The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-04-10
THE CAPTURED GUN.
The Chicago Board Of Trade Battery Never had q
Gun CAPTURED.

Gun Captured.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: In your issue
of March there is an article headed The
Captured Gun" over the signature of G. w.
Smith, Co J., 9Th Pa. Cav. do not wish TO be
drawn into any controversy regarding the
captured gun at Duck River Bridge near Shell
byville, Tenn, as | was not there, rs, unfortu-
nately, our battery was unable TO get TO the
front with our brigade OF cavalry that day, by
reason of blockade of wagoR-trains. | wish,
however in behalf of the Chicago Board of
Trade Battery, 10 thank Comrade Smith for his
very complimentary remarks-that the Chicago
Board of Trade Battery boys were very jubi-
liant over the recovery of their lost gun. Tho
Second Cavalry Division, Army of the Cumber-
land, as successfully commanded by Gen. j. Il.
Turchin, Gen. Crook, Gen. Gerard, Gen. Minty
and Gen. Long, had few equals and no superb
ors in any of the armies of the United States,
and, as Comrade Smith states, each brigade aud
regiment worked tremendously, and there
were no jealousies between the brigades or be-
tween tho regiments composing the brigades;
but there was a strong ambition that each COM
mand should Guido the other. The achieve
ments of this grand old division have never
been heralded TO the world with great amount
of printers ink, for the reason that the differ
ent commanders were soldiers and as such did
not need IL. Their object WAS 10 bring their
division 10 q successful standard of excelcncy,
anu dClltke al buENAS bE NlGAAi ~ 4llAi ttlb9
were appointed, and the records ut the War
Department show those were attained TO per-
lection.
am very much pleased to hear from any Of
the comrades of the division, and since the
close of the war ] have met with large num-
Der of them and in every instance have met
with hearty reception, and C0mrade smith IS
the first one that known of who was willing
In any way 10 cast reflections on the achieve
nf IA of this division fpm-
radc Smith states that his object in making
this statement in his article is 20 correct
Mai ThoTnburgs mistake. / think Comrade
Smiths statement will not go far 20 correct
Maj Thornburg, unless the balance OF his
statement is grounded on facts stronger than
his statement that the gun was a recaptured
gun Of the Chicago Board of Trade Battery.
Now, if COmrade Smith will read the history
Of the Second Cavalry Division, Army of the
Cumberland, he will discover that the robols
never took a gun from the Second Cavalry
Division, Army OF the Cumberland nor from
the First. Second or Third Brigades, composing
this division. And ] atm happy 10 say that the
Chicago Board OF Trade Battery never lost a
cannon 10 the rebels. At the battle OF Stone
River, which was their baptism by fire in "A
general battle, the Board Of Trade Battery Sc
cured I2-pOund brass piece which had been
1 captured by the rebels from Sheridan's division
and afterwards left by them when they were
/ driven back. Gen Rosecrans ordered that the
battery should be furnished with a timber and
caissOn for this gun, and from that time until
/ after the battle OF Chickamauga the Chicago
1 Board Of Trade Battery was a seven-gun bat
4 terry, all Of which guns were turned over,
thoroughly worn out, TO the Ordnance Depart
ment at Nashville, aud the battery was re-
/ equipped with six I0-pound PARROT guns one
I Of which during the battle OF Lovejoy, in the
/ Fitzpatrick raid around Atlanta, broke "A trail,
] and, with the assistance Of volunteers from the
First Brigade, was drawn Off from the field, the
! guu-carriagc chopped 10 pieces with axes, the
/ gun placed ia an ammunition- wagon aud taken
/ with the command to Flint River, and there
/ after being thoroughly spiked, was sunk 10 the
/ bottom OF the river, the water being so high
| the General commanding would not allow the
/ wagons tonttempt "A crossing. After crossing
the river, while holding the rebels in check
/ during a heavy rain storm. another gun ex.
plOded. The other four guns were turned oyei
! 10 the Ordnance Department at Chattanooga
1 after the close Of the war. As this disposed o
| the entire - guns, the only ones the battery
| had during the war, you viii observe the gun
captured at Duck River could not have beer
the reeaptured gun OF the Board OF Trade Bat
terry. by making these corrections in you
paper, you will greatly obligc tho surviving
members u the Board OF Trade Battery.-Joui
A. AoUEss5, "a Michigan Ave, Chicago, III.
/ Jyros.;3a Ia. 10 C,,f,ra Han ReoJ 1Lus