The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-02-27

Continued from Ist pu.c.)

his perception always acute and accurate.
Whether as n Lieutenant commaning Battery ID
Mt tho first Bull Ran as Major General COM
manding the Fifth Corps in the Appomattox
campaign, he was always the same cool, care
ful, discreet and successful officer. He grew
right up with his increased responsibilities, and
he would have displayed the same solid, sterl-
ing traits had fortune called him to the COM
mand of the army. | think that his name will
yet find its proper place in our military history
The brigade commanders of Griffin's Division
Mt this time were Joseph J. Bartlett, of New
York; Edgar M. Gregory, of Pennsylvania
and Chamberlain, of Maine. Bartlett was the
senior Brigadi ier- General, though his brigade
was numbered the Third Brigade of the dvis-
ion. Chamberlain was n professor in Bowdoin
College, who had come out as Colonel Of the
goth Me-, and had been promoted for gallantry
ut Gettysburg and elsewhere Gregory had
been Philadelphia preacher and had made his
debut in tho army as Colonel of the Dist Pa, q
most gallant regiment and one that made a
record second to no other. These three men
were curious study TO me- as | used to see
them from day to day in the discharge of my
messenger or Orderly duties. Bartlett was the
beauidea of II soldier. On horseback in full
uniform, do not hesitate to say that he was
tho most perfect picture of the ideal soldier
chat | ever saw. Dealing with officers he was
sometimes pretty tart, aud occasionally q bit
emphatic, but always kind, gentle aud COM
rade-lke toward tho enlisted men. 1t was
pleasure to a mounted Orderly to be sent with
a message TO Gen. Bartlett. He would look at
his watch, ask what time we left the division
or corps commander with tho message, and
then say Report that you delivered this to
me Mt such and such an hour and minute,
whatever it might be, which we would always
note carefully in our little Orderly books.
Chamberlain was q cold, unlOveable man,
very brave and all that, but not dashing either
~, H., 4
ed me of professor of mathematics we had in
college. Still, he was a gallant officer, and had
more than once been desperately wounded
while leading his troops in the most deadly
assaults
Gregory was solemn serious man, but he
always spoke TO US in kind, gentle tones, and
We all liked him. He was fighter in battle
but in camp he used to have prayer meetings
and all that sort of thing. and am afraid that
the wicked boys about division headquarters
used to make ribald and sometimes blasphe-
nous, comments on 'Parson Gregory" whom
despite his kindness TO us, We used to call with
great irreverence tho "Bible- banging Briga-
dierl"
/ am afraid that among the unregenerate
boys about Gritiins headquarters, the dashing
handsome and wicked Bartlett was much more
ardently admired than the scholarly Chamber
lian or tho pious Gregory! And l also fear
that candor eompels me to add that there was
not much religion in the moral atmosphere of
Griiiin's headquarters in S-ont of Petersburg.
When Griffin went away on leave about
Christmas 1864, Bartlett took command of the
division. At this time Gregory had n number
of recruits in his brigade who had enlisted (for
large bOunties) out OF some theological semi
nary in western New York / think they
were in the 1S9th n. Y, new regiment
They had a large hospital tent fitted up as a
meeting, house, aud used to hold prayer meet
ings there. Bartlett thought they ought to
have more brigade drill, even at the expense
Of less psalm.singing. So he took Gregory to
task about it one day. Not long after Gregory
wanted Bartlett to approve details Of "A lot of
men from his brigade as divison'train team
sters. Upon investigation Bartlett discovered
that these men were the theological student
recruits before mentioned, whereupon he re-
fused TO approve their details saying that as
these men were all ready for Heaven they
should be put to the front; and if any men
were to be detailed as teamsters they should be
tho tough, wicked old aghting veterans who
were sure to 20 to hell if they got killed
i do not know how Gen. Gregory took this
rebuff. but | do know that so long as Bartlett
commanded the division all the details for duty
in tho rear were made from among the "wicll
cd old veterans" and that tho pious recruits
had to remain at the front.
Notwithstanding his apparently calm nature,
Griin's likes aud disikes were very strong,
and became pretty familiar with his feelings
IN those premises from being with him con-
stantly. It IL not necessary To state whom he
disiked. But the men he liked were Han
cock, Gibbon, Ayres Bartlett and particularly
his wife's brother Gen. Sprigg Carroll Of the
Second Corps. lie was fond of Getty, Wheaton,
and Davy Russell, of the Sixth Corps and also
OF Gen. Orlando Wilcox, of tho Ninth Corps.
lie had also a profound admiration for Gen.
Henry Ietb. OF Lees army, who had been his
"chum" at West Point, aud he used To SAY that
10 gave him more satisfaction to drive Heth's
Division than any other command in the Con-
iedeJate army. | am sorry to say that he did
not always have the satisfaction Of driving
Heth.' But u truce to personal anecdotes of
Gen. Griffin. / could make book of them.
10 only remains 10 be said that Bartlett's
Brigade was always the strong right arm " of
Gritiin'a Division, SO was that division the great
effective fighting power OF the Fifth Corps,
particularly after Wadsworth's Division, OF tho
old First Corps, began To melt away. The other
divisions of the corps were changed consoli-
dated aud reorgan2ed from time to time; but
Griflin's maintained substantially the same or
genl2ation from first To last, and was the same
old outfit when Bartlett deployed it 10 sup
port the cavalry IN the morning of Appomat-
tox that it had been when Griffin led it into
the Wilderness the May before.
About Christmas time, as Gen. Griflin was
detail as clerk at the ammunition wharf at City
Point. | relieved man whose time was out.
My duty was 10 tally the issues OF the ammu-
milton aud keep files of the acquisitions, which
were sent in To Ordnance headquarters Mt the
end of each month Sometimes / had to bear
"a hand at unloading the barges or handling
cases which was hard work but healthful exer-
else. Occasionally q report would come back
from tho front that fuses were bad, shells
plugged" etc, and then | would have to in-
spect fuses, which was by no means the safest
business in the world. But we had elegant
quarters in n comfortable frame shanty the
best OF rations-fresh beef and soft bread every
day, our mess WAS small, we had good cook,
there was guard or camp duty-in short,
veterans paradisel
l had not been here long when got mag
nitieent Christmas box f" from home. filed
with boned turkey. mince pies and some boiled
''spiced hams, with other knick knacks. Gen.
Grants headquarters were right on the hill
above the wharf, and | got we'll acquainted
with Col. Babcock, of his staff who used to
come TO tho ammunition wharf every day or
two. In fact he had charge of it. Babcock
was splendid young officer, and when he had
seen enough of mo To learn that | was well
educated aud had also seen a good deal of fight
ing, we got ia we'll acquainted rs officers and
enlisted men ever do. He happened to be there
when this box came. | asked him 10 present
one OF the spced hams TO Gen. Grant, with my
compliments. And the next day