The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1889-06-06
KERNsTowN.
Who Charged aud Took the Stone Wall at tina
Battle.

son, Brevet Corporal Of Co. G., 18th Ind, in
reference to the 9TH Ohio. In starting out he
patronizingly states, in substance, he dislikes
to expose a fraud. but justice to others compels
him to do so. DR.. CapehaTt in a special man
ner mentioned the conduct of Leut.-Col.
Creighton and his regiment in charging the
rebels behind wall at the battle Of KernstOwn,
Va, March %, 1862, and Comrade Simpson
takes it upon himself to show that the
famous stone wall which sheltered the rebels
then, as now, the head and front of our trou-
ble-was not more than 140 to 175 yards in
length. and that the S4th Pa and 9Th Ohio
more than covered the full open front of this
wall, lying down and firing not more than 90
to 60 yards distant"
He tells of the 18th Ind. marching up in the
face of CALLING fire on the left of the 9TH Ohio;
of yolley, a cheer and a charge, and the wall
was theirs. He then says if any regiment other
than the 14th Ind. and 9Th Ohio charged that
wall and took it, they did it after we" had
taken it. He then says: Mind you, don't
say they (the 9TH Ohio did not charge that
wall, for most of us who saw active service can
recall some very ludcrous incidents, and this
reminds me of hearing, few days later, how
commissioned officer and a Sergeant of the 9TH
Ohio, strolling along in our rear, found the two
cannon and some horses we had taken and left
in our eager pursuit. These they took to the
rear with great hurrah, as captured by them
in charge. This may or may not be so, but
it was one of the standing jokes in camp at the
time. This late news as to the 18th Ohio charg-
ing the wall tends to corroborate the cannon
joke"
From the foregoing I believe Simpson is a
near relative of one Ananias of old. Then, to
add insult to injury, he says: " / do not pre-
tend to say what the 9TH did do and | would
be the last to take a single laurel from its ban
ner. One thing, however, is certain: the 18th
! Ind. was ordered in some time before the 7th
was, as is shown by Gen. Capehart's statement,
| which says there was no delay: the 18th
| charged and took the wall that covered their
front, and the 9Th Ohio took the balance;
/ therefore, the 18th Ohio had no part in the
charge"
| One would infer from tie foregoing that all
| the 9TH Ohio ever did was to hover in the rear
of the 14th Ind. and fatten at their expense.
| But what are the facts in the case will try
to cite few of them: In the first place, the 9TH
Ohio has not claimed for itself, neither has any
one else claimed for it, that we charged the wall
| referred to by Simpson. The wall the 9TH
| Ohio, 18th Ind, 29th Ohio, 10th Pa. and LIST w.
| Va. were interested in was on the right of the
one the 9Th Ohio, S4th Pa. and 14th Ind.
charged, and my recollection now is that we
then had all we cared to attend to with
/ out looking for another wall. Right here
wish to say the exception to Dr. Capehart's
statement in reference to Lieut. Col. Creigh-
| tons leading troops over our wall was in Civ
| ing entire credit to the 9TH Ohio, when, in my
opinion, nearly every regiment in Tyler's Bri-
gade was at least represented. Very little at
| tentiOn was just then given to line or organiza-
| ton, the main thing being to drive the enemy
We crossed over the wall, and when ad-
vancing through the timber we saw the 18th
Ohio and 14th Ind. charging across a wheatfeld
to our left against the rebels behind stone
wall One of the scenes most distinctly i'm
pressed upon my memory to-day is that Of
those regiments charging that wall, cheering
and firing as they advanced, the fire rolling out
of the guns on either side making an impress
sion never to be forgotten. So far, then, we
agree that Lieut-C0l. Creighton did not lead
any troops over the wall Comrade Simpson re-
fers to, and there is no quarrel between US Oh
that score; but when any member of the 18th
Ind, or any other regiment, by inference, in
situation direct statement. attempts to
convey the idea that the 9TH Ohio was not the
peer of any military organization with which
it came in contact during its three full years
of active and honorable service and by boast
ing on their side and belittling us on the other
attempts to get to themselves great name al
our expense, they must not expect to get by
me unchallenged. The eth Ohio was the frs
to receive the fire of the rebels in that fight OIL
our right, because We led the advance. We
went in early and staid late Our regiment lost
in that battle 20 killed aud 81 wounded, and a
no time were we lowering in the rear of til,
18th Ind, charging the walls they had driven
the enemy from, and picking up imaginary &?
cannon they had passed over in their mad rush
after the rebels. The official record of that
battle shows the 14th Ind. came up among the
last troops engaged that when they came
under fire they didn't know a Yankee from
Johnny reb and fired into the 5th Ohio; tha
Lieut.-CO Patrick ran back and ordered then
to cease shooting his men, and to advance anG
try their guns on the rebels to the left of the
9TH Ohio; that they captured no cannon at all
as Simpson alleges aud that in this terrific
charge carnage and slaughter, their entire
regiment lost but one more man killed thar
our company lost in killed alone, the 18th los
ing four and Co. D three. And this is the regi
ment that can boast of man who, in the fac
of such a record as this. is trying to be witty a
the expense of the 18th Ohio. Ye gods of war
halt! and make a note of it.-LAWRENCEW VII
SON, Co. d, 18th Ohio, No. 100 East sth street
Topeka, Kan.