIBUNE Of March |
%. Comrade Fry, Of the 42d Ohio, seems in !
clined to doubt the statement made by Com |
10 r Of eel n Il.