The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-03-13


sOI6
Losses as per official casualty return
rho,u-n,. n,-i.;, kd,ed. Founded. Prisonsrs.
II. B. Haycs's Division. . I57 80
kIching's DiyislOn.... ~ 72 I8
Total .................... 81 32s 52I
Grand total S9S.
II Is but Just and fair to remark that these figures
by means Indicate inferior conduct IN ts r,,,,.
OF Crook command but they do argue thnt the
troops composing 1t had chance 10 fight in CON
sequence Of the circumstances under which they
were surprised. Their total losses were sgS out Of
SOLO or about III per cent Of those engaged and Of
these more than half were captured-uiOst OF them
IN their tents. II Is true. as stated n No. NIX of
the sketch, that they came back upon the position
OF the sixth Corps in great confusion etc. but for
all that they did not seem panic-strckefi. in the
usual Sense Of that term. On the contrary thev
wese taking II easy-at least most OF them. / rec
oect one stalwart fellow who said that he be-
longed 10 the jth y. Y. H. 4, which WAS in Tho
burns Division. lie came stalking through the
log into Battery NJ. He was clad in nothing but
his gray shirt, drawers and SOCKS, but he had his
musket in his hand and his belts on! We at first
thought froEa his uniform " that he was johnny
When he got to the battery he halted aud said he
had been drilled in light artillery standing gun
drill and would fall in and help WORK, gun ii we
wanted mimi lie was a comcal sight. Some Of
the boys told him that we would be glad to have
his assistance. but that his uniform was not gtIe
up to the standard prevailing in Meningitis bat
terry Whercupon he majestically resumed his
retreat, which, am bound 10 say he executed in
orderly manner" and without the slightest
confusion so far as he was personally concerned
/ suppose there were many similar instances In
deed, u the consequences had not been so tragicaI
tue incidents attending. the surprise and stampede
OF Crook ) command would have been more ludi-
crotis than anything They easily aud quickly re-
formed as soon as they got where they could and
at nGh'ti HlREy OF them were seen ia line Of bat
Tie with nothing on but shirt and draweTsl
Comrado James T. Russell, Co @. Ist Mich,
writes from Battle Greek, Mich, as follows:
1 hoe
the beginning, and am very much pleased with it.
IL ~ the best war story have read / was present
in all the battles you describe and / wish 70 cor
rect your statement Of the First Division of the
Flih Corps being driven back the first day Of the
Wilderness (Alay > 1863. You say we were driven
back on the Oulnge turnpike aud that we lost two
of Wiuslow's guns, ID, lst y. " Ny recollection
Is that the lst Mich picket shat night and
we were informed that there was some of our cav
airy still IN front OF Us. About dayb few of
our cavalry came up the turnpike aud were firing
back at the enemy. They told Us the rebels were
coming IN force. We were prepared FOR them and
fought them strong and drove them back some
distance, until we were flauked. We then
fell back and found Johunies all around u, We
cut our way through, and came out IN an OPEN
ing and saw these two guns the CanuOueer referred
to- They were then deserted, the Johnnies
were close up to them. II we could have had sup
port for q little while we could have saved them :;
but we had To get TO our line OF battle or go to
Richmond "a prisoners.
After crossing this clearing there was a line of
battle ready TO 10 work. As soon a got ia we
passed through this line and went back and
made coffee and ate bareback The rebels did not
come any farther than that line of battle but IL
a little la the OF those two guns and IL was
long time before they got those guns away.
Our regiment (the lst Mich.l claims to have open
ed the battle for Grants campaign, being the first
infantry To fire at the enemy. Let Us hear from
Maj. Hooper. He was there / saw him coaxinE
the rebels To let him get back to line of battle
and he got back
Now | going 10 brag n little was I'm Joe
Bartleits Fighting Brigade. and challenge any
brigade TO give auy better report than this bri-
a.. t,ts 4
II we had to fall back there big fuss and
don't you forgeti it, Cauuoneer, don't say the
Iron Brigade was no match for us, but was just =
good don't say anything against SIewart's Bat
terry Il, for cannot, because loved our batteries
amt swore by them; but will say this yours WAS
"A bully battery, and great addition to our force
was always member of the First Division OF the
Fifth Corps aud was in Il battles. was wounded
four times, and think have had good deal OF
experience aud am willing To share credit with
those TO whom credit is due.
Comrade n. NJ. Smith. Co. D. Is5th n. Y, of
Chamhcrlin's BrigHde. Griihn's Division Fifth
Corps, writes from Denver Colo, a most interest
ing letter. Of which the following is "A part:
- / have been very much interested IN reading
the Cannoneer' aud the criticisms of the com
Tades. II proves how unreliable the statements OF
eyewitness are when attempting To tell of things
outside OF their own immediate commands. While
believing they are telling nothing but the truth,
much OF II Is obtained from others and error creeps
in. The above Is true from the report OF the Gen
cral IN Chief down To the high private in the rear
oi "a stump way back of the rank. The true
history of the greatest rebellion since Lucfer was
cast ont of Heaven i being now published by your
valuable paper from week to week in the articles
written by comrades who were there, and then
criticised by others who were also there"
ana much obliged 10 Comrade smith for this 1t
Is what / have long wanted to say myself. My
principal reason for publishing this feeble and in
accurate story in the soldier paper - serial in
advance of its publication In book was TO give
NIL the old boys good chance to correct me aud
refresh my memory. They have written me about
1000 letters, all of which have treasured as the
a s,f
who helped make It, the men who were there
rs Comyade Smith remarks, and whose numbers
are decreasing every yeari
Comrade Geo. W. Keyes. Sergeant, Co. X. I5Oth
Ohio writes from Oliyet, Mich. To say that he was
glad To see in No XVIII of this sketch "A descrption
-altogether too brief for the Importance of the
subjcct-of what he calls Abe Lincoln's only bat
tie" That Is To say, the combat between BldwelVs
federRte Division, IN 'front.' of Fort Stevens July II
lS6I He proceeds: les, Lincoln was there and
Stanton, too. was Sergeant ia charge OF the party
that burned the dwelling outside of the fort. While
we were waiting for the order To fire the house
President Lincoln and Il Surgeon and others stood
the purapet watching the rebels come over the
hill from Blair place ull the bullets began TO fly
lively. We could not bear To see President Lincoln
risk his life in that way, urged him to get
down. moment later the Surgeon got "A bulletin
his leg, and the rampant was cleared in hurry.
One of the rebels who WAS captured said that with
their field glasses they could the President from
the cupon OF the JaFberTy House in the valley, and
that they fired at him. Fortunately they missed
him. have often thought that it was fortunate
that Early did not know how defenseless Washing
ton was the night before, or he would have gone
right into the city. There We're only two com
panies of us. lOOdays men, in Fort Stevens
tell you we were mighty glad to those veterans
of the Sixth Corps file by about noon that day. We
we'll drilled in heavy artillery but so few that
could have offered but little resistance to Earys
veterans
might add to Comrade Hoyes's interesting eon-
meut what did not say ia the sketch that Battery
nj went IN battery there our left on the Seventh
street road the high ground about SO or 100 rods
due northwest from Fort Stevens. We did not
load. But there was some case and canister got
ready" but AZ the eneny's main line did not
come ON, we remained silent AS other Sixth
Corps artillery went IN battery on that front 1
presume had tile hsnor of being the only light
battery which ever ''unlimbered for business"
under the eye of Old Abe Lincoln himself!
To be coi!uIusdl