The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1889-07-18

and heavy on the first day, and am under the
impression that day was the one that tended in
q measure to place the stars OF Brigadier on
the shoulders of our illustrious comrade, Presi-
dent Ben. Harrison i witnessed the charge oil
the brigade of which Col. Harrison was the
commander upon the four-gun fort that Capt
Shaw mentions and | was under the impression
then, as now. that said fort was the key of the
rebel line. Itwas certainly an effective charge,
and nobly executed. But the point wish to
make against Capt. Shaw is his concluding
words, 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" No,
my dear Captain, we don't wish to claim,
neither do we claim, what you intimate, but
we do claim, and shall always claim, that the
White Stars were the first to plant the Stars
and Stripes on the peak of Lookout on the
morning of Nov. "a, 1863. Capt. Shaw says
that after claiming the capture of Lookout we
got out of wind. Not So Captain, for think
that all the writers in THE TRIBUNE, yours
truly included, fully demonstrated to all un-
preiudced readers that our claims for first nag
on Lookout were but our just dues. No, Cap
tain, | was not out of wind, but had plenty
more ammunition in my mental cartridge-b0X
TO fire mt Whitaker's Brigade and the Sth NY,
but THE TRIBUNE editor thought the contro-
versy had consumed enough of his valuable
space aud so closed to us all. Your admission
that we were gallant fellows is received with
the spirit that should actuate every old vet
eran. Thanks. Captain, but you 20 on to say
that we hardly came up TO the mark you set us
at Missionary Ridge. and that we essayed IT at
Tavlor's Ridge and failed. Stick pin right
there Captain, while | ask you how and why
we failed2 The First Brigade. Second Division,
Twentieth Corps, started to charge, and did
charge, from the railroad elnbaDkment across
an open space TO the foot of the ridge, and on
up TO the top of the ridge. where If remem-
Der right the brigade col0rs, along with the
cOl0rs of each regiment in the brigade, were
planted. About that time 0sterhauss Division,
of the Fifteenth Corps, who had attacked the
position of the rebel Gen. Pat Cleburne at tho
railroad cut, were driven back in confusion,
when Gen. Geary sent to their support the
Second and Third Brigades of White Stars, who
went in on n charge, and Cleburnes crowd of
rebs found il unhealthy TO stay there, and made
tracks for the rear on the doube-quick, and
the battle of Ringgold or Taylor's Ridge passed
into history as n victory for the White Star Di-
vision of Rockers Twentieth Corps.
In conclusion, Captain, let me say that the
Twentieth Corps claim nothing but what is
their Just dues. The only FIRST flag we have
ever laid claim TO planting, and which was won
by stubborn and gallant fighting, is Lookout
Mountain, as always before we were too busy
in thrashing the Johnny rebs TO think of flag
planting until some other regiment who was
not actively engaged, except in lodging bullets
and shells far in the rear, came mp and planted
their colors and claimed honors for FIRST flag
LEwIs BLUNDIN. Co. e, 2Sth Pa First Brigade,
Second Division, Twelfth Corps, afterwards
Twentieth Corps,l Hulmeville, Pa.