The National tribune., 1886-06-17

Ihk NfAEI4lE HIS MlNlN DllGAuG 10 IHliAt On llt
left flank TO tho strong position he left but a
half hour before. when he knew that not
less than two regiments Of the enemy were
marching upon his right flank, besides four
times that number pressing his little brigade OF
less than three regiments from the front
But as he himself says: /" j had resisted the
suggestion of a staff officer Of the COM
mandcr Of the First Division to withdraw when
the contest seemed almost hopeless" but up TO
this time the I'd Mass. had not been very heavily
engaged with the enemy, and Gen. Gordon
who was formerly Colonel of that regiment
thought he would cover that regiment with
glory by permitting the enemy 10 surround
IL by overwhelming numbers A terrible fire
was poured from the front and right flank into
the ranks Of the brave % until they too had
70 retire with fearful slaughter in officers and
men, when Gen. Gordon thought his duty had
been performed Gen. Gordon condones his
mistakes aud the useless slaughter Of his gall
liant 2d Mass. by rejecting upon the courage of
the 9th Ind he had no affection for the 9th
Ind, nor Indiana soldiers in general.
Gen. Gordon, in his book. entitled Brook
Farm TO Cedar Mountain" (p. $685. in describ
ing this battle and the part taken therein by
his brigade, says:
Now let us look at the reserves on our side on the
extreme right. There yet remained my brigade of
two regiments l2d Mass. and 9th Ind and four
companies OF the 3d Wis that had not then moved
forward. After receiving the order from
Gen. Williams 10 move my whole command 10 the
support OF Gen. Crawford, (p. 303,) the
ID Hprang forward so did the remaining companies
OF the Sd Mis did the 9th Ind eight companies
oaly.l ii was now little before O'Clock. The
rattle and roar Of muslctry had given place 10
dreadful and ominous silence thick smoke
curling through the tree-tops, il rose in clouds
from corn and whealticlds, marked the place TO
which wewere ordcrcl-the place where the narrow
valley strcwn with dead. DOuble-quicki" i
gave the order, and my brigade responded. Down
the slope al a run, through the marshy land at
ITS base, pressed my troops. AT the edge OF
the woods ! III rallied and gathered up the
companies of the 81 Wis part of the broken
fragments Of Crawford's Brigade, n second time 10
be baptized in the fiery food OF Cedar Mountain.
SO We went until we had penetrated the woods and
stood IN line of battle the very edge of the wheat
field. lP. 800, 39il My line Of battle was quickly
fonned-the ID on the left then the 9th Ind, and
on the right the 80 Wis. From The edge Of the wood
we looked across the whcaeld, not over 400 yards,
at the long lines Of the enemy. who, having now
advanced into clear ground, opened upon us a
heavy fire which was Immediately responded 10
by the 9th Ind. and Sd Wis. az. 305.)
Gen. Gordon in his report of the battle of
Cedar Mountain, dated as follows, says:
CAMP NEAR CULPEFER, Aug II, IlS62. Cg)l
A approached the opening the enemy from his
concealed position received me with rapid and
destructive ire, but my infantry-paTticulaTly the
"a Mass. and 80 Wis.-coolly took their assigned
places and replied with commcndabe coolness
For al least 80 minutes this terrible fire continued
Reader, are you not amazed at these conflict
ing statementsg VIII you not be more amazed
notwithstanding that it is dated Aug. IL, 1862
has no official existence, for the reason that it
! is not addressed TO the Chief of staff Of Gen.
Banks or Gen. Williams, Gen. Gordons superb
ors, nor 10 anybody else; nor was said so-called
report known TO exist prior 10 Feb. 5, 1883, the
date Of its receipt at the War Department
Gen. Gordon is also in error as 10 the positions
of the Sd Wis. and 9th Ind. The 9th Ind.
