The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-04-17

not knowing the difference until they hau
stacked arms and then the rebels took charge
of them. There were others there, few from
the Bath Mass, who said that the first thing
they knew the rebels let them have volley
with rebel veil and the charge, aud lots OF
men were bayoneted before they were awake IN
their tents. Of course they had no chance to
make a stand. But in my opinion the Nihe-
teenth Corps might have stood their ground
and made it hot for them. As i was taken
across the pike one half mile east OF the bridge,
those little three or four inch conical she'll
rained down into the pike little too thick Tor
comfort. They were from the Union guns.
am much interested in what the Cannoneer
writes, and in my opinion there was not an
other man in the whole army who can write
anything 70 compare with it. IL gives the de-
tails in such shape that i cannot conceive how
one man can see SO much and remember II, ana
he tells il so we all can understand It, There
is no use in critcisng il, for as whole 1t is told
a thousand times better than II could be by
those who find most fault with it. He does not
claim TO have seen everything, but tells what
he did see. and think If the story was written
i'm book form il would sell easily, and would tell
much that could not be found in any history.
Comrade o. B. Hayes, Hartland, N. Y, Lieu
tenant and Assistant Provost Marshal, COM
mauding Provost Guard of Gotty'S tSecond) Di-
vision, asks for a little space in your columns
to indOrse the Cannoneer at the battle of Cedar
Creek. Having read with interest everything
that has been written aud published in THE
NATIONAL TRIBUNE as 10 the merits and de-
merits of each Corps and the Generals COM
mandiEg wonders why men could SO differ IN
matters which seem SO clear, unless IL is by
reason of the different staudpoints occupied by
the writers during that eventual day, and have
considered most OF them III error IN many par
., .,I.,,- 20, Ia nf
himself. made so many years after its occurrence.
j consider the description given by the Can
nOneer the most accurate in detail of any that
has been published. lie tells IL as saw 1t from
the same standpoint just a little III his rear.
When the battle first opened IN the morning L
was ordered by Gen. Getty 10 ride TO the front
with all speed, aud ascertain the cause OF the
! firing and report 10 him without delay. did
SO, and was, therefore, the first staff officer to
report TO Geu. Getty the actual demoraiHed
| condition of the troops in the front. was then
ordered by Gen. Getty toshasien 10 headquar-
l tiers, and TO have the tents struck and every
/ thing packed in the wagons aud moved TO the
/ rear, and that was accomplished just as the
rebel balls began 70 whistle quite unpieasantly
through the little grove situated on the west
/ bank of Meadow Brook nearly opposite Mid
! dletown. / then deployed the Provost Guard
/ OF about Semen and working them for ali there
was ia them, holding straggiers or timld TO the
! trout slowly retiring the guard amid shot aud
/ shell as the lines were gradually forced back.
/ ! saw from little distance the rebel charge ON
the battery so viyidiy described by the Can
( noneer. Gen. Getty, then IN temporary COM
4 maud OF the corps, Teoreanized the lines on the
/ alignment Of the Second Division, known as
4 Gettys line. Aud ii a. had not been Tor Gen
/ Getty and the siubboInness of bis division, and
the staying qualities of the batteries IN con
junction VITA Il, as told by the Cannoneer, the
Z day must surely have been lost, and the glory
OF teutinE that night Oh the old campgT0und
never Mou.e have been realized. As 10 was Gen
Getty's hcadq tents that were pitched on
the same spot where they wero 80 hurriedly
struck IN The morning. / would ask who wa
the real hero and who were the heroes OF The
battle of Cedar Creek2
Comrade H. r. Schell, Of Knights Ferry
Cal, Battery II, LIST n. Y. Art, says in lettc
10 The NATIONAL TRIBUNE that the killing
OF Gen. Sedgwick occurred while standing be
1 tween the guns OF a section OF Battery IL nearly
opposite the Bloody Angle at Sputtsy Iyania, ant
not, As CauuOneer says, with McCartney's is
Mass. Battery. He says Gen. Sedgwick haC
been observing the eneiny5 line through tn
field glass, when a New Hampshire regimen
began 10 file past our right and rear for thu
purpose Of relieving aregimcnt which had beer
al night Ia the bTeastwUrks 10 our right. Ih
4 enemy = NAffshOOtSE5 iau cur range 10 u Aot
aud were sending their leaden compliment
over ut intervals OF two or three minutes b.
tween each shot. Several men and horses hat
been hit, and Brighten. Morris, / think q sol
OF the Poet Morris, had been wounded standing
almost ia the same spot and only fcw mo
ments before the gallant sedgwick received tn
fatal shot which lost 10 our country one Of 10
most dIstingu shed Generals. AS the New
Hampshire regiment was filing past some O
the men were paying their compliments 10 til
angry whiz Of the bullets as they sped uncom
fOrtably near, aud among the men OF the reg
ment was "a Sergeant who seemed litti
shaken, and appeared 20 have never been unde
fire before. As ball sang near him he 70
down 10 the bosom OF Mother Earth as nearl
as possible without actually crawling on h
hands aud knees Ills conduct seemed TO max
the General very angry, and lie stepped up b,
/ hind the Sergeant aud kicked him. remark III
! al the same time, " hat are sou lodging at
! They can't hat au elephant az this distance.
= The words were scarcely out Of his mouth whe
) tie fatal shot bit him with dull thud near I'll
lett eye. JIG staggered back aud was caught j
. the arms Of one 0l bis Aids, and in few miI
! utes was borne 10 the rear upon stFetcher.
! Soon after this episode Battery ii was II
lieved by battery Of the Sixth Corps and "
took our position again IA the line about q
= yards 10 Ike right. Cauuoueer sings the prais
I Of Battery Il well aud most intelligeuily.
. was indeed grand old battery and did J
e work well aud nODly.
c But according % our recollection lie has ~
= neglected Battery II, lst y. Y. l.. A., which !
6 generally calls " Charley Mink's Battery
= EDITOR
Comrade Joseph b. Potter, Sergeant, SD RI
!, writes 10 The NATiOSAL TRTBusE, saying:
Aside from cavalry diminishing Oh that su
, day morning, May 3, 1864, at spottsylyani
Gen. BArtletts Brigade was the first engaged
: that very furnace Of fire. We had marched (
" night. were tired aud hungry, and we pass
. by others who were cooking and eating brca
:, fast, aud near enough 10 have supported Us
the charge; yet Barletts Brigade made
!" alone, with their knapaacks on their backs al
" nothing IN their stomacbs, about eight o'Glo
- ia the morning One brigade against Lon
= streets old division just what We struc
and they fairly intrenched III position
~ their OWE choosing The Cann0necr well 81
= Our Generals misunderstood the situation
- but their ignorance was eXcnsabIe in the NOR
ing. ii, however, il were a fact that Robinson
Division charged in the morning and were
- pulsed. then 10 have allowed the force hall
days time 10 more thoroughly ntrench the
"A selves ana then charge them with n single b
- gadc was 10 ny mind little less than crmii
:. butchcry. IN forming for the charge our Ii
n was not parallel to the rebels but our right
- much advanced which was the reason why [
y 10Th Mich. and 4iLh n. Y were ahead in str
q ing their works.