The National tribune., 1890-10-30

! untcnable nor any possibility OF taxing ground
| to the rear, moved his regiment WITH think,
three companies of the 9th Iowa by the left
| flank. making a lengthy detour around the
| enemy's right, aud Teioined the brigade in
| Pleasant Hill about 10 or il o'clock that night.
Going back to the right OF the brigade, Gen.
| Smith, seeing its critical position, had ordered
| Col. Shaw to withdraw his command. Col.
| Shaw reached as far as he was able to the left
with the order and we fell back. The 9th
! Iowa retreated but short distance before they
! encountered the rebs, when occurred that des-
| peratc fighting spoken of by C0mrade Bryson.
! Looking up the line similar condition ex-
listed: the Oath Mo. were fighting their way
back. the enemy's balls coming obliquely from
the rear. both right and left. After retreatinG
200 yards or moro, we passed through line OF
the Nineteenth Corps. (Stick pin here;
wish TO refer TO it, Some two or three hun
dred yards in the of the Nineteenth Corps
we halted and reformed our shortened line. 1T
was now shutdown. This was the little WHILE"
SAYS COmrade Cutter, that Shaws Brigade
fought and was sent flying to the rear"
The Nineteenth Corps gave the enemy
warm reception-repulsed them, when darkness
closed the conflict with the rebs in retreat.
Our brigade remained in line until near day
! light when with depleted ranks we fell in
/ rear and covered the retreat Of the army TO
| Grand Ecore, leaving detail of Surgeons and
| men 10 bury the dead and care for the wound
ed. The casualties in shaw's Brigade amounted
| 10 500 the SD Iowa alone losing 2l0.
Col. Shaw is correct in saying My men
were the first i'll the fight, tho longest in the
| fight aud in the hardest of the fight, and the
| last TO leave the battlefield"
| In answer To Comrade CATERS letters in The
! NATIONAL TRIBUNE of Aug. 81 and Sept Is,
| i will eudeayor TO compare his testimony with
! others, which, whom carefully considered, will,
| without question, reveal want of harmony in
official reports. But we will let the reader
! draw his own conclusions and solve the problem.
! | am frank in saying / believe the comrade IS
| honest in his statement, and believes he is CIV
| ing true history. Carefully reading his nara
| tive we note he gives but one incident connect
! cd with Shaw's Brigade, that came under his
! personal observation, and that he quotes from
his regimental history. Admiral Porter, from
| whom the comrade quotes largely, together
with Horace Greeley, equally as reliable his
tOrian, were miles away from the scene OF con-
| fict, consequently obtained their information
| from another source, aud we OF the Sixteenth
! Corps contend that the Information on which
| they base their reports are not IN accordance
| with the facts. A careful compiling from all
the sources OF information will show We are
correct.
Greeleys American Conflict, Vol 2, page 542,
SAYS: "Our line of battle was formed, with
Framklins three brigades in front, supported
by Smiths, whereof the Second, composed Of
the I4lh, 9th and ed Iowa aud the oath Mo-,
under Col VIM. T. Shaw. l4th Iowa. were
formed directly across tho main road to Shrcvo-
port wheTeon the rebels must advance"
Comrade Cutter gives Admiral Porter, page
507, saying the same thing giving the order
of tic brigades. Now we know that al no time
previous TO our being driven from the FIRST line
of battle were we held in rear supporting any
portion of the Nineteenth Corps.
Greeley, page 5i3, says: Bat row rebel
battery opened, and their infantry advanced {;
.F tf
becoming manifest, Emory's Third Brigade,
Col. Benedict, moved to the support Of his
First, on that flank, and Shaw's Brigade, OF
Smiths Corps, aforesaid, moved forward and
took Is position in our front"
ComTade Cutter quotes Admiral Porter, page
SOY: The enemy moved toward the right
flank Of the army, and the Second Brigade
withdrew in good order from the confer to
support the First. A. J. Smiths Brigade, in
support OF the center, moved into the position
vacated by the Second Brigade"
Mark tho words in the above quotation,
Withdrew in good order" Can there be any
other inference than that they were fghtingi
Would it require any great skill to Withdraw
brigade from the line except under hrci
Again, is il probable that brigade while under
fire would be ordered from the line and sent
away as a support when there WAS brigade in
its immediate rear for that very purpose
Novel tactics indeed.
Comrade Cutter gives us still another move
, quoting from rcgincutal history: Just before
ShaW's Brigade broke. cur brigade lthe First
was ordered toward the center OF the field
, or these three statements which is correct2 i
they are ali correct, aud occurring, as AZ,
left to infer, between the time of opening
aud closing OF the battle, would il not
result in a confused state Of afTairsl Look
at it. Greeley has the Third Brigade, POfte
has the Second Brigade moving 10 the support
: OF the First Brigade. while Cutter has the frs
J Brigade moving TO the center 20 support tht
Second aud Third, or both. The Sineteenti
J Corps must have been pretty closely consoi
dated at some point on that line. Somewha
Of tangle, WAS there not, eomradc2 II snel
G was the condition OF the Nineteenth Corps
bow was it with Shaw's Brigade. left on Tia
0 line 20 cover the front Of two brigades?
Let us look at the condition on the left O
our line. Greeley, Vol. 2, page 5a3, after say
9 Ing The most OF the fighting took place OF
: the right Of the road" in which lie Is suTeI,
b incouect, he also says: ''0ur left being re
: fused, with strong reserves posted upon AIT
around Pleasant Hill"
8 If that WAS the condition in the formation
= Of the line, how was IL after removing Bene
! diets Brigade 10 the right2 Also, Conrad
= Cutter, quoting from Gen. Emory's official rG
;; port, says: Ny right stood firm and rcpulse
the enemy handsomely, and the left woul
have done 50. but for the great interval be
i
.. flank entirely exposed"
; COnrade Cutter also, quoting from reg
q mental history. Just before Shaw's Brigad
= our brigade was ordered toward the center.
z So We find by his own report tue enemy wa
l. not troubling the right very much. All thes
le reports reveal, If they reveal anything, thu
I tie weak place in our line, aud the key to on
q position. was on the left and the enemy foun
ie IL. With all these conflicting statements I'll
inquiry comes, Where was BenedicJ's BTigaG
~ when Shaw's Brigade Tetreated? Was IL 0
% the left, and in line with the latter brigade
"a If 80, is IL probable, knowing the fighting qua
tiles Of BenedicCs Brigade, repeat, Is IL at IA
o. probable, that the enemy would pass thTOug
81 or brush away that brigade. and pass IN u
u rear Of and reaching nearly tho center
DC Sha8's Brigade before being obscrvedf "
~ know by hard fighting the rebels were iu
d. there.
III Again, know nothing Of the arrangenel
OF regiments ia brIRades Of the First DivisiC
III Of the Nineteenth Corps, only as given
" COmrade Cutter, and he places the Xouaye ba
-, TALON in Third Brigade But this do kno
1 tgoiDg back 10 where We stuck the PM, tn
D., when the l4th Iowa retFeated 200 yards
lie more TO the rear, passed through ranks cor
ie posed Of ZOuaycs. OF this am positive; the
ps uniform was too conspicuous to be mistake
n If there was but one battalion OF ZouaVes
~ the First Division have | not good eyiden
on that Benedicts Brigade was posted in our il
mediate reari
ie- The reader can draw his own cOnclusio
lar Alter cOlating and comparing all the stat
TN mcHts together with nv own observation [