The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1886-05-13
@Carleton- Criticized.

To THE EDITOR: read with interest Carrie
toms" Saving the Nation" But agree with
other critics that as he is writing history be
should use more care in making statements as
to dates, troops engaged, etc.
His article in your issue of the Sth of April,
on the siege Of Knoxville, while in the main
correct, is misleading in some Of its essential
details. He says, The troops of the Twenty
third Corps, under Gen. Burnside, were 10
drive him lBuckner) out" and that
"Burnside's army advanced in two columns
one under Gen. Hartsuf, through Somerset,
Ky, the ~her through Jacksboro,
under Gen. Foster" This may be correct so
far as it goes; If so, there was a third column,
the Cavalry Division" Of the Twenty-third
Corps consisting of some Is regiments of cav
airy and mounted infantry and four batteries,
under command of Brig. Gen. Samuel p. Carter,
the main portion of which moved from STAN
ford, KY, Aug IL, 1868 via Crab Orchard, Mt
Vernon, London, and Williamsburg, KY, over
Jelico Mountain, TO Chitwood's, Montgomery,
Kingston, and Lenoir's Station, TO Knoxville,
Tenn, where il arrived Sept. 3.
With the headquarters Of Gen. Carter, tray
eled Gen. Burnside.
AT Chitwoods the cavalry column intercepted
the infantry column moving from Somerset
but after leaving that point know nothing of
the movements of the infantry, though II is
more than probable they moved on via Jacks
bor0.
AS to Gen. Foster, I find no mention of his
name in my notes until after the raising of the
siege, and early in December, when note his
arrival ut Knoxville TO supersede Gen. Burn
side in command of the Department and Army
of the Ohio Still it is possible he may have
been in command of one of the columns Of oc-
cupation, as at that time my diary deals almost
exclusively with the movements Of the Cavalry
Division.
aCorlo+,,, - ,,,;., II, ,.,o4:,,, oe ~ rrollo,,.
Ninth Corps as an organization, Though he
gives the names Of some of its brigade aud
division commanders. This is rank injustice
TO the brave men Of that corps who nobly bore
their full share Of the tolls and trials incident
TO the occupation of East Tennessee nd the
siege Of Knoxville. They well deserve m,n-
ton for the part they played throughout the
entire siege,-in fact the garrison Of Fort Sam
ders, which so calamity repulscd the assault,
was a part Of the old Ninth and hope some
one Of them will speak right out in meeting"
as 10 the part they took in that campaign.
Carleton" also speaks of Gen. Sanders as
having been directing affairs at Knoxville. and
having been killed ON the south side Of the
river. Gen. Sanders was in command Of the
cavalry, assisting the infantry in checking
Longstreets advance on the north side Of the
HOlston, and was MORALLY wounded imme-
diately in front Of our principal wOrk-on the
west Of the town and north OF the river-after-
wards named in his honor " Fort Sanders"
He gives the date Of the crossing OF the Hol-
stOn by LOngstreet, as Saturday, Nov. l9.
Now, the 10th of November, 1863, fell on Thurs
day. My notes, made at the time, say the pas
sage was made on Saturday, Nov Ia; that Gen.
Sanders was MORALLY wounded on the 18th,
and was buried about 10 o'clock p. m. of Thurs
day, Nov. 10, therefore am positive his date
must be wrong
] notice that Mr.. Mansur in his article on
Knoxville, corroborates my memorandum as
to time and place Of the death of Gen. Sanders,
and indirectly Of the date when Longstreet
crossed the Holston.-A PRIVATE, Twenty
third Corps, Toledo, o.