The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1886-11-11

Lay down your arms, men, and you sha'n't
be hurt"
Some of the men called out, "Who the -
are your"
He replied. 81 am Gen. Gregg, of Texas"
With that they fired on him, and by the
light Of the guns he and his horse were both
seen 20 fall. The rebels then opened fire on MS
from their line and the regiment returned the
fire. The bullets from the enemy passing
through us reached the 3ith Ohio behind us
aud they opened fire, putting us between two
fires Our men lay down aud in five minutes
we had the enemy driven of The men on the
right went up 10 the fallen officer, aud it is re-
ported that he moved his head aud said:
"Oh, what did you shoot me for?"
The men secured his sword and pistols We
put out pickets and lay there for some time.
We could hear the enemy drawing his lines
closer 10 us on our left, and in one case our
pickets were on one side of the fence and the
enemy's on the other. At last we called in our
pickets and withdrew. We found everything
in our rear gone except the wounded and the
hospital attendants. So, again, as at Stone
River, we held the post of honor, and were the
last regiment TO
LEAVE THE FIELD OF CHICKAMAUGA.
Before leaving Chickamauga have little
sequel 10 the story of the killing of the rebel
Gen. Gregg. Last Summer made the acquaint-
ance of a gentleman who was travelling for a
After pleasant evening at whist we fell into
conversation about the war. when i learned
that he had been on the staff of Gen. Buckner
as QuarteTmaster with the rank of Major; that
he came upon the field of Chickamauga on the
afternoon of the second day in charge OF a train
with what they called cooked rations. He
came upon the field near where the last assault
was made by Longstreet upon Mission Hill, aud
witnessed the terrible repulse. i related the
Gen. Gregg instance and he told me that he
was not killed. He said that his horse was
killed, but Gregg was only slightly wounded (;
that he furnished him a mount the next day,
and that he was killed in 1864 in one of the
battles of Grants Virginia campaign. am glad
that he was not killed by the 9th under the cir
cumstances / have narrated.
few words rs TO the spirit in which this is
written and have done The Nineteenth Bri-
! gade, composed OF the ilst Ohio, 9th Ky. and
! the 9th Ind, with the additions later of the
| 10th Ill. aud l2ith Ohio. was a brigade 10
which il was an honor TO belong. Each regi-
ment was a credit TO the State which sent IL to
! the field and the army in which it served. The
heart of the 9th was always warmed by the
mention of the 9th Ky These regiments
seemed TO take 10 each other, and the 9th men
| loved their comrades Of the 9th. All remem-
ber the gallantry of the 10th Ill. at Stone
/ River; how, when we had TO march over them
/ 10 relieve the 4lst Ohio on the front line, they
opposed our going, and claimed their right
TO SO doing; how their Colonel, Case,
RACED LIKE A LION,
swung his sword in our faces, and declared we
should not 20 over his men. l recOllect that
thought he was very foolish, and that il had
| had the ordering of il, he might have taken
the post Of honor, as he seemed TO want II Sc
badly. They were gallant fellows. The l2itt
| Ohio also we remember as a gallant regiment
| earnest TO do its whole duty.
| The 4lst Ohio was regiment composed o.
| splendid men and officers. L met and became
intimately acquainted with many of them. and
| formed friendships the memory Of which
shall cherish until my dying day. But i an
! not willing TO award to them, as a regiment
superior excellence. Nor am / willing 10 sub
scribe 10 the Generals proposition ia the Mar
ratiye" that its officers were better men thar
| belonged TO the other regiments of the ole
! Nineteenth Brigade. 1 think any other regi
ment of the brigade can make quite as good
showing in that direction as the 4lst Ohio.
can only speak for my own. the old 9th Ind.
The third annual Reunion Of the 9th Ind
\ Veteran Association was held at my town il
| August, 1855. About l25 of the survivors wer
present. They came from the Atlantic ant
the Pacific States; from North. South, East AM
West. There were lawyers, doctors, merchants
manufacturers, farmers, newspaper men ant
ministers Of the gospel.
A FINER BODY OF MEN
never met at any Reunion since the war.
was proud of them. had them paraded in tn
streets that our people might see them. Th
citizens of Logansport have not yet ceased {
talk about the splendid men composing tn
survivors of the old 9th Ind. / am proud Q
| their record.
1t may be that upon a dusty day, upon a lonl
weary march, they would fall out OF ranks {
ill their canteens at a pure, ripping strear
when they knew il was against orders; il ma
, be that they had n feshly weakness for tn
) chicken, the pig and the turkey, and woul
} indulge in il when they knew il was Rgains
orders, and when certain general officers cor
sidered il a duty more imperative TO proteC
such property than 10 win battle. Still. den
that they were ever insubordinate in the pre-
: ence Of the enemy. l deny that the 9th InC
ever, in any hattie, became so badly broken
to be unavailable for immediate use" Is,
! Narrative, page l2s.) i could have rallied tn;
! regiment myself within 100 yards from tt
spot whence it started had there been an
call for it upon the very occasion Of which II
General speaks. In the presence of the enem
! they were as true as steel and as stanch as I'll
= hills. Still, only claim for the 9Th Ind. what
: | ooncede 10 the 4lst Ohio. IL was but IA
: representative Of the regiments sent 10 the Wi
: by its State, aud Of the regiments comprisiT
: the armies OF the Union.
How the heart swells with pride at Il
p thought OF the grand patriotism exhibited
!, our people; how freely life was given at Il
: = command Of duty. i asked a rebel oflic
= wounded at Shiloh what he thought of d
:. fighting OF our people at Shiloh the first day
= "Ohi" said he, &" il was splendid! i alwa
y said you Western men would fight"
a a told him that Guessed that il he had hea
il, the Yankees had foughtat New Berne. Lat
would have pointed him TO Fredericksbul
~ where the Yankees-genuine blue -bellied 4
=. lows-marched up 10 death 10 the call of dui
~ calmly and nnainchingly, in a hopeless bait
"a AT Stone River Dec. 81, 1862, saw re,
~ ment go into battle our right in front of {
=, "Cowen House" The whole army 10 the rig
:, ~ of us had been driven back. Why il was sc
~ i'm there no one could tell. There was alb
- lutely nothing that il could accomplish. Son
- body had blundered. But il went in gallant
a with guns at rght-shoulder shift. colors hyiI
~ aud at common time. The enemy waited un
Is was at close range, and as
THE GALLANT FELLOWS MARCHED Up
We they opened on them with musketry and arr
ld lcTy. i forgot the destruction going on arOu
ye me in watching that hapless regiment.
re seemed literally blown to shreds. The fl
ID, were shot 10 pieces in a moment. Still
il brave fellows pressed on. At last a struggli
re- few seemed 10 try 90 get back. but they w
falling at every step when my attention '
N. called away. None but a regiment compo
ed of intelligent. thinking men, ready 10 give
a their lives for the cause for which they foug