The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-09-18
THE DOVER EIGHT.
Active Participants DO Not Agree with Comrade
Dennis'H Account.

Active Participants DO Not Agree with comrade
Dennis's Account.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: I read the
account of the action Mt Dover by Comrade
Dennis, of tho 18th Wis, with much interest
as ! had heard of but one engagement there /;
yet, from his account, there must have been
two almost identcally the same with the OK
ception OF the participants on the Union side,
and wrote TO the c0mrade for particulars, but
have not yet heard from him. Now here is
copy of what wrote on Feb. s. 1868:
Dover was attacked on the Sd by 1000
rebels under Forrest, consisting of cavalry and
two batteries of four guns each, and defended
by the SID ILL.,, about GOO strong, and ono bat
terry, &C.. I'd III. J.. Al Our forces were in com
mand of Col. Harding, of tho SD. The rebels
came in from the east and demanded the sur
render Of the town. and while waiting for n
reply they surrounded il. Col. Harding told
thom that he would fight them awhile before
giving up knowing that our gunboats were
coming and would be there TO aid him. The
rebels began firing from the east south and
west, the river being on the north. They came
all through tho town, and il was certainly
taken at one time, for our men were driven
from every stronghold and forced to take shell
ter wherever they could. The rebels were, how
ever, driven of Just as the Eunboat Lexington
came up and began firing upon them. They
were on the retreat at the time, and lost %
great many from the shots from our boats.
The hardest fighting was ut $40 p. IN. We
found aud buried over 200 of their dead, while
they carried oil as many as they could We
have some of their wounded and about 50 pris
Oners. They took about 90 of our mon, and
paroled them, not having anything to feed them
on We lost about lG killed, among them Capt.
Reed, of Co. A. SD III. We killed Col tActing
Brigadier Gcncrall McNairy, who was leading
the rebels. / saw him, and he looked about
like one OF our privates. We have about l6 of
their wounded Both sides fought desperately.
There is proof of their bravery in the fact that
their dead were found all in among our men
and in all parts of the town. That our troops
held the town against such odds is proof that
there were hut few towards among our men.
Orr men fired their cannon rs long as they had
primers. and then used Goals of fire to touch
them of with. More than half of our horses
were killed, while the rebels left great many
out on the field. The Corporal of gun No.
was Acting Sergeant and having lost all but
one man by being separated from them, left his
gun to the enemy and crossed tho river in n
small boat. The rebels left his gun in the
woods
There is q 64-pounder here, and during the
time that the rebels were in town two of them
rode up TO the mouth of the gun and said TO
the gunner: - you, don't you know when
to surrendcr2'
a. Yes answered our man, as soon as give
you another shot and fired, killing the two
men aud horses. | saw them yesterday. One
horse had over 80 ball holes in him, and the
others entTails were laid out One man fell
between the horses, all torn 70 pieces rho
other ran about 20 rods and fell dead Some
of our men held house for a while, but the
rebels fred n couple of cannon-shot through
it, and q great many bullets into ii. which
forced men to retreat from il. Then the
rebels took possession Of it, and our men fired
in from the opposite direction, causing the
rebels TO leave. and they left three dead behind
them, one of the three being boy only II years
of age. lie was here last week as IA spy, and
took tho oath of allegiance. The house rescm-
bles nutmeg from the number Of ball
holes in IL. The most of our balls went clear
through the house.
ION landing yesterday morning from small
boat passed up the hill and came to broken
wagons, caissons and limbcrs and dead horses
Going into the town, was shown the dead
body of the rebel Col. McNairy. The BOYS
had nearly stripped him of his outer garments.
for each man wanted a piece of the dead rebel
Generals clothes
L" Passing by COW that had come against a
ball, aud several horses in the same condition,
! next came 10 pile Of IL dead rebels There
was bat one who had shoes on. the rebels hav-
ing stripped thGm Of everything worth tax ing
One man had lost ring from his little finger,
his finger having been cut off by someone ;
several had no pants. etc. Ones foot was all
torn into pieces by a shell some were shot in
the head, aud some had their hands torn and
cut up. Next saw tho dead body Of our Cap
tain Reed aud one dead Union soldier Next
/ saw q rebel with his intest.nos all bare; then
] came 10 a rebel with his heart hanging out.
citizen pushed 10 around with his foot
AFTER seeing several more dead, went ont
southwest Of tho town, TO thc graveyard, where
the rebels had fred from. Hero | found an-
other pile Of nine dead rebels. Soon after
they brought in "A mule. wugonload Of wounded
Among the dead was one who appeared 10 be
an officer. As soon az tho team stopped the
boys began 10 cut off the buttons from the
officers coat. They had these words on them
/ Constitution, Wisdom, Justice and Modera-
ton with the c0at-ofarms of Georgia They
dug graves the usual size and put three in
together, all blood, aud in their clothes ours aq
we'll as the rebels; then threw the earth In ON
their bare faces"
The comradc will find the official reports OF
this engagement in Part l, Vol. %, Of the War
Department Records, and think that my nc.
count will be acknowledged 10 be quite fair
after comparing the different reports Gen
Wheeler. in his report, says that his force en-.
gagged did not exceed 1000 aud Col. Harding
places bis force at about 7J0. so that il they
were both right Gen. Wheeler il quite correct
,
ton, that " the strength of the enemy wa,
quite equal 10 ours"
Col. Lyon was en- route from Fort Henry q
Doneisou while this fighting was going on and
he had with him Battery H. Cd III. l.. A
They arrived at Dover during tho night Of
Feb. 3 aud 4. That is all they had TO do with
/ that engagement. The 18th Wis. had no oc.
cas0n to fire a shot at that time. IL would
seem from the official reports that the 18th
! Wis. was subsequently stationed nj Dover
under command Of Col. Lyon aud there was 4
skirmsh some little distance from there on July
! %, as viii be found on page Slf of the above
mentioned book. Isupposc that Comrade Denni.
! has the two incidents mixed up, rs take il foI
! granted that he IL sincere when he saws that
he ' does not wish to detract," etc If Their,
was such IN engagement at Dover, as the com
| rade Describes, Ia which the 18th Wis partc
/ pated should be very happy to learn of it
| IL he will let me know on what date il Oc
CURED, will trace IL up. If he is mistaken,
! trust he will come out and acknowledge hi
error, that it may not appear that tho 1911
| Wis. has been endeav0ring TO wear laurels tina
| belong 10 others.-G. +. DOLToE, ST. Louis, Mo
Read Better than a Pension on page g.