The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-06-28
franklin.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Leaving the
discussion of tho question as to whether the
175th or 1O4th Ohio did or did not do any fight
ing or running on that day-to be decided
among themselves, as member of the Sec
ond Division, Fourth Corps, desire to enter my
earnest protest to the patronizing manner in
which we are referred to by any member of
the Twenty-third Corps who may choose to
write about that battle. According to them,
from Gen. Cox to Private Smith, we made
good time, when started by Hoods mon; but
they always wind up in the strain adopted by
Capt. Wolf in his letter of May "a. l quote
him: Wagner was brave officer and great
fighter, and his men were as true as their
leader What Wagner's men did
after they got behind the main line, know
mott mean those that were not captured
but this | know, that as soon as they were out
of the way the advancing rebel hordes were
bravely met, and in time repulsed."
If Capt. Wolf and other members of the
Twenty-third Corps would stop their wrang-
ling over the question as to which one of their
regimental organizations whipped Hoods en-
tire army both at Spring Hill and Franklin
(see Capt. Schofeld's claim, in his article on
Spring Hill, that fragment Of the 1O3d Ohio
checked Hoods advance where Wagner's Divis-
ion all turned Chaplains and broke to the rear
and look into the matter of losses and flags
captured, there would not be so much uncer-
by Wagner's men after they crossed the works.
don't suppose they need any enlightenment
as TO the position of Opdycke's Brigade, and ]
will answer for Harkers and Lanes, that they
were right there behind that line of works
during the entire engagement; did as much
fighting, fired as many shots, killed as many OF
the $500 Johnnies, captured as many rebel
flags as the same number of men of any divis-
ion of the Twenty-third Corps. And the num-
Der engaged and who stayed was the same
number that came over the works, with the
possible exception of few drafted men and
substitutes who joined at Pulaski. Some OF
them may be running yet. But the different
regimental organizations of Wagner's Division
left the field that night as organizations, and
in no more of hurry than any other body OF
troops there engaged. In fact, such little
affair as that was nothing very much out of the
ordinary way for the Fourth Corps men, what
ever it may have been for the Twenty third
Men who had served under Sheridan aud T.
]. Wood as division commanders, and under
such brigade commanders as Harker, Opdycke
! Wagner and others equally noted for bravery
! and who, under these men, had seen the brunt
! of the fighting at Stone River, Chickamauga
| Missionary Ridge, Rocky Face Ridge, Resaca
! Kenesaw Mountain and Peach Tree Creek, to
! say nothing Of numberless minor engagements
| don't want to be patted on the back and told
| they were good boys, and that they did as good
running as could have been done by anybody
not even excepting the Twenty third Corps
! Men of the Second Division were killed a
! Spring Hill and Franklin who were non-vet
Grams and whose time had expired
That was the kind of stuff of which tht
Fourth Corps was composed, and 1 will only
suggest, for the sake of peace, that in trying t.
determine among themselves which regimen
of the Twenty-third Corps it was that spread
| itself over the entire line and with Opdyck
as a reserve repulsed Hood with loss to hin
of $500 men killed and wounded, that the.
hereafter let Wagner's Division alone.-BREW
Err SMITH, 65th Ohio, Crown Hill, VIVA.