The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-11-06
The Controversy between the BrIgades OF Rice and
Carroll.


Carroll.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: have waited
to hear the reply of Capt. Graham TO the state
fnent made 10y Comrade Mccoy, that the seth
Pa. was not la the Second Corps, of which fact
WAS not aware when wrote my letter in re-
ply to Capt. Graham. who claimed that RiCe's
Brigade had recapturod the works on the Brock
road May in the battle of the Wilderness, to
which took exception; but what ipcensed me
most was tho reflection cast upon Leasure's Bri
gade. which had performed the work aud never
received any recognition at the hands of Gen.
Hancock. and thon To be insulted by these TO
whom we had rendered service in time OF need
was more than | could patiently submit to.
i am sure that any casual reader would draw
tho Same inference from the letter OF Capt
Graham, viz. that Rice's Brigade belonged to
the Second Corps, whose actions 10 attempte to
describe In particular on May g. and winds up
with reference 20 Gen. Hancock upon the
plank road calling for Gen. Rice to retake the
works, and clinches 1t with the death of tho
rebel color bearer at tho hands OF the Seth Pa.
Ia all the accounts of that battle which
have road they place tho Second Corps on tho
Brock road, and it was there we found Gen.
Hancock on the morning of May 6: and how jt
happened that tho Fifth Corps brigade should
have found its way from the Orange turnpike.
where that corps was posted, seems strange 20
me. without IL had been detached. like our bri-
gadc to the support of the Second Corps, under
Gen. Hancock. IL Rices Brigade belonged TO
the Fifth Corps, what was 10 doing on the plank
roadp Did IL get astray like so many other
brigades in that intermuRble brush2 If the
Second Corps did not hold the line of works on
the Brock road May then have done that corps
an injustice, for which | apologize, aud say that
OF all the Corps of the Array of the Potomac /
considered that the best aud ouly made the
comparison between the Eleventh Corps to
show that the best of troops will sometimes
stampede.
a. Comrade Mccoy says of the Ninth Corps
that ii was dragged around a great deal we
did not get much credit for any thing that was
done. After the charge of May we were dcsig-
mated Foreign Brigade by somo officers
OF the corps We helped, aud were not surprised
when we read in the official report OF Gen.
Hancock that CAROLS Brigade had recaptured
the works This we could stand, but to be
charged with cowardiCe In taking TO our
heels before we had given the enemy yolley,
was too much for me too quietly brook.
This is not the first time that | have chal-
lengod therecoTd, and did not wait for Gen.
Hancock To die before doing so. but have ap-
pealed to several historians. asking them 70
give us the benefit of correction; but they
seemed TO think that Gen Hancock ought To be
believed and abandoned all efforts in that di-
reeton But whenever any of Carroll's Bril-
gade lay claim to that honor | have always
contested their claim. notably in the Scout dad
Mat in 1886 in reply to an article by Maj. Gro
tan on that subject. AS one of that brigade has
seen tit to answer my article, desire to say
that we challenge their claim 90 that honor, aud
in reply to his attempt to crush out all evidence
by referring ia MS as IA mighty brigade" which
If Grant had known of, he would have sent all
the rest of the troops home and allowed 10 to
crash the rebellion alone" | will say that he
could have done so with safety If it depended
upon Carroll's Brigade upon that occasion. /
take great pride in the gallant action of any
portion of tho UniOn troops. but / do not
like TO see men of Rice's Brigade, of the Firth
Corps, under command of Gen. Hancock,
or Carrols Brigade, of the Second Corps tho
one sandering and the other wearing honOrs
that do not belong to them, and in the case of
the latter repeating the action of FalsiaG at the
battle of Shrewsbury. viz, carrying off the
dead lIotspur, and trying TO make Prince Hal
believe that he had slain him.
Let us hear from more of them for there are
surely enough witnesses left who will state the
movements of that brigade. even if all the
Generals are dead, and there are, in tho Ian
guage of Comrade Mccoy. some participants
(pOssiblyl who know more of that war than
any Major General" In the language Of the
Texas rebel in the "CannOneer," describing
that BATTLE who declared. There amt Cen
era from old Grant aud Mars Robert down,
that knows anything about whar his troops is
or what has happened To 'em!" which may &C
count for the doubts of Comrade Mccoy about
the Second Corps
All desire is to learn the facts, ana believe
that Truth Is mighty and will prevail" and
| although Generals may die yet "Truth is i'm
mortal. /" and no action should fear the light of
igation.-JosEPH +. CARTER, Dorsey's
| Md