The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1886-11-11
THE 89lh OHIO.
Gen. Turchin Tells How 1t was Cap
tured at Chiekamauga.


fm Tr1
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At the recent Reunion Of the S9th Ohio q
letter was read from Gen John Il. Turchin,
Radon, ILL.,. TO whose brigade the regiment be-
longed, explaining the circumstances under
which the greater portion of the regiment was
captured at Chickamanga and showing clearly
that he was in no way responsible for 1T. In
his letter Gen. Turchin says:
Il have thought it advisable to make
statement with view of clearing up the mis-
understanding and correcting the false impress
sion which apparently exists that i, having
been at the time the commander of the brigade
10 which the S9th Ohio belonged, was in some
way responsible for the unfortunate capture of
a large portion of the regiment on Sept. 20,
1863.
MY brigade belonged to Reynolds's Division,
Fourteenth Corps, and consisted of the l1th,
36th, S9th and 92d Ohio aud the 18th Ky.
Many days before the Army of the Cumber-
land moved on its Chattanooga campaign the
S9th Ohio, by an order from the army head
quarters, was detached from the brigade for
some special duty aud ordered to Tracy City or
thereabOut. Meantime the troops received or
ders 10 move, and however unpleasant to me
had been the detachment of one of my regi-
mcnts on the eve OF the coming campaign, yet
there was no chance or time, under the circum-
stances, TO have the regiment ordered back.
i ne campaign commenced, the army CTOsseu
the Tennessee River, our corps crossed the Rae
coon and Lookout Mountains, the battle of
Chickamauga came, and during all that time l
had no idea what had become of the o9th or
where it was, and only after the battle of
Chickamauga, when the army fell back from
ROssyille TO Chattanooga, where the remnants
of the S9th reported 10 me- did learn, to my
sorrow, of the disaster that overlook that regi-
| ment.
"It appears that after the army moved for
ward. the S9th, like some other regiments de-
tached from other brigades was put in the Re-
serve Corps under Gen. Granger, aud during
! the battle of Chckamauga was acting with
| Whitakers Brigade of Steedman's Division :;
that on the afternoon of Sept. 20 il participated
| in that brilliant charge of steedman's Division
on the extreme right of our position the
rebel division of Hindman and rolled it back
| with irresistible impetuOsity; that the regi-
! ment fought the enemy until evening, when
| with the Dist Ohio and 22d Mich. it occupied a
rather advanced position toward the enemy,
and that after dark, not receiving any orders
| TO fall back. when other troops were retiring to
RosSylle. was surrounded by the enemy and a
large portion of it captured.
The above facts having been corrOborated
! afterwards by the two histories of the Army of
the Cumberland, il is evident that during the
afternoon of the second day of the battle of
Chickamauga, while my brigade was fighting
in the center of the line of our army, the S9th,
without my knowledge, was fighting with re-
serve troops on the extreme right of our line;
that while my brigade in its last charge, to-
ward evening, against portion of the rebel
| troops, was taking rebel prisoners and guns
| beyond the extreme left of our army, the S9th
regiment, with two other regiments, advanced
too far toward the enemy, near the extreme
| right OF our army, and there, not being taken
care of by its superior or brigade commander
! HaH nd n Lara of
tured. Was |, in the remotest way, responsible
for that? No. 1t was a misfortune that the
regiment had been detached, and that in such
a terrible and disorderly battle, il fought under
a strange brigade commander and not under
its own, otherwise il would have captured some
of the enemy, instead of being captured itself
That the regiment was decimated and that sc
many of its members suffered and some of them
died in the horrible Southern prisons tn,
blame for all that is not TO be attached to me
but to that brigade commander or other supe
rior officer, under whose command the regiment
was serving temporarily during that memorable
battle and who for some reason did not senC
orders TO the S9th 20 withdraw when othe
troops were retiring from position.
"But the rank aud file of the 69th Oh
should never be ashamed of that disaster; tn
capture itself, under the circumstances show
clearly that they fought brilliantly, even reck
lessly, and performed their duty toward thei
country irreproachably. They have right L
: keep their heads high. conscious Of their owl
bravery and patriotism. and the faithful per
formance of their highest duties to their cOun
try even unto death
:" Hoping that the committee will give pub
licity TO the above statement. and wishing m
comrades of the S9ih joyful Reunion, / It
main, very respectfully,
"JoHS B. TURcHIS.
I" Late Brig. Gen. U. 3 Vols"
! Lieut-Col William III. Glenn, who was i
command of the S9th at tho time of its captur,
adds the following statement which was full
Endorsed by survivors Of the regiment at thei
: meeting:
! Gen. Turchin, in his letter. aludes {
, the capture Of the S9th, at Chickamauga, q
. having been put forward in an advanced pos
tiOn by their brigade commander, and bein
q | left by him, without orders 10 fall back whe
! the other troops were being recalled. TIL
4 General is mistaken, so far as the advance
I position of the regiment Is concerned, and th
p want of orders TO fall back.
"The facts are, that the S9th and 2lst Obi
!, and 22d Mich.-unfortunately for them, bein
unable 10 reach their proper brigade-weI
n | placed in Gen. Whitakers command, and di
y occupy the advanced position spoken OF !
!. Gen. Turchin) which under the circumstanc
= had become necessary TO be held, in order tn.
a the rebel army might not push our forces bac
through Chattanooga.
g "On the evening when we surrendered, v
were out of ammunition. An Orderly was Sci
4 for supplies. The answer received was, Amm
> milton will be sent if possible; but hold yOl
y position at the point OF the hayonet,' th
!, showing that the 89th was taken in, not f
: want of orders TO fall back, but in obedience
. positive orders to hold our position sacrifc'
= as we believed at the time and still believe {
"a the good of the army: thus preventing q
a. pursuit Of our forces that night. We don't thin
n Gen. Turchin was in any way responsible (
a. our surrender.
G.