The National tribune., 1886-06-03
HOW HE SAW THEM.
Comrade OF the 147th N. Y. Tells OF BsntonviIl
and lrerysboro.


To THE EDITOR: After reading the article
of Adj't Schenck, of the 10th Ill, . part of
which is devoted TO the battles Of Averysboro
and Bentonville, and also Comrade Castles &C.
count of the battle Of Averysboro, both in THE
NATIONAL TRIBUNE of March 25, / feel inclin-
cd to break through the silence that has here
tofore held my tongue (pen), and make q few
statements in regard TO those battles. Well do
i remember that 10th day of March, 1865 now
over q years ago. We-that is, Robinson's Bri-
gade Third Brigade, First Division, Twentieth
Corps, composed Of the 6lst and sod Ohio, 3lst
Wis, SD Ill., and 143d n. Y.-found the enemy
early in the forenoon, and skirTnishing was
more or less lively until We struck their main
line OF works quite late in the afternoon. We
were advancing under orders from Gen. Will
liams lOld Pap of the Twentieth Corps TO
"press them" Co. G of our (J42d N. " regi-
ment had been thrown out as skirmishers,
followed closely by the main line, and all, in
Guiding the rebel line and our Second Brigade,
being in full view from our position, ii was q
grand sight "Oucb, |" said voice behind me,
and turning saw that Maj. Higgins had bull
let hole through his leg. Lieut.-Col Watkins,
commanding the regiment, was hit by grape
shot a short time afterward, but not disabled.
Lieut. Hardenburgh. Of Co. q, and n large por-
tion of his skirmisbers had fallen, and work
was becoming exceedingly lively. We were
water was sometimes more than foot deep,
and guarded on the other side by section of
rebel artillery, when, to prevent our being
hanked, we were ordered TO 20 Glow and con-
form TO the motions Of the Second Brigade,
which was having a warm time Of il IN a
thicket TO our left. Thus we lost the chance Of
capturing that section Of artillery that we
thought almost in our grasp. So much for
AyerysbOro.
Arl yoty ae 20
in his account of that battle, says: +" In this
battle the 10th III. lost about 75 men killed and
wounded out Of a total force present for duty
Of 340 Thus il will be perceived thstsnot all
the Union losses at Beutonyille were sustained
by Carlin's Division; also, that the men of
Morgan's Division, alone Of sll the Union
troops engaged on the 18th. held their original
position through the day, and passed the fol-
lowing night on the very ground where they
began the conflict" In this statement the
comrade is certainly in error. On that day our
division First of the Twentieth Corps was
marching in rear Of the Fourteenth Corps, or
30 much Of il as was in that days battle. We
stopped at noon for one hours rest and dinner;
but soon cannon2ding was heard at the front,
and orders came that we would not have one
hour. Very soon we were on a quick march 10
the front where it was said the Fourteenth
Corps. OK some part Of it, had been driven hack
quick before We reached the front On the
way we passed a guide-board that some wag
had found time 10 set up, with finger point
ing 10 the front, and the inscription: Acorn
Run one mile" the acorn being the we'll
known badge Of the Fourteenth Corps. and for
some time after al that was necessary to make
q member Of that corps fighting mad was TO
mention Acorn Run. Arriving on the field our
brigade was placed on the left in the following
order. beginning at the right Of the brigade
viz, 3lst Wis, 6lst and sd Ohio, then a wide
space, with the SD Ill.-a German regiment
that we always felt II cafe to tie to at the
left and rear. The artillery was masscd ia rear
Of this gap ia the line, in & small ravine or
gully that partially protected the men. Our
regiment (the l43d N.Y. being the only one not
IN the front line was ordered 10 advance in line
at double-guick across field of shout 200 yards
width in front Of the batteries, and form on the
left Of the s2d Ohio at the edge Of the wood,
and fll as much as possible Of the gap; but be-
fore we reached the wood we were met by n
charging column Of rebels, who got on our fank,
and for short time destruction seemed almost
inevitable. With the help Of the batteries and
the sd III, which had in turn swung round
on the rebel right flank they were repulsed,
and from that time-between and 3 o'clock
p. m.-untii night we repulsed ak successive
charges, each made with superior numbers and
In the most determined manner, and lasting
from is minutes TO two hours each, our artillery
firing over our heads and doing good service.
while each man OF the 1890 fred from 100 TO
100 cartridges. es.-WILLARD ELMoRE Co. G. l43d
n. Y, South Fsllsburg, NY.