was on the extreme right Of the brigade during
/ the whole battle, which i viii prove by indis-
putable evidence. THE ID Wis was at no time
during this battle on the right Of the 9th Ind"
says Lieut.-Col. Morrison; and Col Colgroye
corrobOrates his statement Col. ColgroYe, in
has report, says: My regiment occupied the
extreme right Of our brigade, in the position
/ first occupied"
The truth is that the 9th Ind. was the first
regiment that opened fire upon the enemy from
/ the edge Of the wheatfeld after the advance Of
/ the I'd Mass. and the 9th Ind, which / can
/ prove by Gen. GOrdOn's so-called history and
Wisconsin ia the War" Gen. Gordon, in his
Brook Farm 10 Cedar Mountain" after stating
/ that the 9th Ind. and Sd Wis. responded 10
/ the fire Of the enemy, says;
As ] rode mp TO the ID Mass was amazed that
no firing was going on. There sat Col. Andrews
rather complaccntly. on the left Of his regiment
and IA line with T. Why don't you order your
i fire at" WAS the cool response. Move by the
right flank and join with the 27th Ind. and you
] VIII nDDl liDa enough 10 IFc al Tcbhc0. Ine
regiment moved where the field was a little
more exposed 10 Col Andrews vision and heard
+ no further complaint thst he could not find any
/ thing 20 fire at" N'p. 3O5, 1863
] Col. Andrews In his official report. corrobo-
rates this statement. He says:
The regiment was formed In line at the edge OF
the wood, but was soon moved further TO the
right.
During this time the 9th Ind. was fighting
/ singly and alone BraBch's aud Archer's Bri-
IN TsII
swinging around on its right flank. Archer
says his loss while crossing the wheatfeld was
l9 killed and ll6 wounded.
Gen. Gordon, in his book, says:
in the woods upon which jackson now directed
his attack nothing but my three small regiments
Rades of the enemy. Of which four were IN line
when we came upon the field. and one reaching
far around 10 enEeiop our right. OF the 10 bri-
gndes which Jackson threw out Of the u Ia his
army into the fight at Cedar Mountain, one half Of
them awaited our attack on the right Of the road
across the deadly whcatticld.
Ny force Was less lGn 500 men; the enemy Z
could not have ialen short Of 600 out Of his whole
command OF from 20.0oO to 5000 men. IL will be
seen that the woods opposite must have been liter
ally packed with rebels and that they must have
I extended far beyond right TO have enabled
even one-ihird Of the men 10 get 10 the front.
This was tbe situation alone OF all Banks
boys, when The light was growing dim that fatal
August night opened fire on the long line oi
Archers Brigade as his troops disdaininR cover
The timber. As may be imagined, our position wa.
exposed one. ID h almost in vain 20 ATTEMPT K
convey an impression Of the fercencss Of that FIRE
the cracking 81 muslctry was incessant. As Col
COigroye, commanding the Z7ih Ind, on the righ
of the ID Mass, the enemy seemed 20 be all around
him-in his front, his right Ia a dense growth o
4 underbTmsh. and his left, in line extending
nearly RerOas the whcatiied. From front aud flank
direct and cross, came this terrible fire upon th,
9Th lad. Opp. 3J7, S0s)
Where was the 30 Wis, which Gordon saw,
was on the right OF the 9th Ind, when tn,
9th was suffering from the ab0ve-described
fire on lis right flank Where was the 2d Mass
when the enemy was pouring this terrible fir,
!. into the left flank Of the 9th Ind.Y
Gen. Gordon, IN his sO-called report, SAYS
AZ ] approached the opening the enemy from
hie concealed position received me with a rnpl,
5 and destructive ire but my infantry particular,
the 20 Mass aud 30 Wis. cody took their assipne;
: places and replied with a coinmcndable coolness
Gen. Gordon must have been laboring unde
= delusion when he wrote his report or else b,
\ did not intend 10 deal fairly and Justly viii
4 the 24th Ind. The "a Mass was SO far 10 M
I left OF the 27th Ind. during the aboye-describe,
4 fire upon the 9th that they could not 81 see any
I thing TO Ere at and the ID Wis was on III
\ left Of the "a Mass. instead Of being on IA
. right Of the 9th as will be shown later on.
: Gordon continues:
a Then signs of panic began 60 show themselves /
= this 9Th Ind regiment. ~. 39sD ~;
Z ZSth ind titcr gitlng many symptoms Of disorde
D. broke and fed through the woods 10 the ope
q ground distance which Col. Coigroye gives a. Y
q yards. The fortunes ~ the Sd Wis. were involve
y with those 81 the Z7th Ind. This regiment on ill
extreme right OF my line stood with six Of is con
8 pnnes hearing, for second time within an hou