The National tribune., 1889-05-09
BATTLE OF REsACA.
What Troops Saved the 9th Ind. Batter,

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: The "gall !"
of the Eleventh and Twelfth Corps, afterward
merged into the Twentieth Corps, which came
| to US of the Army of the Cumberland after
Chickamauga, is beyond my comprehension,
and worthy of Mark Twain.
After claiming all the laurels of the capture
of Lookout Mountain, and getting out of wind
on that racket, now comes one Peter e. Palen,
First Lieutenant, 143d N. Y, in your issue of
April H. who claims Williamss Division,
Twentieth Corps, saved the 9Th Ind. battery
at the battle of Resaca on the afternoon of May
IA, 1864. My recollection of the affair is that
the 9TH Ind battery was able to save itself, be-
sides protecting portion of the army on that
eventful day Now for the facts
When a portion of Shermans army passed
through Snake Creek Gap in the rear of the
rebel Gen. JOhnstons position at Rocky Face
Ridge and Dalton, that gentleman let go his
hold there and retired to Resaca Our division
(the First) of the Fourth Corps composed of
the First Second and Third Brigades com
manded respectively by Gems. Charles Cruft
| w. w. Whitaker and Col. VIM. Gross, and the
| 18th Ind'p't Pa battery and 5th Ind battery
! all commanded by Ma.-Gen. David Ss-Stanley,
passed through the fortified gap on the railroad
| track, through the deserted rebe. camp and
Dalton, and turned sharply to the right and
| took an obscure road running along the east
side of Rocky Face Ridge and in the direction
main road along the railroad between Dalton
| and Resaca We arrived at our position a
| little after noon, and within three quarters of
! mile of the rebel fortified position. We were
! halted in the road and faced to the east and a
| barricade was hastily made with rails and logs.
] When this was accomplished we were perfectly
| isolated nobody on either flank and nothing in
our rear but the ridge, with plenty of Johnnies
| in front. While waiting developments the
| stiffness was oppressive. After little while
! few struggling shots were heard on our
| right and rear. / suggested to Col Gross that
an officer be sent to find out what it meant.
| The writer, with an Orderly, was accordingly
! sent After riding in that direction nearly two
miles, ran into the skirmish- line of that part
of the army which had come through Snake
Creek Gap. / was taken prisoner and sent to
! the brigade commander, who promptly released
me- aud put me at the left Of his line to direct
! its course. When it came up with our position
| the whole line advanced to as near the rebel
! position as we could get, the First, Second and
| Third Brigades from left to right in the order
named the Third Brigade, right, on an eleva-
! tiou; the other two brigades down in the
woods to the left and thrown a little forward,
the batteries remaining in their first position.
! And here let me remark that in all my three
years Warfare-and / was in all the battles of
| the Army of the Cumberland, from the battle
of Perryville, KY, to the finish at Nashville
! we never experienced Such Shelllng as we
| did that afternoon when we had gained this
advantage and made ourselves tolerably secure
and before Hooker came up the rebels rallied
out of their intrenchments and got partially on
| the flank of Crufts First Brigade, doubling
| it up and partially back in the direction of our
batteries. The artillery waited patiently a long
! time-it seemed to me till Crufts and Whit
aker's men were out of the way--when the
whole II guns beched forth canister among
| the advancing hords of Stewart and Stevenson
| in manner not conducive to their health.
They were checked and in full retreat when
the head of Hooker's column arrived and were
| thrown forward into line, and who helped
them over into their works in fine Style.
! The next day we lay in plain view of and
witnessed the assault and capture of the four
| gun battery by Hooker's men, we being about
| a quarter of mile away, just across creek
and the main road leading into Resaca.
Now, gentlemen, don't claim all the glory;
don't plant all the first flags or claim TO have
saved all that was worth saving while you
/ were with US. We will admit you were gallant
| fellows, but yop hardly came up to the mark
! set by US at Missionary Ridge or Nashville.
! You essayed it at Taylor's Ridge, but you
/ failed.-GEo. R. SHAW Captain, Co. c, 10Th H.,
Engineer Officer on the Staff of Col Gross
| Tampico, Ill.