The National tribune., 1890-04-10
BATTLE Ole KINSTON.


The Part Taken by the 10th Conn.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Permit me TO
say a few words in relation to the communca-
ton of jacob ID. Brown under tho caption, "A
Little Sarcasm from a Pennsylvania Man." in
your issue OF March 20. in the first place
will preface my remarks by saying that the
only unpleasant feature of the articles pub
lished in the Fighting Them Over" depart
ment is the eternal clashing Of opinions in
regard 10 this that aud the other battle, as
narrated by the different participants in the
same. IL cannot reasonably DO expected that
men belonging TO different organizations and
occupying different points of observation in
time of action, should give like account of
battle in which they were engaged. Each
writes from his own personal knowledge. and
each is entitled TO II respectful hearing, with
out calling each other wlifu falsltiers fools
Comrade Browns article is in reply TO tho COM
muBication of james III. Rogers, OF the 10th
Conn, which was published few weeks ago
Now. | do not believe that Comrlde Rogers IN
tended TO distort the facts or falsify history in
the least in writing his account Of the part
taken in the battle OF kinston, n. e., by his
regiment; aud every faT-minded person can
not but think that when ComTade Brown goes
so far as 20 write down Comrade Rogers as an
ass-whch he virtually has-because he tries
10 give the noble regiment OF which no
was a member due credit for the gallant part
steps the bounds OF courtesy, but Of common
decency also.
IL is not because / was member Of the same
regiment that ComTade Rogers served in that
have taken up the cndgels in his defense. | do
not believe he intended TO claim-nnd far DO 10
for me 10 .calm-that the 10Th Conn. " fit the
Confederacy siDglehanded" at the battle Of
Kinston, nor in any other action In which that
regiment figured. The part taken by the "old
l0th" in helping suppress the rebellion has
gone into history long ago. aud no surviving
member is ashamed of its record. | do claim,
however, that the 10th Conn. was under a
hotter fire at kinston than any other troops
engaged, and lost more men than any other
regiment, II being killed aud 50 wounded in
the short space of less than one hours time,
and this out Of 3B6 men who went into the
fight. / claim turther-and my claim - sup
ported by official records printed in THE Mill
tary aud Civil History Of Connecticut During
the War"-that the 10th Conn. was the only
organization that charged down the hill and
saved the burning bridge, capturing hundred
or more prisoners, several pieces of artillery,
and Que Confederate flag.
Tho regiment" says the above nam cd his
tory, " was in line OF battle the Kinston
bank before any other, tUnion) infantry had
crossed the bridge" i will state, in addition
TO this, that after tho close Of the engagement
Gen. Foster took occasion to pay our regiment
IL performed. Now, from what / have above
quoted from official records concerning that
battle, IL must be apparent that If COmradc
Brown considers COmrade Rogers as showing
| asiniue qualities in writing his account, he
| Brown must also consider that the authors of
these official records are equally entitled To tho
same low estimate.
So far as COmrade Browns little historical (2)
sketch is concerned, let us see whether he is
really competent 10 set himself up as "A reyiser
| of other comrades accounts, aud AS a writer of
authentic history. In the course of his article
he says: Now, IL 50 happened that tho 10Th
Conn, 44th Mass, S5th, 32d, 9Sth and Tooth
N. Y. and l0lst aud 1881 Pa. were all close TO
the bridge when the rebels passed over" In
reply 10 this | will state that the 10th Conn.
was not in the expedition nor in that Depart
| ment at the time and no Connecticut regiment,
except the 10th. took part in that engagement.
kept journal during my entire term OF serv-
| ice. from which quote the following regard
| ing the different Union troops in that expedi-
| ton. with their brigade assignments: First
| Brigade, Col. Amory, 18th, ODD AID. 10th aud
| 5lst Mass; Second Brigade, Gen. Stevenson,
| 10th Conn, 9th X. l., oath and 4Ith Mass;
| Third Brigade, Col. Lee, I'd, 9Th, 25th 9th aud
46th Mass Fourth Brigade, Gen Wassells sd
| and 36th N. Y, S5th, l0lst and l03d Pa The
| 9th N. j. acted AS skirmishers, making 20 in
! fantTy regiments III the expedition. The artil-
| lery force consisted of BeIgcrs, Riggs and
| Morrisons batteries, the first from Rhode Is.
| land, the last two from New York. C0mradc
| Browns 9sth and Tooth N. Y. weren't thar"
| according TO official records. for the above entry
| in my journal was copied from the official
report at the time. And then he speaks of the
s5th N. Y, while the record says it was the
s5th Pa / will pardon him, however, for the
errors he has made without resorting to any of
that fine sarcasm which he uses in his article
in calling Comrade Rogerss veracity in ques-
ton. In closing my article allow mo to give
Comrade Brown this little piece of advice Go
slow; don't be too hot headed, and don't pro-
nounce lat least publicly another man an ass
| just because he sees things in different light
from what you do and keep In mind the
grand sentiment Of the GAR, as indicated by
the three initials F., G. and Lillian Phi
yATE, Co. A, 10th Conn, New Haven, Conn.
| LOST. See page 10.