The National tribune., 1886-09-02

been looking to see an answer TO it from some one
of the Fifteenth Corps, and especially from the
Second Division. Gen. Leggett told half the
truth but omitted the other half The Second
Division ran twice on that day, while the Cen
eral leaves us to infer that they ran but once.
i shall try to give you as condensed and cor
rect an account as / can of that little affair, and
assure you that it is correct as far as it goes.
On the 22d of July, 1864, the Second Divis-
ion of the Fifteenth Corps lay east Of Atlanta.
facing west behind good breastworks, the
regiment to which belonged (the 55th ILL.,
with its right (Co. Az resting on the south side
of the railroad. Gen. Leggett's Corps was to
the left Of our Division. Other troops may
have interviewed. I can speak only in general
terms Of things at distance from my own reg
iment. The battle was principally from that
railroad 70 the left and rear. The object OF
Gen. Hood seems to have been to surround and
capture the troops lying south of the railroad.
To this end they attacked the left and rear and
rushed troops into ouf rear through deep eus
made for the railroad. While the rebels charged
in our front, and we were theoretically firing
over our breastw0rks to repel the attack, one OF
my comrades o.. s. Cog5well remarked to me
that the rebels were coming in on our rear.
looked around and sure enough a line of battle
was coming up the railroad bank. What was
TO be done? There was no time to await
orders; they were already in the rear Of the
i was in the next company (G), and, therefore,
uneomfortably near to the rebels. Without
consultation or council of war we all concluded
that Uncle Sam had business for US farther
back 80 we started back, and, considering the
heat Of Southern July sun, it cannot be said
that we were slow in our move toward Wash
ington. We only went back about so rods,
however, if my memory serves me right, where
we halted in a ravine. When / reached the
place I found already line of battle being
formed by the Chaplain, NJ l.. Haney, who,
with musket in his hand and o cartridge-box
slung over his shoulder called on me to fall in.
| did 80, and in a few minutes the line of bat
| tie was formed and the order was given,
charge, bayonets! forward, double-quick,
march," The order was promptly obeyed with
/ a rou5ing cheer. This was a second time we
ran; this time with our faces toward the
! enemy, and in a very few minutes our regiment
once more occupied the works that it had so
recently left.
would like to ask any comrade of any di-
| vision of the army whether we did not do Just
| what we should have done under the circum-
stances. James l.. Gay, of our company, who
| had been detailed as color-bear and some
others, did not run, but went with the rebels to
| Atlanta, and from thence to Andersonville.
| But did they do the Government more good
| than if they had run back with the rest of US ?
It is no part Of soldiers duty to allow himself
/ to be captured.
/ If Gen. Leggett had done US the justice 10
say that we were outhanked, he would have
| saved me the writing of this article. But it
seemed as though the important item with him
| was to compare the fighting qualities of his
/ troops with the running qualities of Ours.-J.
/ III. MYERS, Co. G., 55th ILL.,, New Berlin, Pa.