The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-07-12
FIGHTING THEM OVER
What Our Veterans Have to Say About
Their Old Campaigns
HAwKINs's zoUAvES.
The Colonel Defends His Regiment Against Its
DetractOrs.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: After the pub
licaton of my extended communication In your
issue Of Jan 90 1857. had promised myself
reasonable period of repose; but it seems that
the subject Of the " Hawkins ZOuayes at Roam
oke Island knows no peace, and now again
sense Of duty calls upon me to ask from you
little of your space for the purpose OF enabling
me to correct several errors contained In letter
of Lieut. Ira b. Goodrich, Of the 2lst Mass,
printed in TIE NATIONAL TRIBUNE OF May
81, 1883.
This officer objects to the statement of Serg't
whitney describing the first bayonet charge
Of the war" IL my memory serves me cor
rectlv, il was a real bayonet charge, J. e., my
men were ordered to fix bayOnets and attack
without firing, and they obeyed orders. Such
a movement is generally admitted to be
bavonet charge" and, as I understand it, it
is not necessary TO cross weapons with the
enemy In order 10 justify the application OF
this accepted term. Lieut.. Goodrich writes:
This" lin a charge that decided the actionl
"claim Of the Zouaves has been repeatedly re-
futed and disprOved by members of other or
CARNATIONS engaged in the battle" The an
swer to this allegation must be a reference to
the Official reports Of Gems. Burnside, Foster
aud Parze, which, with my own, give nearly,
but not quite in detail the exact facts about the
charge of the Zouayes.
The writer next quotes from the History Of
the 2lst Mass, by Bvt. Brighten. Chas. +.
Walcott, who at the battle Of Roanoke Island
was Captain Of CO. of that regiment"
wherein that author says that his regiment,
followed BY three companies of the 51st n. Y,
entered the rebel work from the left, and were
the first to get in. Possibly true! But there
are at least a half dozen members of Co. OF
my regiment alive who, l believe, would be
willing TO make oath that several men OF that
company were inside the work about the same
=. Il r Il, 41,.v- A~og,r nc
that participated in the attack. There can be
no reasonable doubt about the advantage OF
position having FOR about two hours been with
the Dist Mass. and 5lst y. Y. While they had
but few steps 10 20 before reaching the earth
work, my regiment had 10 cover, say, about 30
feet before reaching the sallyport. Certainly
these two regiments should have been in front.
And here again comes up the oft-repeated
query: Why did they postpone their charge
until the last regiment in the column of at
tack commenced its rush through the clearing,
covering nearly the whole front Of the rebel
workP So I remember the facts These two
regiments had been under fire about two hours
and IN the position they occupied when this
charge was commenced. Why did they not
charge before my command came upon the
Bceue2 Then they would have had all the
glory, with none TO dispute their claim. For
my own part / have always regretted that their
decisive movement had not been, say, five min
utes earlier. 1t would have saved so much
printers ink and 50 many regulations from
unpleasant implications.
Lieut. Goodrich seems TO laugh at and scout
the idea Of there having been rebel troops in
the work when the ZOuaTes made their attack.
Official reports state that Gems. Foster and
Parke ordered the charge Of the Zouayes.
Rather strange, is itnot, that those officers who
were where they could see the whole field,
should have ordered movement against the
air! Gen. Parke, who still survives, might pos
sibly explain why the order was given.
Gen. Walcott closes his account Of the Roam
oke Island affair with the following: And
great was our disgust when we read in the
Boston papers, a month or SO aiterward, that
the Colonel Of the ZOO-z0os had had the ef-
frOnterv to put himself on exhibition there as
the hero Of the bayonet charge at Roanoke Is
land"
For the benefit Of this historian, truth com
pels ne write that was the only Colonel the
eth n Y ever had, and that from July 5, 1860
70 JuEe 1864 was not within the borders OF
the State OF Massachusetts,. IL connection with
Roanoke, Massachusetts, and Connecticut
writers had charged my regiment and myself
with many offensive misdecds, and TO their OWL
satisfaction. no doubt, proved that we were
worthless lot Of charlatans aud liars; but never
before. 10 my knowledge, had / been charged
with making aH exhibition Of myself-such al
one as would indicate my possessing an unneces
sary length Of ears. This was the most IN
kindest cut Of ALL"
Lieut. Goodrich marFels at the small loss tn,
9Th y. y sustained, and says il consisted 0
enc wounded. Again he must refer TO ofiicia
reports. Mine states, The 9Th n. Y. had tw
Lieutenants and j. priyates wounded" Rattle
3 fair sort Of showing for regiment that spent
say, about 10 minutes in making an attacl
upon an empty carthwcrki The right com
pauy and part Of the one following may hay
been exposed 10 the fire Of the enemy some
p what longer All the wounds were from mus
kerry, tie three pieces Of the enemy's artiller
being aimed 50 high that their prQjectiles Gu
the branches from the trees near the two ez
posed companies. The 2lst Mass was unde
fire two hours or more, and lost - killed O
died Of wounds and "A wounded.
Another correction and have done Lieu
Goodrich writes that Capt. o. Jenning
Wise. Of the Richmond Blues, was wounded j
the battery, and eudcavored, with others, [
escape from the Island ia a boat which wa
compelled 70 return by the fire Of the 2li
Mass" This is news, indeed For upward
Of quarter Of q century / had labOred unGC
the delGsOn that I was on the spot where
directed the men Of Co. g Of my regiment (
wade iat0 the water as far as they could, so :
10 make sure Of reaching with their G9-calibC
smooth-bDr muskeis the boats bearing off ii
fleeing Blues aud their Captain Two boa
loads were reached by this FIRE, turned bacl
landed, and were received by many Of the Of
GERS and men Of the Zouaves, several Of whom
under the direction Of MAJ Kimball, assiste
% carry Capt. Wise 10 a farm house, where I
died the next day. When this incident VI
fresh in nay mind ! incorporated il, in sul
stance, IN my official report But evidently
must have been laborng under some sort OF
mental disability, which caused me 10 pen
romance for u now seems that the 2Ist Mas
was the regiment that captured the Blues wit
their Captain. And YET al this moment ha1
before me-InatcIially present seemingly-tl
SWORD Of Lieut. Miller ~, Of the Richmou
Blues, handed 10 me by that officer as
stepped on shore from one Of the boats, an
which he afterRard desired me to retain as
memeuto Of las gratitude Tor the kind oflic
bestowed by the members Of my command up,
his wounded commanding officer. That gwo
seems 70 be present at this moment, d visit
fact; and yet, in the light Of recent revelation
j must doubt the material presence, whit
after ali may only be a mirage Of a real swo
that is somewhere else.
In conclusion, let me assure Lieut. GOOdric
and all Others in New England who arc int
ested IN this inky war, that find il quite il
possible 70 treat II very seriously. for at best
regard as q large tempest in a very small te
pot, and personally ] care very little about
Bot sense Of duty 10 these who served in {
regiment j had the honor to command, col
pels ne 70 enter tie lists IA their defense a
70 repcl, as far as possible, any statement
insnuation rejecting upon their manly a
soldicrly record. The memory Of the sacT