The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-11-13
FIGHTING THEM OVER
What0ur Veterans Have TO Say About
Their Old Campaigns
CHICKAMAUGA.
Comrade Booth Replies 10 His Critics.


s. 7. ZEHRrNe, Co. II, 35th Ohio, Dayton, O.:
] have just read your criticism in 1HE Ma
TIoNAL TRIBUNE Of Oct. %, of my description
of our night march from Pond Spring 10 Craw-
fish Spring. ID goes without the saying that
it is very much easier 10 criticize than 1t Is 10
obtain data and prepare ii for publication. IL
also seems TO be the disposition of some to con-
tradict statements of comrades, be they ever SO
truthful. because they did not see the actual
occurrence written about. There were many
thousands in the army scattered over vast
extent of territory. among whom incidents oc-
CURED more wonderful far than any conceptions
of fiction As individuals our range OF VISION
especially ia some OF those forests and mount
ain covos aud valleys was limited. Now, my
good comrade that description is not hctlon,
as many letters in my possession from comrades
residing in wdely-diderent sections OF the
country who were there and have recently read
the description In The NATIONAL TRIBUNE
attest. / have Van Horns history and maps !;
Gen. Cist's History Of the Army OF the Cumbcr-
land The Scribaer series; Committee Reports
on Conduct of the War, as also quite number
of other publications relating thereto, and
believe ] am possessed of copy of every official
map that has ever been issued Of that battle
and am fully aware that those fires are not
mentioned in authorities referred TO in your
criticism Ii YOU will read 4" Pap" Thomas s
report OF Sept. 50, 1865 then refer TO maps oil
the first day battle-take the last ones issued,
Kellogg 1859, Sheet A" or Sheet No. i, -
and you will observe that Reynolds's Division,
10 which belonged, followed Baird and Bren-
nan. In the latter was Aauderveer's lIhlTd)
Brigade. 10 which you belonged, and which
was necessarily in advance OF us. Now per
chance during some OF the halts" of those two
divisions some soldier built fire TO warm
some coffee, and this FIRE had been growing
until il bad reached enormous pro-
portions A not unlikely supposItlon, Tor the
boys were not always careful when on the march
10 put out fires they started, wherewith " TO
warm some coffee or themselves, for the night
was bleak. But never mind that cOmrade.
Gen. John b. Turcbin. who commanded a
brigade 10 Reynolds Division, and of which
brigade I had the honor 10 be a member, has
written book on the campaign and battle OF
Chickamauga. Get that book, Comrade Lehr-
ing, tnrn 10 pages % and CO, and you will ind
the following:
The night was dark and foggy; the fences
were SCI on fire wherever farms were, aud the
smoke filling the air made it heavy and op-
pressiye. Sometimes an smmuniti on
wagon would approach dangerously close TO the
burning fence. and occasionally one would dart
over the burning rails scattered on the ground.
1t was a wonder that some fearful explosion did
not happen. IL was marvellous that
ThOmEs's column was not observed as il APP
preached the Lafayette road, aud near which
the pic6ets Of Hoods force were stationed"
1t is hardly possible, think you comrade, that
Gen. Turchin took his cue from this
stretch Of the writer's imagination" as found
ia ny papers, and made il history III his book
You certainly could not have read the Gen
erals book. else you would have Besltated
before sending your criticism, or not sent il At
al.
No sir. this grand Ere demonstration was
no myth" For one was present aud saw IL
Others were present and saw it. kept diary
during ny service. Subsequently, have gath
cred - the diaries OF quite a number OF my
comrades: copies Of hundreds Of letters that
were written home by ether comrades during
the was. aud have also received hundreds o.
letters lTO;n comrades since the war, containing
incidents u tAeir army life. it is from such
sources that ! became possessed Of many IN
written facts Of the late war, facts that The
general historian does not record nor even seek
to do 80 would Tor him be a work Of superero
Cation. The incidents constituting my paper
are q different character, aud were Orgnall,
written neasurably Tor Z feg-Iny regiments
ourRdes. who were present, and who. did ] At
tempt fiction would Immediately call halt
goHN y. BOOTH, Station c. Cincinnati, o.