The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-10-25
INDICATED AT LAST.


EDITOR NATIoEAL TRIBUNE: Enclosed you
viii Cad "A extract from the Baltimore Herald
correcting an error into which historians
have been misled by some of the official
records conforming the battle of Chancellors-
vile. which Gen. Doubleday has had the sense
Of fairness to correct concerning the I'd Md:
The Sd I'D. Ii1s recently secured the justice due
TO lis good uaae by The action OF Gen Doubleday,
the author Of -" History of Charlottesville and
Gettysburg, published by Scribner, which IS re-
Cogtitzed by old soldiers standard work on the
subject Of those two :nportant battles
Through nisapHrehension the Sd Nd. had been
blamed icy some officers for the defeat of the Union
forces On May 3 1858, who reported that they had
been driven by the enemy from their works which
enabled the CoufedyTates 10 penetrate the lines
wien the truth WAS they retired under Gen.
Hooker orders before the enemy advanced, and
thus created gap in the line through which the
enemy advanced unopposed. This has been salts
facturily proven by members of the regiment
aud Gen. Doubleday made haste TO correct the
mistake by which The reputation Of the Teg-
ment suffered which lad never brought disgrace
upon the State Of Maryland from Cedar Mountain,
1862, TO Appomattox, 1869
The regiment enjoys the unique DISTINCTION OF
having marched with sherman to Atlanta lla at tie
same time followed Grant across the RapIGan. FaFt
was selected by Gen. Hooker as his boay-guafd'
while lat in the East te praise OF Gen. Han
cock upon the field Oi battle and received from nm
letter of thanks for having saved his guns at the
Wilderness
This action on my part arose from an article
in THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE on the Same sub
iect from the pen Of Gen. Howard, to which my
attention was called, and when discovered the
same IN Doubleday S history, and saw that that
battle was virtually lost by the action of the Sd
Md, determined to put the blame who're it
belonged viz, the order OF Gen. Hooker to re-
tire behind the batteries.
Having secured this vndication from Gen.
Doubleday, think you viii not hesitate to
place cur regiment right upon the record and
not allow it to be made the scapegoat for the
error OF others.
TIE 81 Nd. does not lay any claim to having
shot St0newau Jackson, but when you con-
slider the case, please remember that the 81 Nd.
was located in the immediate vicinity described
by the Boy Spy although / was :" not thar,
and 90 not appear as 2 witness.
With reference to the query of the I" Boy
Spy" as to what StoncwaIl was doing ont
in front of his lines on that occasion, allow
me 10 suggest that he was trying TO COM
municate with Gen. Anderson's troops on
his right and form connection so as to co-ope-
rate together in the morning, and to do so had
entered the woods, and would have to cross the
front of Gen. Wiliams's Division. Of the Twelfth
/ Corps aud naturally received their fire. See
Doubleday's map of May 3, page 45.)
This l take as the reason why he gave orders
I 10 fire upon any one that approached IN the
direction from which he went out, as he did
not expect to return that way, but to continue
/ to move towards Anderson's troops. Such orders
would indicate that he was not going 10 recon
noiter the enemy in his front, of whose position
/ he had fully learned before dark. He had
received a check in his movement, and knew
i If he did not make connection with Lee, that
! his detached force was in great peril from q
I concentration against him OF Rockers superior
/ numbers. by which the latter could have per
/ formed what Pope attempted at Bull Run, viz
! to destroy him before Lee could support him
4 He was in greater peril than he was at the
4 former place, being completely isolated from
! the main army and at the mercy of Joe Hooker
! if he had assumed the aggressive in force next
morning instead Of assuming passive defense
! Oh, for Grantor Sherman on that OCCASION
JOSEPH f. CARTER, Captain, Sd Nd, Dorsey s
/ Nd.