The National tribune., 1890-10-30


K 10 correspondence relat-
inc 70 tho Red River expedition, and especially
the letters of ]. E. Cutter 29th Me, IN the
issues OF Aug d and sept. is, IN answer 10
Bryson 9th Iowa, aud Others i. nave Seeh
prompted 10 venture shot.
NoI being skilled i'm the use of the mightier
weapon" the reader will not hnd "A haent
sketch, but what have TO say VIII enaeaVor
10 do IL frankly and plainly. haiDor no
jealousy or distrust toward, neither have any
abuse TO give the comrades 10 the ranks oil Inc
Nineteenth Corps and believe can saieiy say
the same feeling is shared by large majority
of my comrades in Shaw's Brigade, sl1teehth
Corps. The bravery and soldieriy con 4uct OF
the men composing the First DIVISION, Niue
teenth Corps, is not called in question. Many
OF them had been tested on too many battle
fields 10 doubt their fighting qualities nor DO
we desire 10 hold them responsible for the ac-
tion Of their commanding officers. some OF
the latter we Of the Sixteenth Corps DO cehsnre
severely.
The whole controversy hinges on the position
and action Of the Second Brigade, Third DIyis-
ion. s xteeuth Corps, commanded by ooi. hm.
T. Shaw. Ifth Iowa, in the battle OF Pleasant
Hin, La, April 8. 1864. Being member oil
that brigade, was with II throughout the ex-
pedifinl participated in all its engagements,
and profess TO know something OF what IT did
On that occasion. j know it not only from
memory but also from notes entered III diary
the next day. First ! will endeavOr TO give a
hrief statement OF our action on that Gay, and
then take the liberty Of throwing few hard
tack fUr Comrade Cutter 10 n!asticate.
The morning Of April found US ut Grand
Ecore, sih orders to march in the direction OF
Shreveport. The Nineteenth Corps preceded
us one lay. IL commenced raining about ~
O'Clock q. m; heavy marching; rain Increased
toward night; went into camp at dark max
ing iezs han 20 miles; rain continued through
the NJ. ht; morning Of the 9Th found us early
on the road the day was cloudy; occasionally
lighi shower, until o'clock p. m. the clouds
broke aud the sun shoae out bright aud warm.
At THIS ;isae we first heard the sound OF battle
in froat We went into camp At snndOUn,
just eas. Of the village OF Pleasant Hill.
AbOHI O'Clock On the morning OF the stu
we were aroused from sluuber by the noise of
rabulg passing along the road near our camp,
going v.i- mel 10 the rear. Upon investi-
gatiol fund the crowd composed OF negroes
and al Of the army, together with strag-
Cling soldiers, both armed and unarned. all
declsr;sg Banks's forces were ali cut 10 pieces
mp a. Mansfield
Not ..e.ng any wounded among them We
cOmme:.ced 10 tauBt them, asking where the
troops Fcre, and IL they were not making pretty
quick Tor fellows that we're all cut 10 pieces.
They I'D not stop 70 answer. Dick Taylor was
cOmIn., and they must git. Shortly after this
We we5c Instructed 70 hold ourselves in readi-
ness 1le arrival OF Inc y lLeLESlhA III p 70
cover lhs retreat 10 Grand Ecore.
We awaited orders until near 9 n. M, when
Gen. Tanks ordered Shaw's Brigade 10 the
front sc moved out the Mansfield road,
through Pleasant Hill and some GOO yards be-
yond, whore we relieved a brigade Of the
hineteeath Corps, which i take 10 be the
Second, Is IL contained 2 Pennsylvania Tegi-
Inent talked with a Sergeant OF the regi-
Dent gh0 gave me an account OF tie disaster
81 Sabine Crossroads the previous DAY. Aud
according 70 the assignment Of Comraae Cuttei
there but one Pennsylvania regiment in
the Eissi Division, Nineteenth Corps, aud that
he pia,es in the Second Brigade. When re.
lieved * withdrew 70 tie rear, and that is tho
last ] Know OF its location.
Col. shaw moved his brigade still farther II
the front, took position, and formed line Of
battle iu the east edge Of an old field Ut right
angles with the Mansfield road. Facing due
west. Some 200 yards in front Of our line, AND
Tnnning nearly parallel with it, was a bigl
ridge declining 70 the south, extending httl,
past the center Of the brigade which obstTucteC
The yisW Of the sight Of the brigade, but on ia,
left tie view was unrestricted across The field
broken uDly by q few scattering thickeLs. I'm
Inediai.ly IN our rear up 10 and near the Mans
field road was dense growth Of young pines
On 70 ihe right and front the ground appeared
more broken.
The position Of the regiments in the brigad
from night 10 left were, respectively. oath BIO
Oh The right and north Of the Mansfield road
14th loss, right resting on the road 9th AM
Sd Iowa the left Ny company was or
dcred forward as skirmishers, and we tool
Position on the ridge previously mentioned
where We had cleaE view Of nearly the Whoi
fed Our orders we're 10 IRE only when At
tackled. ] was now about 10 O'Clock a. M, All
there h4d been no fighting On any part Of ia
line. except occasionally between the ski
Disbers. The main line Of the enemy had no
!. - a
IN our lToEt. From cur skirmish- line We coul
See them arriving and going into position.
Between ~ "a. and ! o'clock D. ~. Ger
BsuEs's Chief OF staff Gen. Stone, / think
TSde along our line and pronounced the pos
ton Bell chosen" and ore that must 4" l.
held 20 81 hazards" promising Col. Shaw thi
the haEks Of bis brigade wOud be prOteeLes
But Notwithstanding repeated requests fIoi
Col. Sha#, those supports failed % come.
COmIaae Cutter tcstiGes 10 this fact IN Tn
AATIOAAL IEIBUSE Of sept 18th, when quo
ing from bis regiIneutal history, which say
" Gen. Dwight was appealed 10 and refused
asyefl Lnat At no period from o'clock a. II
when -ha8's Brigade first took position in q
lire already given, until the close of the battl
was there any portion Of the Nineteenth Cor
aigHca lIh it in that position, aud am con
dent am supported in the assertion by eve
membef Of the brigade who was in positi.
- not lac fact.
Ats O'clock D. m we could see the rebs a
p.oyiug their line, extending their right
bey0ud our left. At 40 they opened on us wi
artillery, pouring shot aud shell hot and hea'
lBt0 LH- right Of cur brigade, the most acc
Tate artillery firing j witnessed during the wi
Had we been At the other end Of the guns Won
have thought itEplendid, bat il was more acc
rate tlan interesting 10 u.s. This they CO
tinucd '9f some 20 minutes, then came a la
LFeIg cd soldier knows what that meal
Soon W. heard the rebel yell, aud knew by {
SOUND their cavalry were coming. The ord
WAS seai along the line, Hold your FIRE boz
until sou can see the horses knees on /
T4dEe. Gu they came, swinging sabers a
Teyolyrrs their line covering the front VI |
2ifh Ee., liIh Iowa aud tapping little on
9Th lawa.
NhrH they came within prescribed distau
We lei them have H. tumbling men aud hOu
in cue Undesirable mass, almost annihilat
them. a. but SIX or eight were seen 10 esca
Their leader fell dead from his horse In
rear Il ouF line. Soon their Infantry w,
pouring their Ere into us, but We gave th,
better tlan they sent, and checked their 4
vaucc
Lei &C. look 10 the left Of the brigade. T
ZSlh .id I'D Iowa, who received the q
lnialii3 attack made that day, were now a
had bceB since the cessation Of artillery fri