The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-10-23
JONESBORO.
Another Account of What the Regulars Did In the
Charge.

Charge.
EDITOR NATIONAL tribune: Mai Lund, of
tho 10th H., seems TO think that there are too
many conflicting accounts about the battle of
Jonesboro, Ga, but tho description he gives of
the brave work done by Morgan's men away
on the right, does not conflict with the same
Kind of work performed by Estee5 mon on the
left.
Instead of the 10th Regulars being in the
rear, and in the swamp they had been in the
advance rs skirmishers ever since tho tearing
mp OF the railroad ut East Point but had no
particularly hot work to do until they at
tempted TO clear the open field to the left of
the angle at Jonesboro. They cleared it! In
stead of arriving in the morning. think we
arrived In the afternoon, and when we halted
part of our skirmish-ine stood on wooded
Knoll, little westerly of the railroad aud ut
this pointseveral ofour skirmishcrs voluntarily
advanced few steps farther through the
bushes, and saw a promiscuOus lot of rebels
moving through field with fence rails on their
shoulders. This field was away TO the right
aud the ono that Morgan's mon afterward
charged over.
Nearer TO us, and in our immediate front n
rebel stirmish-line stood out in the open field
ready Tor business There was no firing Back
OF this skrm sh-liue were woods, in which
nothing could be seen but trees.
Our skirmish-ine had scarcely halted when
columns of our troops began To pour in and
halt, and officers dismountcd close up TO our
skirmish-li line, and at once we got ont OF their
way. j carried gun IL Co. +, aud ! think all
OF the 10th skirmshed that day. As soon rs
we got out of the bushes down into the
gully aud open field where we became visible,
the rebels made it pretty hot for u.s. and their
bullets sang tho old song that they used to
sing. The 10Th rs skrmshcrs opened the
ball at Jnncsboro; no other regiment charged
with them aud in acppud iut no hi n tbntr
cred moro than half of the front between the
railroad and the angle. The rebel skirmish-
line was In the open field, and about on the
same line whore the brigade of the 5Sth Ohio
(Which will now call the Third Brigade Third
Division, Fourteenth Corps afterwards halted
ANA fixed hayouets. aud this rebel line was
greatly strengthened Mt n rail pilo, where "A
regiment of Johunies bid us defiance. This
rail pile stood in the open field to the right Of
the point where this (Third) brigade suhse-
qucntiy fixed bayonets, and quito little dis
talce 10 tho left Of the angle
Now, If comrades will bear in mind the sit
uation of Morgar's men, who charged in
other direction, and principally 10 the right of
the angle aud this Third brigade of the Third
Division, that came up aud charged quite "A
distance to the left of the angle, they may be
able to reconcile some discrepancies. Whenr
we had driven in most all the rebels from our
front this rail pile continued TO hold out, so
that our left skirmishers had TO move in its
direction or toward the right, which drew most
OF US out Of the way Of the Third Brigade be-
fore it came up.
We also cleaned out this rail pile, aud as
skirmishers successfully performed the work
that we had been sent 10 do Instead of being
rcpulsed we had driven in more than three
times our number and before the Third Bril-
gade came up the fight on the skrmsh-itne
was over and there was not rebel In sight.
Standing near the rail pile heard the Third
Brigade halt and looking along its line saw
them fix bayoueis. They came from / don't
know where, aud started in an instant for the
woods.
The rebel lines were IN n sIumber. but the
oppressive stiffness was in a moment broken by
yolleys from the encmys works that Turned
the woods pale and the earth red. aud large
number Of rebels began 10 pour out of the
woods ut the point where the Third Brigade
charged in; but IL should be remembered that
these men were not the men who surrendered
20 Morgan on the right but were the distinct
product of t'io oyercTowdcd brcastworss ia
front Of the Third Brigade rcasiwoTks that
no other brigade or regiment at that point had
charged upan that day TO weaken the power
behind them.
! understood that tho men captured there
were Tennessee troops, once known rs Cheat
hams but thcy were rebels any way aud nu-
hlsious' ana as many OF Lutm hgd new unit
forms they presented Il very fine appearance.
Some Of tic Third Brigade have tie impress
sion that they charged over the sarne ground
that the Regular Brigade charged over. and
that they took the main works after the Regu-
lar Brigade had been Fepuised. Now tho only
troops that preceded the Third Brigade WAS the
skIunish-lnc that constituted the 18Th 4. 5.
Inf, aud with the 10th left ont, the Regular
Brigade must have been a pretty small brigade
that f4y tuF EFrv4t vnaa 81. nm IA
farther 20 the rght. aud according TO Comrado
Cordcs, of tho 18th L. :. Iuf. who lost an arm
at the angie, IL must nave been near the 18th
y. Y.-GEogGE ScoTT, ist battalion, 10th u. s.
Inf, Fort Edward, n. Y.