The National tribune., 1888-01-12
FIGHTING THEM OVER.
What Our Veterans Have 70 Say About
Their Old Campaigns
THE SIXTH CORPS.


Ind. In his article Nov. "a, 1857, regarding !
Winchester and Cedar Creek. / feel that he |
has done Conlrade Griffin a great injustice, aud |
ask permission TO be heard upon the subject /
through your valuable columns
Cornrade Anderson. should Judge, thinks |
great deal more of himself than he does of
Others when he brands the account of Comrade /
Griffin as incorrect and untruthful; and not 1
only that he writes his article great zeal the 4
way the people in the Valley built their
houses: they first built the ehimneys and then
built the houses to fit the chimneys.
Iheloneed to the Sixth Corps member OF
Co. E. 1924 n. Z, the regiment that ComTade
Griffin belonged to. We were companions-in-
arms 0nr ages were respectively II and ID
veaff And here assert as 4 positive fact that
the statements made by Comrade Griffin as re-
CARDS the campaign In the Valley are true
cannot keep still any longer. L have SOL
diers record that ] shall not set aside for any
man. The regiment TO which we belonged
fought many hard battles. i was never absent,
but on the contrary, was in them all. Often
after the long, weary marches, seated by the
side of this same Zeanas, have / seen him pen
page after page. There was no cause then for
one to write les for the war was too much OF
q reality.
Comrade Anderson did not eat all the
rnouldy bareback nor drink all the stagnant
water there was in the Valley, even if his Ian
glage does SAVIOR OF it. Now, cOmrade, / will
give you a little information. The Sixth
Corps. on account of Gen. Sedgwick's dislike OF
army correspondents. was never given the
credit that il deserved. This man Pond,
who has written history of the campaign, was
not IN the war. and he has been stuffed al"
BY the Nineteenth Corps "Soreheads y; the
other fellow. +" Losing" who mas written pic
tOrial history, was at a safe distance during
the war, and compiled his history from unre-
liable army correspondents, whom, you know,
were very seldom at the front.
Now. LET us fight the battle Of Winchester.
After referring us TO Ponds History OF Shenan-
dOah Valley, you make this statement: The
Nineteenth Corps consisted of two divisions;
Gen Dwight commanded the First Division
and Gen. Grover the Second. The first Dl-
vision (DEight's) with the Second Brigade of
the Second Division, was placed on the second
line. When the first line advanced Growers
Division bore to the right The Sixth Corps
held the pike, which inclined to the left. caus-
ing gap between the left of Growers Division
and the right Of the Sixth Corps Now, mark
YOU into which the Second Brigade of Growers
Division was sent from the second line. When
we came Up TO the front line We found our di-
vision on the right, advancing, but the Sixth
Corps on the left. was standing fast with the
front rank kneeiing.p
Now you have thrown brigade of troops in
the gap; you charge across an open field,
get fanked one-half mile in advance; then
%.
back TO the place eff starting You say the
Sixth Corps did not come TO your rescue yet
they are fighting hard one-half mile in your
rear Did you 20 through them or they
through you2 Sec here, that viii never do
the pike turns 10 the left. Why? Because at
that point It rounds the base of the hill in front
Of the timber where Gen. Russell was killed.
At that point the fighting was in some in
stances las you must know, if you know any,
thing about it at ALI IN close contest, and no
where on that line could you go 200 yards
without coming in close contact unless you
drove the enemy and according TO your own
statement you did not.
Comrade Griffin has said the pike was the
dividing line and according to your statement
he is correct. You say " the pike inclined to
the left, causing q gap between the left Of
Growers Division and the right of the Sixth
Corps" Then you refer TO page 155, Ponds
Shenandoah Valley, 1864, where Maj. Dalton
says, Ricketts, Division was on the right OF
the pike" Now comrade, You have been fool
ing around that pike with brigade right close
TO il, bat now you have whole division Of one
corps in line Of battle between you and the
pike. Let US see, u regiments In this division.
According to your statement you were not
within three-quarteTs Of mile Of the pike on
the prolongation of the line of battle to the
right: and the meanest thing about this matter
is that you blame the Sixth Corps because you
were Eanked where the pike inclined to the
left.
Now, comrade, stand up Face TO the left
Look upon that ridge, straight away 70 the
left. as straight as you could shoot q ball. On
the crest OF the hill you will see waiting the
Third Brigade, Second Division, Sixth Corps.
The position should think, IS about 100 feet
above you, and about one mile away. There are
two ravines IN front. Down the last slope there
is q eornfeld; in that eorufeId is a rebel bat
terry. Still further TO the right. on the hill CON-
TBzndiBg the wood is another battery. The
Tavine id our front is filed with rebels. This
was our position on the morning Of Sept l9,
1854. You can see the troops IN the woods
they belong to the Sixth Corps, and fighting
less than 80 PAGES apart arc the two lines OF
battle. AT times they come together. The col
Ors on either side are waved IN defiance; now
and then they 60 down, but only for a moment
and they are up again in the hands of some
brave soldier who waves them aloft over the
fallen body Of bis cOmrade. They charge and
c0Gnter-chaTge, yet no vantage ground seems
70 be gained by either side. The word comes
down the line Our brave Russell is killed
All DAY those batteries have sent their shot and
shell crashing through our ranks. Early in the
morning, while coming into position, Capt
Sims, Of Co. A, is killed with fragment Of
shell. Another shell falls in Co K. killing
Corp'l OstrandeF and wounding others An.
other shell bursting in Co C. kills Charlie:
Hits; another IN Go. a kills William HAZEL,
New Leaiander.
Now our blood is up; we ask 70 charge, and
sre told we must wait for the general order
Oh the untold misery C that afternoon, wait
ing and fighting. At last the order comes, " For
ward" 1t is 4.30 p. N. With that same de
termination that has carried US through th,
Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Cold Harbor Pc
tersburE and Fort Stevens we advanced. Look
ing 70 the right we see the whole line engaged
Without a waver We sweep on over the frs
ridge, then another; We are in the raFine
facing 70 the right by companies into line a
fast as we can move down toward the pix
\ scross the plain, but on emerging from the IA
vine move left obligue over a stone wall. TIL
air is filed with shot and shell; the fields witt
fleeing rebels; the enemy is routed completely
Ne are low within 500 yards of that whit
house on the right Of the pike where il bear
10 the left and rounds the base Of the hill.
Nov, face again 70 the left You can plainl
zee a rebel brigade forming in close column b
division on the hill about mile away. We sr
told that this is Gordon.
The last shot has been fired; the sun is siowl
sinking behind the western horizon; the Sixt
Corps has lost its bravest General, and adde
another name 70 her gictories-that Of Winehes
Ter, Sept. 10, 1864
j viii now turn my attention to some
your remarks in regard 70 the battle of Ceda
Greek. ! do not care 70 90 far into this, 3
In Comrade Griffin has SO completely covered th
RrOund