The National tribune., 1886-04-01
ROANOKE ISLAND,
And Che Part Hawkins,s zouaves Took in the All

And Che Part HaHkinss Zouayes Took in the Affair.
| TO THE EDITOR When one reads histories
of the late war by men like LOSING and others
| of lesser note, and lives of Gen. Burnside by
men like Ben: Perley Poore, and finds in the
account of the battle of Roanoke Island such
| statements Us this, a bayonet charge was
resolved upon. Maj. E. A. kimball, of Hawkins'S
! 18th n. " Zouaves, volunteered to lead the
attack. You are the man. said Foster; the
Sth Is the regiment, and this is the moment.
Zouayes, storm the battery. Forward With
a leap and yell they went bounding across the
causeway. Make way for the red caps,'
resounded on every side, while the cry of Zou
ZOu! rent the air. 1t was the work of a mo-
| ment. The ZOuavcs rushed into the battery,
followed closely by the 10th Conn, 5lst n. Y.
and 2ist Mass" and find this quotation, or one
essentially the same, supplemented by picture
OF battery or fort, with Zouaves charging
over it, bayoneting the rebs aud waving flags
wildly, one is inclined to believe it to be
true relation. and wonders what manner of
men these ZOuaves were, and how they were
enabled to put such an example of bravery
before all the other soldiers, and wishes all our
soldiers were as smart But when you come
| to know that this is not true-that no bigger
humbug of story of the war was ever foiSted
upon the people than this same Zouave charge,
| you wonder if there isn't more of this stuff
given for facts that occurred in other parts of
the country. Now, to show that this story as
given is not true; that iIawkinss Zouaves did
not charge as stated that they did, as soon as
| they got under fire, break up and fall back in
| confusion that after they were rallied they did
not get into the fort first, but came in after
several other regiments, | quote from the
record of the 23d Mass, written by an eye
witness, and also from several reports published
i'll the official records, all showing my statement
of the case to be correct. First, quote from the
history of the 23d Mass.
All Fosters Brigade, except the 9th Mass
hxrt
III action,
Reno was pushing against the enemy's right the
2ist Mass, 5lSt \. Y. and 9th \. j. They
stubbornly and successfully struggling against the
natural Obstacles plus the fire of the enemy and
had reached a point where they threatened to take
At this crisis the 9th y. Y of Gen Parke's Bril-
gadc for some time awaiting its turn in the road to
the rear, was ordered forward. Hardly had they
marching by the flank in rear of the 10th Conn,
uncovered their leading companies when their
column was suddenly thrown into the widest con-
fusion. There grand fusillade of their mus
kets, aimed in all directions but the right one. In
the right center of this melee Lieut. Col Monteil of
the SD n. Y, enyelOped. He had been for
some time a few PAGES to the right and front of our
artillery, fighting his account. He had
= carbine, or some short arm of precision, and,
kneeling to load, would rise and fire after very
deliberate aim, and then, rubbing his hands in
satisfaction if he thought himself successful would
repeat. When the panic of the 9th ~ \. subsidized
Col. Monteil was found dead.
Gen. j. l.. Otis, then Captain of the 10th
Conn, writes me as follows:
The 9th broke up in utter confusion, rushed
back down the road in a crowd, firing their
mIskets in every direction, killing and wound
ing each other. The Generals sprang in among
them and / did the same, catching hold of their
same time trying to stem the tide of confusion
less than three muskets were fired while had my
hands on them to throw them up; but the con-
fusion was not stayed until they had got down the
road and out of the line of fire. Fifteen of the
Hawkins Zouaves were killed and wounded by |
each other, and of my. own men had his gun
an his ba nRn arlv hnf
he was disabled for life
Capt. Denny, Wearing the Blue" p 75 says:
The 9th fell back at least portion of the regiment
upon the 9th Mass, which its feet in an in
slant, the men using the bayonet and the officers
drawing swords while, with one breath, the cry
went up - No Bull Run here!,'
Just at this time the combined line Of the
2lst Mass. and three companies of 7ae 5Ist |
\. Y. charged over the narrow space toward the |
rebel battery, and scattered members of the |
23d, which had been too much broken by the |
difficulties of the swamps for united regimental
action, came in on the other side and together |
they occupied the battery from which the rebels |
were retreating at the full run. Col. Ferrero, |
of the 5lst n. Y, led the remainder of the regi-
ment into the battery, and after them came
the 9th n. Y.
Gen Foster in his report says:
The enemy left the battery. Their retreat was,
however, IL necessity from other causes, for Gen.
Reno had at this time turned the enemy's right and
firing into the rear of their battery and Charg
ing ct the same time into them, and the 23d Mass,
mt the head of Gen. Parke's column, sent to turn
the enemy s left had also made its appearance on
the other flank.
Gen. Reno in his report says:
Finally after the lapse of about two hours, we
succeeded in turning their right. ] then ordered
charge, which most gallantly executed by the
2ist Mass, 5lst y. ", and 9th N j. The honor of
first entering the fort is divided between the 5lst
and it was owing only to their position being
the fort that enabled them to reach it first.
Lieut. Col. Maggi, 2lst Mass, in his report
says:
Our State color the first the battery after
ward the flag of the 5lst n. "; then Immediately
after, our rcgimental flag.
Col. Ferrero, 51st y. Y, in his report says:
The enemy, finding that they were outfanlled,
commenced to retreat, when the order was given
by Gen Reno to charge. The right wing charged,
under command of Lieut.. Col. Potter, while led
the left wing. My right wing arrived at the fort
first and planted the American flag upon the RAM
parts in advance OF any other regiment. L led
the left wing down the main road, toltOlced By The
9th ". y, crossed the moat and halted inside of
the fort.
Every regiment in action in that fight, except
the 9th n. Y, made n report, and it is printed in
the official records. Why Il report was not made
by the Colonel of the 9th n. Y, or if made,
why it was suppressed, is perhaps best answered
by the evidence given above; it may have been
that they preferred to report through the news
papers, at any rate, the doing so has given many
people erroneous ideas of their gallantry. l
hope future historians will take note of this
WILL l.. WEIGH, Co. A, 23d Mass, Boston,
Mass