The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1891-12-17


pute; nevertheless, IL there were any such,
they were killed and wounded long after the
mountain had been taken, and the artillery in
question had been left in the rear Of the
captOrs"
This was IN reply TO my letter Of July 2, in
which ] expressed some surprise at COmrade
ChafTee's lCO. l. Goth N. " claim that the
from his company, who as skirmishers first in
yaded the Craven House grounds, capturing
the artillery aud sending 10 the rear large
group OF officers, one of whom was hidden in
the cellar Of the house. In answer to this |
stated the fact that II Of the 10th Ohio were
killed about the guns and in the Craven House
grounds, giving tho names of those killed at
that point. stated, further, that HOh. Jesse
Oren, then a Sergeant of Co. b. 10th Ohio, has
now in his possession the original receipt for
those guns. given him by Il. +. CTOxten, Ord
nance Officer Of the First Division, Fourth
Corps.
In answer 10 these statements Comrade
Murphy asks ii do not know that the White
Star Division marched back through our lines,
having been called from the front long after
the baltic was won, and that the loss OF 81 in
Whitaker's Brigade was after the White Stars
had left the front.
/ do not; but on the contrary, / know that
no such movement was made in front or
through the lines Of the 10th Ohio. Would il
not he little surprising that victorious line
of battle should retire after the battle was Won,
leaving the 40th Ohio to lose 10 per cent. OF
its strength, a larger number in killed than any
other regiment on the mountain that day; and
all this after Geary's Division had captured the
mountain and sent to the rear, as they claim,
1900 prisoners.
As 70 whether Hon. Jesse v. Oren used the
receipt for the captured cannon ia his cam
paign for the position Of State Senator, i am
not informed. but if be did. il is fortunate that
the dreadful suspicion that he had stolen the
guns from GeaFy's Division had not then been
made public.
Comrade Murphy's lack Of accurate informa-
! ton is shown by statements he makes, and
| which reference TO official papers would have
prevented. lie gives Whitaker's losses (S2l at
| Lookout Mountain correctly; but goes farther
! and says that WhtakeT's Brigade of six regi-
menIs outnumbered Geary's whole Division.
| Gen. Whitaker reports his strength on the morn
| ing of Nov. 81 1863, as ], 465 officers and men.
| while Gen. Geary gives his total of officers
| and men on the same day as 1853; difference
| Of S9i men.
Again, Comrads Murphy gives Geary's losses
| At Lookout Mountain as 34l. Why not add the
| loss Of Geary's Division at Resaca and Dallas
| the year following and call them the losses of
| the division at Lookout? Does not COmrade
| Murphy know that Gen. Geary reports the ag-
| gregate of his losses at Lookout Mountain Nov.
| "a at Mission Ridge, 25th, and at Ringgold on
| the 27th, as 81. Aud does he not know that
much more than half (203) Of these 81 were
| lost NJ Ringgold? Gen. Geary reports his loss
| at Lookout Mountain as 1873 instead Of 81, OF
| whom % were killed.
No one disputes the gallantry Of Geary's Di-
vision az LooxOu Mountain, nor the important
| part 10 took in its capture. No one desires TO
| disparage a division that made such record
/ at Gettysburg Cedar Mountain. Port Republic,
| Lookout RinggOld, aud in the Atlanta CAM
| paign, but this should not prevent criticism OF
| what is offered through your columns as his
| tory, and which utterly ignores other organiza-
| tous doing their duty equally as we'll and
| equally as bravely on Nov. 81. 1868. Whit
! aker's Brigade does not claim TO have captured
| the mountain. Gen. GTOse makes no such
claim, nor does Gen. Osterhaus claim the honor
| for his division but think all may claim to
have contributed largely to the grand result OF
the days work.
As the casualties occurring In a command is
some indication of the work done. let Us see
how the losses at Lookout stand. Geary's
| Division Of IA regiments. 1859 men, in It's
! great work of capturing the mountain lost y
| in killed. One regiment in WhitakeTs Bril-
| gade (4Oth Ohio) lost IL killed after the mount
ain was captured, If We believe COmTade Muir
phys information TO be correct. Gen. Carlin's
| Brigade, ofthe Fourteenth Corps which came
which was directed by Gen. Hooker in person
to 20 into position on the extreme right of his
| tHOOker's) line at the White House. near the
top of the mountain, TO relieve tho front line
Of Gen. Geary aud Gen. Whitaker. position
it did not reach until dark, many hours after
the mountain was captured" lost IL in killed
These losses would indicate a position on the
field that was not in the rear of a victorious
line Of battle; or if the 10th Ohio. losing II
killed. WAS in the rear of Geary's Division o.
IA regiments. aud it losing only %, the les.
dangerous place was in the front line.
IL seems to me unwise 20 assume that the rel
alive positions of the several organization!
could have been maintained during the battle
| of Lookout Mountain. The obstacles met with
in the shape of rocks and raviRes, the varying
length of the lines over which even q brigade
organization moved as we'll as the impetuosity
OF the troops that day, must have prevented
the preservation of any line of battle, and wha
was in reserve at 10 m. might we'll have be
come a part of the front line at noon. Gen
Hooker speaks Of this impetuosity of the mel
of his command a matter of anxiety To him
and which anyone can understand inteFfereC
with the formation and preservation Of lines
In his report Of the engagement at RinggOld
Nov. %, he says:
al may here state that the greatest dit ticultl
experienced with my new command, and th
one which caused me the greatest solieitude
was to check aud curb their disposition To en-