The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1891-11-12
HARTsUFFs BRIGADE.
Iis True Position in the History or the War 70
the Union.

IT'S True E0hillun IN the hlAi0rA on the W ar Tor
the Union.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRRuNE: In the Spring
OF 1862 al Falmouth, Va, the llth PA. was Ia
corporated IN Gen. Geo. L. HartsuG's Third
| Brigade Second Division, First Corps The
other regiments composing the brigade were
1 the 18th Mass, lCol. Fletcher NebsteF,) the
| 18th Mass, Col Leonard and the 9th N. Y.
:. NJ, or SD N. v. Col. Styles. Richard
| Coulter, Colonel OF the 18th Pa, had won dis
tincIion in Mexico while serving as a private
4 in the pa Pa. During the war Of the rebellion
he was wounded seriously four or Eve times,
but remained In the Geld until the victorious
I close at APPROXIMATION, coming out Of tire service
as a Breyet Major-General
Hausuns Brigade made a splendid record
1 M Autctam Sept II, lS62. Mith reference 20
this engagement the writer quotes from Geo.
4 v. Smalley, who WAS the war correspondent
for New York or Boston paper, I'm doing so
he reserves the right to supply omissions in the
account Here is what Smalley wrote:
4 I'm 10 minutes the fortune OF the day
seemed 10 have changed; il was the rebels now
who were advancing, pouring out Of the woods
i Do endless lines, sweeping through the comhcld
I from which their comrades had Just fled.
i Hooker sent in his nearest brigade TO meet
4 them, but IL could not dc the work. lie called
4 for another. There was nothing close enough
unless lac took il from his right. His right
might be in danger If il was weakened; but
4 has center was already threatened with annihi-
latiun. Not hesitating Que moment, he sent
orders TO Doubleday Give me your best br-
pade instantly The best brigade came down
the hin TO tho right on a run, went through
4 the timber in the front, swept by storm OF
4 shot and bursting shell and crashing limbs,
over the open field beyond aud straight into
4 the open c0nield, passing as they went the
i fragments Of three brigadCs, shattered by the
\ rebel fire, and streaming 10 the rear. They
. nv IifrE3 tod IA he
4 these veteran troops led ny a soldier he knew
\ be could trust think they viii hold it, he
said.
Gen. Hartsuf took his troops very steadily,
but now that they were under fire. not hur-
TiedIy mp the hil from which the c0rnGeld be-
gins TO descend. and formed than on the crest.
Not a mau who was not In full yiew-nOt one
who bent before the storm. Firing az first in
4 v0llcys, they fred then at will with wonderful
4 rupiGity and effect. The whole line crowned
I the hin and stood out darkly against the sky,
but lighted and shr0uded ever III flame aud
4 smoke. They were the 18TH aud 18th Mass.
and another rcgiment-nld troops al Of them.
There for half an hour they hold the ridge,
unyicldiBg in purpose, GXhaustless in courage,
There were gaps in the lines, bUt il nowhere
bent. Their Genera! was severely wounded
early In the fight, but they fought on. Their
supports Gid not come; they determined 10 win
without them. They began TO 70 down the
hall aud into the corn. They did not stop TO
+ think that their ammunition was nearly gone:
4 they were there 10 win that field, and they won
\ it, The rebel line for the second time fied
through the corn and into the woods. i can
not tell how few Of HaTtsuG Brigade were left
when the work was done; but il was done.
4 There was mo- more gallant, determined, heroic
4 fighting Ia all this desperate day"
The above is a glowing tribute 10 the bril-
4 gade; but why the Omissionsy lt j. true the
+ 18th and 18th Mass. composed a part Of the
4 brigade, but the 18th Pa and the SD N. Y.
4 were IN the brigade, aud fought at Antictam
I on this desperate day. Fox in his Regi-
mental LOSSES puts the loss Of the 10Th Mass.
at "a killed and mortally wounded the loss
\ Of the 18th Mass. in this battle is not given; ,
4 nth Pa, p killed and mortally wounded, and
SO wounded; SD N. y, six killed and los
wounded.
The nth Pa had gone into the Manassas
i battle three weeks previously with about 400
men, rank and file, aud had lost - killed and
ls0 wounded, thus reducing the regiment 10
about 225 when the Maryland campaign
opened.
AT Manassas the 10Th Mass. lost % killed
/ and CT wounded the SD ~ " 10 killed and
+ - wounded. The loss OF the 18th Mass. is not
4 given by Fox except Ia the aggregate during
4 its service. The aggregate losses Of these four
regiments during the war In killed and NOR
/ tally wounded were; 18th Pa, 23G; l2tA Mass,
I Ato5 c3A a. h.a AbJ1 ABiN Ai6hss IL.
4 These figures show TJ6 men killed aud died
Of wounds. The record Of the brigade was he
roic, aud no inviai0us comparison should be
. made. The war correspondent, unwittiugly,
/ perhaps, did au injustice 10 the lIth Ia. aud
4 SD y. 4. when he gave ali the credit 20 two
! Massachusetts regiments one Of whom suffered
1 but slight loss 40 Aufiutam.
Hartsuf Brigade included some Of the best
1 blood OF the Bay, Empire, aud keystone States,
and il was freely shed on moro than a score OF
battlehclds. Here Is the loss Of tie brigade by
+. disease: llth Pa Isl; l2lh Mass, -, 18th
F. Mass, 40; 53d M. T., 81
IN Foz's hcgimcutal Losses three Of the
/ regiments of HaTtsut's Brigade are enumerated
in his Three Hundred Fighting Reg .mouts .
( TO wit. llth Pa, 18TH Mass. and SD ~ y. The
loss Of the 18th Pa, 231 ia killed. was exceeded
by only three other Pennsylvania regiments,
I Tic Esd, lOJlh and 6lsL 10 stands 10Th ia the
- regiments that lost The most men IN battle.
The 18th Pa. was composed mainly OF far
mers' boys, raised principally on the western
slopes Of the Alegany Mountains, where the
very air hrcatHes into the lungs independence
and The subliIuest courage, Ia a region that has
produced heroes H an our wars
Before concluding LET as look at Fox's figures
again. lie speaks Of famous divisions aud
brlgadCs, and ln doing 30 onits brigaaes that
deserve mention. Look at the losses Of Hart
SUITS Brigade Ia battle-708 killed and died Of
wounds. ii exceeds the loss Of the Philadcl-
phia Brigade, Iowa Brigade aud Clusters Cav
airy Brigade, aud is exceeded only by the Iron
Brigade, The Vermont Brigade, and some two
or three other brigadcs composed Of nine aud
10 regiments.
The history Of Hartsud7s Brigade presents a
record Of unsurpassed Lcr9ism. Ii noby sus-
tanned tho honor Of the dcathless Stars and
Stripes, and amidst the lphurOus smoke If bat
tic on plain and mountain aud in dense forest
exhibited the most daHntless courage. Look
a. it, mGrtuary list, writing lbs story indelibly
DO letters 81 blood, sending its record down Ia
uuadiug characters and yoiCug in eternity It's
history born, reared and uuTured n the red
heat OF battle for The right aud for the glorious
Stars, that shall live until the sun shall grow
dim ana old and the moon shrink behind the
glttcrug eEp4use Of the eternal hcapens-
Pun j.. FAUX, 90. j, Ilth Pa, Yankton, s. ID.
THE S8th ILL.
Another Regiment Claims 10 Have Planted m,