The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-05-15
70 WEST SEVENTY FIRST STREET, !
NEW YoRIs, April rs, 1890. I
O. w RENNITT
CHICK A MAUGA.
Surgeon Beach Cri,lclses Comrade whaIlon.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: It Is unfor-
tunate that correspondents allow themselves to
make statements that are grossly inaccurate,
when reference to any history of the events of
which they write would save them from such
blunders. Com?ade Whallon, of the 18th Mich,
in his very interesting letter appearing in The
NATIONAL TRIBUNE of 18th ult., in which he
criticises Com rado bottoms "Bugle Blast" of
February 18th gives u history of the move
ment of Sheridans Division after the great dis
aster to our right on Sunday morning, that
will certainly astonish all survivors of that
division.
As every student Of history knows, Sheridan's
Division was isolated on that eventual forenoon
OF September 20, the victorious rebel army being
between him and Gen Thomas, to whose sup
port no was pressing his way when the break
in the right wing occurred. lt is Mt this point
in the history of tho day that Comradc Whallon
thinks Sheridan would have been justified in
surrcnderng hut he did not. What did he
dor ComTade Whalon makes him march il or
10 miles ut night, passing through the enemy s
line, and only reporting TO Gen. Thomas ut
Rossvile on Monday morning, September 81.
What he attempted to do was to connect with
Gen Thomas by the Dry Valley road. but fail
ing in this. he marched his division back to
near Rossville, and then out on the east side of
Mission Ridge, and had very nearly come up to
Gen. Thomas's posi- ton on the Snodgrass farm
when the battle closed. Richard b. Cowling,
Co. ID, 40th Ohio that day with tho staff of
Gen. Steedman, was sent by the latter late in
the afternoon with an order to distant part of
the field. Writing of this in the history of tho
10th Ohio he SAYS: AT this point either
lost my way, or tho lines had been changed, for
| ran into squad of rebel cavalry. Leaving
the road ] took TO the woods, the rebels follow
ing and shooting at me- until | ran into Gen.
Sherdans Division His salutatiOu was: Who
l. 4. I'll a
courier from Stccdman. He asked me the posi-
ton OF our forces in front, and on my replying
he ordered an advance OF his depoyed and de-
plctcd division, which did not seem To number
moro than n thousand men. BY this time it
was nearly dark"
"Ohio ia tho War" gives this version of
Sherdan's movements In tho afternoon of the
Goth. Finding that the enemy had reached
tho road DRY Valley before him, he turned
once more. still keeping hts division we'll iii
hand, aud marched for Thomass left near Ross
Vile. AZ Chattanooga IL was first
believed that he had been involved in the
common disaster 10 the right. Then, as he
failed to appear with the rest OF the routed
wing, he was supposed 10 have been cut off and
captured. and the loss of Shoridau's whole di-
vision was actually telographod to tho North.
But before the dispatches had been forwarded
indeed before some OF them had been written
Sheridan was marching in on Thomas's left.
Hc was not in time, however 20 participate IN
the fierce struggle there, which, little before
his arrival, had driven OF tho enemy"
This certainly disposes OF Comrndc Whallon's
story of Sheridan night march. in which no
captured Several hundred" prisoncrs be-
logged To Whittaker's Brigade. Steedman's Di-
vision. but as wo do cot complain Of the mem
ton made Of our part IN that esontful struggle
Of Sunday afternoon by all histories of tho
battle, will not take up space by any recital
of our work.--Jous n. BEACH, Surgeon, 10th
Ohio, West jefferson, o.