The National tribune., 1888-03-01
FIGHTING THEM OVER
What Our Veterans Have 70 Say About
Their Old Campaigns.
nTHE sIGNAL CoRPs."
Comrade Fish Insists that His Diary is as Correct
as that OF Comrade FrankeRberTy.


recent number of THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE
what purports to be conversation between a
D. Frank enberry and reporter for SAID paper
concerning the work performed by the signal
forces occupying kenesaw Mountain before
during and subsequent TO the battle OF Ala
tOOna, ia which engagement the rebel DIVISION
of Ma. -Gen. French assaulted the Union forces
under Brig Gen John nj. Corse, who so stoutly
held has position against vastly superior iorcesi
but more especially concerning an article VIII
ten by me and published in The NATIONAL
TRIBUNE containing copies OF letters from
Gen. Sherman, which proved conclusiNeiy lhat
] was there in person and bore an active part
in the immense amount of labor performed and
valuable services rendered 20 the army Oh that
occasion.
My object in this open letter is to try TO
refresh the comrades memory by asking
him few questions. The reporter says Inc
remarks Of Comrade FTankenberry nave oeeh
ELECTED by series Of articles from the pens u
different comrades, who have tod what ap-
peared to them the true narrative OF the CIR
cumstances, but which Comrade Frankenoerry
shows to be in many particulars at variance
with the true history OF the matter"
are we to believe that the only true version
OF the matter is contained in this short article;
that all others who have written, or may write,
are either mistaken as 10 the facts, or are gross
drawers on their .ancies? think know you
100 well, Comrade FTankenberry, TO think Tor
8 moment that you intended TO convey sueh
Cd idea to the reporter.
You are correct as TO the time came on inc
mountain as my diary states II sept. ~ 1904
and the day was Friday. As Lieut. ConhelIg
outrankcd me, both in age Of commission and
experience as signal officer, my naturaily-re-
firing disposition only allowed me to be sub
EeFvient TO him IN all things pertaining TO ne
business Of the hOur Saturday and Sunday
used in acQuaintiug myself with my new sur
roundinas, and in opening communications
with Marietta and AllatO0na, the only stations
then il communication with kenesaW Mon
dav morning, Oct. 3, business opened in ear
nest. And right here let me inquire, where was
Lieut. Connolly. and what detained him, when
message after message went TO him nrglng MN
10 return with all dispatch TO his post OF duty
Please. also, 10 give the readers Of IHE Ma
TToNAL TRIBUNE an account OF what trans
pired on that particular day that so greatly e&-
cited and interested Us, and caused US 10 iaoor
50 hard and SO long with the 6-foot nag and
I6-fOot pole to get the attention of Atiantaf
Please tell US if Atlanta was a regular station,
with communication direct with henesaW,
and had been so before and after / came on the
mountain; OF did itonly become so on account
Of the tearing down Of the telegraph wires be-
tween it and Marietta?
You are mistaken as TO the day Gen. Hood
moved around the right flank of our army and
appeared between Kencsaw and Lost Mount
ain II was on Monday. Oct 3 and that night
French's Division occupied our old lines Of
works at Big Shanty, facing kenesaw. mat
was the night when, IN company with the Of
fcer and 10 men sent at our request b5 Brig
Gen. William Nandcver, commanding at
Marietta, to act as guard to our camp, that we
rolled up our signal kits and prepared 10 burn
them in case Of an attack, and then placed our
whole force on the pieket-line, with a
F0C-BANR BASGTSe OVER Us
90 dense one could feel il, and through which
no eve could penetrate All night long we
kept constant vigil, bringing our hearing sense
into action for on the ear alone we depended
% give Us notice Of any approach toward our
position. You viii remember that early in the
morning Of Oct. 3 we received notice from
Lieut.. Murray at Marietta that the telegraph
wires were down both ways and that messages
passed between Marietta and AllatO0na all the
forenoon regarding the breaks and the repair
ing Of them, and that at o'clock p. %. we called
Atlanta and notified Capt. Bachtell that wires
were down Oh both sides Of Marietta, and that we
had hard work to get the attention Of Atlanta
also, that at 2 o'clock 2. 10. We received from
there the following dispatch by way of Mari
eta:
Operator at AIlatoona: Inquire by telegraph Of
Gainesville, Kingston and Rome If there Is any
news there. Mai.-Gen. SHERMAN.
Ny diary says in regard to this that the wire
was o. X. TO Atlanta and that we transmitted
the message to Allatoona.
During the afternoon, you remember, the
enemy's cavalry appeared near the railroad
and that we had quite time IN convincing
Gen. Kandever they were rebels, until they
fred into passing train Of cars. This wa
the advance Of Erenehs troops. On the 4tl
that General was busy destroying the railroai
from Big ShaDty toward Allstoona. You ar
night about there being no such message as
HOLD THE FORT, FOR An COMING"
being sent To the beleaguered forces at ALA
tOOna; but Gen. Nandeyer did send at
o'clock Oh the morning Of 4th the following
Commanding Officer, AllatoOns Sherman
moving in force; hold out" And al $50 D. II
he sent another, worded as follows: Com
manding Officer, AllatOOna: Gen. Sherma
says hold fast We are coming" You are ais
right about Gen. Sherman coming on th
mountain Oct. s. bat you are wrong regardin
his locking through the telescope. be did no
and refused TO do 50 several times when th
opportunity was offered him.
Now right here want 10 ask you to care
fully and fully describe the little shanty 70
built referred to IN your story TO the reporte
giving size, shape, surroundings, contents, pr
Eition Of glass bearing on Allatoona, kind Of
seat used by operator, ETC. when watching A
lEtOona. What person was almost constant
81 the glass bearing on AlIatoona during til
9th Of Octoberf Give the first message tn;
came 10 Us from Allato0na, IL You have 1t
your diary, and give Us time Of reception. Yo
cay you were looking through the telescope G
the afternoon Of the 9Th, saw The signal flag
mp and called out: There goes the flag! +" an
The flag said Wounded iD three places b
able 20 whip all hell"
] think y0n are OF your base again, as q
dispatch TO which you evidently refer did o.
reach Us until BIS p. m. on the 9th, and the
only speaks Of wounds on check and ear: tu
wounds iu place Of three. The dispatch W
signed Gen. Corse, and WAS sent TO Capt
NJ. Dayton, and he answered it. You speak
this message as being transmitted, and that 2,
have the flag used in its transmission. vii
10 say that message
WAS HANDED TO GEN. SHERMAN
81 the time Of its reception on Kenesag. az
needed no transmission; consequently the 4
you 50 cautiously purlOined from the Cover
nent had nothing 10 do with the message Hhs
ever lf you are keeping that flag aud sho
ing IL TO your friends as the one used in sen
ing that important message. you are simu
misleading them, as it could not have be
used IN that capacity. Lieut.. Adams. or Ale
who jointly occupied Alato0Ba Station on I'll
bloody day, had possession Of that flag, and V
are ~ the same position as the son Of Lief
SheTtig, who also claims possession Of the ide
tical tag; and IL is my opinion that that har
less little flag reposes quietly among the deb
Of the luartermasteTs Department Of the S
nal Corps az Washington, or somewhere else
When asked by the reporter what 7