The National tribune., 1886-10-14
CAVALRYMEN AT ISSUE.
A Friendly Controversy Between New Workers WhC
Welded SAbers.


Welded SAbers.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: / saw in q
recent issue of your paper another cOmmunica-
tion from George w. Toms, 9th n. Y. Cav,
relative to the battle Of the Wilderness. lnas-
much as this last article places me in a false
position and leaves me there, must ask you to
give place in your columns to the following,
not simply for controversy, but 10 get at the
facts of the case
Comrade Toms pitches into me and Comrade
Scypcs Of the 9th Pa. Cav, in way that seems
at first perfectly overwhelming. But let US
see: In my first letter / said that there was
quite an error in his account relating to the
battle Of the Wilderness. Perhaps / should
have been more careful to state Just what i
thought was wrong, but l suppose that. taken
in connection with what followed, my meaning
would be plain. i only wanted to offer an OBJ
lection TO that part of the comrades account
which reads that "the cavalry had all been
sent of on raid under Gen. Sheridan to Rich
mond," meaning. of course, at the time the 9Th
Cav. was engaged in opening the battle. That
statement i meant TO object to, and TO nothing
else.
You see, Mr.. Editor, could not agree to
having the old First Division of the Cavalry
Corps disposed of in just that way, because /
had a lively recollection of the two engage
ments mentioned, and more especially because,
in my opinion, the achievements OF the cavalry
during the whole Of the war have never been
fully appreciated or fairly recorded. As cav
alryman, Comrade Toms might be fairly excus-
able il he took little more pride In seeing that
the doings of the whole corps We're fully TO-
corded Perhaps he considers the record OF the
5th n. Y. glory enough for the whole corps.
That would make honors easy for the rest of
us now, but honors did not come so easy In
those days. Comrade Toms says that he said
nothing about Todds Tavern. Now, TOdd's
Tavern was in the near vicinity OF the Wilder
ness, as was Parker's Store aud all the fighting
in that vicinity from the beginning until May
or 10 was, in general terms, the battle OF the
Wilderness, and has passed into history as
such.
The evidence produced by the comrade in
the way of papers, records, orders, etc., Is all
| right and conclusive in its way, but proves
nothing that was in dispute, for neither myself
nor Comrade Scypes disputed any statement
made relative to the 9th ". Y. In fact, the
orders are good evidence for u.s. as one men
tions particularly the 22d n. Y. and I'd Ohio
Cav, showing that all the cavalry had not been
sent OFF on the raid 10 Richmond. Comrade
Toms lodges the main issue and wastes his
| ammunition trying TO prove that which was
not disputed, and in so doing helps us prove
| our case.
do not at all think that either Of the COM
| rades meant 10 say anything disparaging OF the
1
ed and for myself, / am glad TO say that /
have only the kindliest feelings for all COM
rades of the war. If this letter succeeds In re-
moving what seems to Ibe slight misunder-
standing all around shall be glad and ready
TO say, in the words of our great commander,
| Z" Let us have peace"
In my first letter / said the Second Brigade,
First Division, Cavalry Corps" was not, and
am not now, certain that this was the number
of the brigade TO which the lst n. Y. Dragons
at that time belonged. The reason why can
not be certain is that on account of the four
Regular regiments in the brigade it was almost
always called the Regular Brigade; sometimes
Merrtt's Brigade. John Kelley. of Co. +, I'd
u. s. Cav, in his account of Treyillian Station,
makes no mention of the lst n. Y. Dragons
as belonging TO the Regular Brigade. 1t would
seem-as Comrade Frank Robinson of Co. A,
lst Dragons. says in his article in your paper
of Sept. l6-that We did service enough in the
brigade to have been remembered. Many
thanks 10 Frank Robinson for verifying my
statements and long life TO THE NATIONAL