The National tribune., 1889-03-07
WASHINGTON c. THURSDAY
COLD HARBOR.
Did Soldiers Refuse to Charged

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: ALMOST al
histories of the late war, including Swinton's
and Harper's Pictorial, when speaking OF the
battle of Cold Harbor state at about the 10th
or 18th day the men fatty and unanimously
refused to charge the works when ordered, and
for this reason Grant was forced to transfer the
army to the south side of the James.
Who were the troops? Who were the Cen
erals whose orders were disobeyed2 On what
portion of the line did this occur?
was a witness to a refusal to advance by
brigade, Or part of one, but the men were told
by their line officers to disobey the order. This
occurred not on the 10th or 18th, but on the
1st day of June, and the men so refusing were
one of the best brigades in the army. May 81
the command to which belonged marched
all night, hating about sunrise to cook coffee !;
then continuing our march at the highest speed
capable, getting on the wrong road once aud
thereby nearly going into the camp or lines Of
the enemy; but by hating and about-facing,
getting started Alright, and at or $3.50 o'clock
met Badly Smith, who had arrived from But
ier's command with, l think, the Tenth and
Eighteenth Corps.
Here we made the first halt since sunrise.
Filing into the field on the left of the dusty
road, we soon had our shelter-tents up to pro-
tect ourselves from the fierce rays OF the SUM-
After halt of perhaps an hour or two, we got
the order to fall in. Instead Of continuing our
march to the south, as we had been doing for
so many days we formed in line of battle par
allel to, and about 10 rods west of the road on
which we had been marching. Other troops
were forming on the right and left, and shells
began to screcch around Aids were galloping
in every direction, and all could see that bat
tie was at hand. battery dashed up, the
regiment opened to let it through, and at the
same instant the order came, Forward !" 1t
so happened that the opening to admit the
battery was at the left Of my company, and
only the men on the right of the battery were
ordered forward On we went through q scat
tering growth of stunted pines into the open
about 100 yards down the slope After getting
through the pines there was a shallow ravine
$50 yards farther, where we saw heavy breast
work in the edge of the timber
As we emerged from the pines we were sa-
luted with musketry, canister, caseshot and
shells. Double-quicking to the bottom of the
slope, we found brigade occupying the ground.
There was almost no protection from the fire
from the rebel works in the timber, and to
add to the trouble from the front the shells
from our own battery in the rear, hid from
sight by the pines before mentioned, were
bursting in our line and in our rear, throwing
the pieces among us. An ofiiCer-a German
endeavOred to send someone to request the
battery to give more elevation or to cease
firing, but no one was willing to risk the ex-
posture in going up the slope, and we were
obliged to bear it.
We soon discovered the object of our being
sent where we were; j. e.. the five companies of
our regiment and the 122d n. Y. 1t was to
support the Jersey Brigade in an assault on
the bTeastworks in front.
The German officer spoken of ordered charge,
but nobody stirred. Again he ordered them
forward, but Captains and Lieutenants of the
brigade, many if not all the line officers, told
the men to lie still Don't go a step; it's use-
less" etc When convinced that they would
not advance, the second line was ordered to
charge over them. This second line, of one
small regiment (the 122d n. Y and five COM
panies of another regiment, reached about half
way to the works. when we were ordered to
lie down, and soon after 10 fall back over the
brow OF the hill, which was done i'm good order,
bringing in the wounded. III this position we
remained until dark, when we withdrew to the
pines, where breaStWOrks were thrown mp OF
O. men who went into action IA We're hit,
seven dying of wounds one leg amputated. in
one company, Is or 20 minutes being occupied
IN suffering this loss.
This is the only instance that came under
my observation at Cold Harbor where men re-
fused to charge when ordered, and who shall
say they were not justified in their refusal
Think of the folly of throwing 500 or 600 men
against heavy breastworks, heavily manned,
and over ground Taked by artillery loaded
with canister shrapnel. caseshot, etc ! won
der whether any OF the 122d boys have forgot
ten That little experience?
1t don't seem of importance enough to merit
place IN any history but all the same it was
hot place in more than one sense of the term.
C. PORTER Co. E, 18th VT, Second Brigade.
Second Division, Sixth Corps Grinnell, Iowa.