The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-08-16

-okh Nonhs NJ f0rt Buueons
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: In your issue
Of May 3 appears an article rightly named
Deadly Port Hudson" have been waiting
TO see If some more able mind than my own
would moi write to you and Tefute the charge
made by W. ii. Webber against the 26th Conn.
in the article above referred to.
With your permission / will briefly state the
opinion Of one of the 25th Conn. in regard to
the charge on the 9th day of May, 1863, with
the hope CT vindicsting the actions of our regi-
ment
ComTade Weber has seen fit TO question the
bravery of our regiment on that day, as fol-
lows: "There was just room enough between
the ravine and the shrubbeTy for our regi-
mental line. The advance was ordered, Gen.
Sherman leading the head Of the column; the
f25th n. Y following closely, leaving toe Goth
Conn and 18th Y. Ii. TO act as support" lie
then describes the horrors of the charge in q
way that chokes, when l think of that day and
It's never-fading sights.
Did the 9Th Mich. and 128th n. 7. DO oil the
/ fighting that was done in the oenter2 ! ask
/ the question, because Comrade Weber further
/ SAYS: Until the advance reached the ditch,
/ the enflading with the direct fire had severely
/ thinned our ranks, and nc support beng III
! sight We dropped upon the ground and com
/ menced sharpSho0tiHg." And again, ID MS Gu
lOgiss Of our service of the 14th Of June, IN
! cule6 them for their cowardliness IN not sup
/ porting Us on the 9Th Of May" wish Com
! rade Weber to notice the support re gave,
/ which is given il partial history OF the 26th
/ Conn, where I find these words: AFTER va
rious service Of secondary interest, the regi-
ment had its first general engagement IL the
assault on Port Hudson in May. 1t was sub
jected to terrific FIRE st short range, as il occu-
/ pied g particularly dangerous position IN the
! assauting line, aud suffered a loss Of lO7 oti-
GERS aud men," Our Colonel was wounded,
/ one of our Captains killed, and another Cap
/ tain wounded and died II days after.
consider it 10 be a glorious and not COW
| ardIy support Of not of the 9Th Mich.) of this
our heloFed country and its free institutions
over which the Stars and Stripes shall always
! feat. / viii quote for further proof OF oul
/ support, az extract from a Connecticut paper
printed Aug. 8. 1853: "The history Of the 26th
! regiment is emblsz0ned with glory &c our Com
mouwealth. u the first assault upon Port
/ Hudson they led the charge IN company with
one other regiment and suffered tie most So
| yeFely of any regiment IL the engagement
And all through The weary siege their long Iis
Of casualties are s record Of their courage anC
fidelity"
Again I viii quote from Conrade Weber il
continuance Of my last quotation from him
"And well did they redeem themselves, bui
al to no purpose. 1t was not their fault, poo
sufferers, that they did not gain glory or, SIS i
turned out, even thanks" What do you mean
comrade, by it was not their fault that they
did not gain glory"? Do YOU mean that Chi
9th Mich. plUclled it from US when, as you say
Eve had lain here but short time when
courier rode up with orders for Us youl TO re
4 turn" (Y0u had fallen back as you say, TIT
second time because the bullets continued Il
find you and with skirmish-line advance
over the field where the assault had failed, snt
reach the front, where by sharpshooting yo'
could stop the destructive fire Of the Conleder
atcs, and thus relieve the men who were TEN
porarily helpless ~ and the description yoI
give Of the relief you had as you advanced owe
the field Of carnage and saw the terrible re
suits Of the conflict.
What, comrade. did the 9Th Mich. go owe
the same ground we so ingloriously marche'
over while bullets and all imaginable kinds 0
missiles were hurled thick and fast into on
ranks until 70 of the 255 men we had in on
line had fallen? History says our loss va
over one-hsf the loss of the brigade to whicl
we belonged. is il possible, comrade, that you
regiment passed over that ground immediatel.
after rs and your loss for the day was onl.
eight wounded, and thus gained the glory Q
the dsyf Perhaps, cOmrade, you mean we di'
not gain glory IN the sense that the stay-at
homes say glory is obtained, because ever.
man Of Ds did not fall before the charge wa
over.
Again, conrsde, you say we did not gail
even thanks for the part we took il the charg
On June Il. / have before me an extract of
letter written by one Of the 26th Conn., date
g In the field before Port Hudson, June, Il
1863, in which 1 find the following: Jun
Is, I563.-Plessant weather. We lay in th
edge OF the woods near the battlefield. At
p. n. we we're ordered into line, and compli
mentsry order vas read Us from Gen. Dwigh
for the bravery and GOODNESS which we dis
played in the fight yesterday"
II necessary, perhaps some other member {
our regiment will furnish further proof Of th
support the 26th Conn. rendered at Port HUo
: Sob. Z. GATES; Co. g, 26th Conn, Ne
London, Conn.