The National tribune., 1888-05-24

!
I - @c@5sZ~ with the official reports
LE-- I5ls5-1- ''--~7-z=>-s of the battle, that no
one who is we'll inform
ed as to the history of the war will give much
credit to his story; but wish to take issue
with him in regard to some of his misrepre-
sensations, for fear that if he continues repeat
ing them without contradiction, he will by and
by begin to believe them himself
His story about the pickets in front of the
Nineteenth Corps being relieved by Confeder-
atcs in Federal uniform, is one of the sort OF
camp Tumors that were constantly circulating.
Probably Mr. Griffin's diary contains a large
and miscellaneous assortment of them. The
fact is, the pickets of the Nineteenth Corps were
at theirp0sts till they came in to take their places
in line of battle. He says that Early with
Nharton's Division advanced to Hupp's Hill
and waited inside of our picket-Hne for the at
tacSS on the TANKS of our army. Now, accord
ing to the official map, Hupp's Hill is more than
mile auda half from the nearest point IN our
line; so, II his story is true, the pickets were
too far out and might have been fighting all
day without those in camp hearing q shot.
Somewhat further on he tries to convey the
idea that Early, with only $500 men, whipped
the Nineteenth Corps with 10000, and that
while the Sixth Corps was going into action on
the run, the Nineteenth was flying in confu-
sion to the rear.
Now for the figures and facts. The official
men in the Nineteenth Corps present for duty
at that time. was not quite 1900. Of these
the Third Brigade, First Division, numbering
about l,oOO, was at Winchester, and two regi-
ments of the Second Brigade, numbering 700,
al Martnsburg, leaving less than 5000 avail
able for the battle What Early's force was IS
not exactly known; but on Sept. 30 he had
$500, and before the battle he was joined by
Kershaw's Division of infantry, numbering
$500. and Rosser's Brigade of cavalry besides
which large numbers ofhis absent rel oined their
commands, so that his force must have been
more than 1880. Now, the official reports
show that for nearly an hour, from the time
the Eighth Corps gave way till Getty's DIvls-
ion OF the Sixth Corps reached the pike, the
Nineteenth Corps fought Early's whole army;
that the corps did not fall back until ordered
to do so by Gen. Wright; that Growers Dlyis-
ion was attacked on front, flank and rear at
| the same time and that when the orders came
! to fall back several hundred men on the lett
! flank of the division were unable to get out OF
/ the trap and We're captured. Rickettss Divis-
| ion, OF the Sixth Corps was in a similar trap III
! the afternoon of May at the Wilderness, and
/ the veterans of Seymour's and Shaler's Bri-
! gades remember well what the result was.
Afterwards he asks, Where was the officer
commanding a brigade, holding up his men IN
/ the open field when surrounded by three times
! his numberp As that exactly describes Col.
/ L Bf
! commanded the Second Brigade, First Dlyls-
ion, Nineteenth Corps, answer that he was
where his duty called him.
! a comparison of the casualties in the Sixth
| and Nineteenth Corps does not show much diff
ference in proportion to the number engaged.
The Sixth Corps, with 1860 officers and men
engaged, had 300 killed and ! ,666 wounded
the Nineteenth, with $500 officers and men
| engaged, had 243 killed and SOP wounded.
There seems to be settled purpose on the
part of few members of the Sixth Corps to
| injure the reputation of the Nineteenth Corps
they apparently thinking that they have not
their due share Of credit while anyone else has
any. The Sixth Corps was undoubtedly fine
body of men, and the men of the Nineteeth
will always be ready TO unite with other lOya
men in hOnoring them. The corps has, how
ever, few like Mr. Griffin, who were not par
ticularly dangerous to the enemy during the
war, but who have done an immense amount o.
fighting since the suppression of the rebellion
using weapon similar TO that with which
Samson slaughtered the Phlistines. His efforts
to injure the Eighth and Nineteenth Corps
more especially the Nineteenth, can only be the
result of spirit Of Yainglorious Boosting Of
jealousy.
As for the Nineteenth Corps, it wishes Il
make no apologies, and has no reason to blush
for its record. For long time it was the only
corps in the Department Of the Gulf and thu
e&IgCHcleS oil the service were SucN JnaC Jnt
corps was never together, except at the siege 0
Port Hudson, but always acted in detachments
In addition TO the siege of Port Hudson thu
men of the corps fought in Is battles, beside
skirmishes, and every battle without exception
was a Union victory. Eleven Of the battle
they fought alone, and in seven they were il
company with other troops. Two Of their bat
ties, / think, deserve special mention. Aug
5, 1862, at Baton Rouge, La, Williams's Bri
gade, in their first battle, fighting withou
breastworks, soundly whipped Breckenridge
veteran DiyisiOn June H. 1863, Fort Butler
La, garrisoned by less than 200 men, mOstl,
convalcscents, belonging to the 2Sth Me- nine
months regiment, was assaulted by 900 rebel
belonging to the army Of Gen. Dick Taylor
,, After a struggle lasting three hours and hall
during which the enemy at one time gane
possession of a part of the fort, they were re
, pulsed, with loss of nearly 500 killed am
. wounded and more than 100 captured.
! During its service the corps captured NOR
than 40 flags and 20 cannon, and never lost
and the records Of the War Department shol
that at Cedar Creek, of the six flags capture
from the enemy by our infantry, four wer
taken by members Of the Nineteenth Corps
> The corps was always ready to fight the enc
:, my when called upon during the war; but no.
: we don tintend to ightany other Union soldier
unless strictly in self defense. When attacked
however, we shall strike back, and shall try
hurt. / write this in defense of the Nineteent
q Corps, to which l belonged most of the tim
y from its first organization till my discharge i
,, 1665.-E. b. LUFKIN, Weld, Me.