The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1886-11-18
THE FIGHT AT PERRYvILLE.
What the 18th Ill. Did, aud How II Suffered.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: In THE Ma
TIoHAL TRIBUNE of Aug. 10 saw az article by
Comrade Urban Hamburger Co. A, 22d Ind,
which is slightly in Error. God knows that
our regiment, almost to a man, bad unbounded
respect and confidence i'm the 22d Ind. and 59th
Ill., as proved on many hard-fought battle
feld-Stone River Liberty Gap. Chickamauga,
Lookout Mountain. Mission Ridge. Ringgold
and many others But first and worst of all
was that slaughter pen of Perryville, Ky. Our
company left that field with seven killed and
IL wounded, being just half of those present.
As COmrade Homberger says, Col Goodman
went TO McCook's relief / we'll remember our
brigade lying in a eornfeld between the pike
and the dirt road My recollection is that at
about 4:30 or five o'clock some mounted man
u do not know if officer or ORDERLY dashed up
aud said:
"Who commands this brigade2"
Col Goodman replied, do"
" Iou are wanted immediately"
FALL in Double quick, march!" and away
by the right flank went the 7Ith and 18th Ill.
About the 22d Ind. and 59th III. do not know,
as they were behind us. We had gone about
three lengths Of our regiment when the same
man came dashing up again, exclaiming:
No, no, Colonel, this way
"AhOut face " was ordered, bringing our left
in front. The 74th was on the right of the bril-
gaae aud did not about face, but kept Oh across
li0 plh anu We ulu uOl see IL ds-til uulll NAc
next day. That is how the 18th did not give
an inch. II was over two miles from our bri-
gade al that fight.
Oar Michigan battery" was the 9Th Wis.
battery. The new troops sent in 10 McCooks
relief. aud who held the rebels until dark, were
the 18th aud 59th Ill., the 22d lad. aud the 9th
Wis battery. They belonged TO JEFF c. Davis's
Division, commanded temporarily by Gen. Bob
Mitchell. A better battery never was known
In the servicp Than the 9Th Wis
Now, always understood that it was Pat
Cleburne's troops that We confronted. OF this
do not pretend to be positive, and would be
glad 10 be corrected If in error. About the 74th
H. being in that fight do know very we'll, as
IL would have been great reinforcement 10 US
TO have had its help at that time. One of Col.
| Posts regimental officers told me afterward
that our brigade went into the fight without
the consent or knowledge Of our division COM
mander. He did not know where this brigade
was until after the fight was over.
Now, 22d Ind, 59th ILL.,, 18th H., and 9Th
Wis. battery, what do you think of holding q
! Reunion and erecting a monument on Chaplin
| Hil where we left so many of our brigade2
would rather visit and erect a monument nj
Perryvile, KY, than any battlefield ever was
on. l remember hearing the 22d Ind. boys
telling and laughing over IL, how Col. Good
man, after he saw he was hanked aud captured
| told the rest 10 cease firing, as they were firing
into our own men.
If Col. Goodman is living, would like tC
hear his report of this fight. Our Lieutenant
Colonel, J. L. Bennett, brought the brigade of
the battlefield. Ii was after dark when We
| left, and we were in the fight one hour and q
minutes; so, you see. il must have been after
| 3 o'clock when we went in. The 18th Ill. went
into the Perryviile fight with less than GOO mer
and officers, aud lost SO killed outright, 22l
wounded aud 80 missing. some of whom have
never yet been accounted for. Had il not beer
for darkness relieving U.s. believe we would
all have been killed.. J.. NEWTON Lieuten
ant, Co. II, 10Th III, Rock Falls, III.