The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1891-03-12
FIGHTING THEM OVER
What0ur Veterans Have 10 Say About
Their Old Campaigns
HOW THEY FOUGHT.
Duslbccl's brigade at ClancoIlorsdllo.

mistakes not intentional of course, bat never
theiess calculated 10 do injustice 20 comrades
whose record will compare iayorably with the
llayest of the brave and j am convinced that
Comrade Buell. was too good Il soldier and il
TOO good "a citizen b. wish 10 DO injustice TO the
humtl,-t oi has old C0mpanIOus-ln arms.
D alluie 60 his statements regarding the
Eleventh Corps nd charlottesville. The COM
lHdc was not engaged in that battle, and there-
fore does uot pretend 20 give a description Of
il, but he falls into the common error Of taking
ID for granted, without investigation, that be-
cause a part Of the Eleventh Corps was sur
uIised outnanked, almost surrounded aud
driven from the field like a flock of sheep, that
40 part of that organization made any resist
aucc on proved by their conduct in that trying
ordeal that they were worthy 10 be called
soldiers. GIVE dog bad name and you know
thc result everyone is ready 90 throw stone
at him, without stopping TO ask what he has
done.
beg leave 10 say that there was one brigade
OF The Eleventh Corps that did make a stand,
and held It's position for an hour in manner
which all the general officers cOgnizant Of its
action declared was the acme OF soldierly con-
duct and worthy 10 stand beside the achieve
mouts OF any Of The heroes OF the war.
When Jackson's famous attack commenced
on that memorable evening IN early May, 1868,
the First Division OF The Eleventh Corps, COM
manded by Gen. Devcns, and the Third Divis-
ion commanded by Gen. Carl Schurz, were,
through the gross CRrclessness of someone high
iu authority completely surprised. IL is true
one regmeut-the 2Gth Mis-of the Second
Brigade, Third Division changed front 10 meet
the advance OF the enemy, but the rush Of
Rode,'5 veterans supported by I0stons Tried
division aud thcy iu turn having the division
OF the Tcd0uhtable A D. Hill "a their back
about - coo men la an could not long be held
in check by few hundred. Deyenss Diyis,
ion was thrown into hopeless disorder and
folded back onto Schurz whose regiments were
broken lly the mad rush Of the First Division
wagons. caissons anbulauces, batteries, aud dee-
ing soldiers rushing 10 the rear So impctuOUs
and Overwhelming was the charge OF stuneTalls
yelling demons that the Third Division was
forced to Join in the stampede. But half o mile
farther east at noWdalls, which was Towards
headquarters Steiuwehr's Second Division had
been posted across the Plank Road, with the
FRS, Brigade on the south side of aud the Sec
oud Brigade Oh the north side Of said road.
But during the afternoon, when Sickies was
holly engaged with JacksOn's rear guard, near
the Furnace, be asked for help, and BaTl0w's
Second Brigade, OF StoinWchT's Division, had
been sent % bis support. Now that the vital
moment had come, NteinWehr had only his
First Brigade commanded by Col. Adolph
Bushbcck, 10 iHterp0se as a barrier TO the eX-
uiaut cgions that were now coming on flushed
with victory. Luckily the stream Of fleeing
men aud animals kept 30 the north of the
Plank Road. leaving BushDeck free 10 form his
line On tle south
Just east OF the Dowiall House a light rife
pit had been thrown up, facing east The
brigade. consisting OF the 9th aud I'D Pa. aud
24th and l5ith N T., was formed on the out
OF cas-, side Of this miniature broastwork, fac.
ing west, and there they 6taid until, as one
writer said, lt would have been madness 20
have remained longer"
Uore amid the chaos and confusion Of a
flying corps one brigade stood its ground and
performed lis duty maniully. To Bushbeck's
Brigade alone belongs the credit Of saving the
artillery and trains ~ the corps" j quote from
the papers OF the lime.
Bushbcck held weak intrcnchcd line
perpruticular 10 the Plank Road for three
quarters OF au hour with artillery on bis right
losing ouo-thiId DIS force" See Gen. Double
day'F History Of Charlottesville and Gettys-
burg page 30
Bushbecl's Brigade did wonders here. hold
ing ln check the whole impetuous onset Of thc
enemy ior au hour OF more, which gave me an
opportunity 90 bring my reserves into posi-
ti1u. Sec Cen. iuOker's Charlottesville
Revisited published in Battles aud Lead
ers,' VOL I'LL, page 22l)
Could any higher praise have been given2
And yet after more than a quarter Of cen
fury, comparatively few remember the hero
whom Gen. Geary afJcrward said, AZ Colds.
bofU, n. G.: " Aiy good old Second Brigade,
give you tlls flag as token Of my affection,
knowing from your past actions that you will
never see il tmiied Ia the dust"
There Dr. no question but what JacEs0ns
charge would have ended right there al Dow
dmls Tavern ID Bushbecks TANKS could have
been protected; bat there was no available
force in supporting distance, and finally, after
Dlger's tW0 guns Of Battery j, Jet Ohio which
bad stopped on thc right 10 help out the gallant
douFhbOTs who they saw standing up 10 the
work like Aapoleou's old guard az Waterloo
D.lRer's boys were good ones aud gave the
Johunles medicine they did not like; bat haV-
luE 900 support on their right were compelled
o. retreat Or be- captured. This left Bushbecl,'g
right uncovered aud the 29Jh D. T. aud 9th
pa. lcli back 10 the edge Of the timber about
30 yards b. the rear
About this time 8 brigade Of the enemy ap-
pCared on The left flank. Two companies Of
tHc l5Ith n. y. were faced south 10 meet this
force, aud ono wing Of the 73d Pa were faced
north % protect the right, and still those two
regiments held on. Those bows from the hills
and valleys Of rugged CattaTaugus were not
o. Ire dleI0dRed without d struggle. Col. P III.
ZONES " Tic lJ8th, was severely wounded
aud A1jt Samuel q. Moves and many others
were killed. The order was given 10 retreat
several times before the bows would let 20.
because the enemy was held firmly in front .
bat GO last, when almost surrounded aud all
hope OF support failed The men WHO had de-
Tended tie position So Eallautly, sulleul retired
% The timber before mentioned and finally 10
tle valley in front Of Earyicw,
On page go Of the "Canu0necr" Comrade
Buell. Ia abiding 10 the checking Of Jackson's
ed VWcc, says after Fleas0ut0n aud sioklos
bad checked JacksOn's attack" That state.
mcHt BE- misleading. 10 implies that tic whole
of tho Eleventh Corps had been swept from the
field. Such was Tot the case Bushbecl' 3
Brigade stood Boz the front line Of battle lust
south of the Plank Road aud assisted IN the
hua TepuIse being relieved from that positfou
IS troops Of the Third Corps about midnight
Gen. HiCklosr personally, bad nothing 10 do with
the rcpulsc OF Jackson because hc was not near
enough a. the pOlut OF attack 10 aid ID %,
defense. When tHe attack commenced Gen
Seaes with two divisions u DIS own corn
Bud 5arlow's Brigade OF the Eleventh. wa al Oh
Near The Furnace" two miles away aud did
dot reach thc scene until Jacksouis men had
been stopped. After the last yoI ey had beer
hred. Gen sicElos rode mp la rear OF the l5itl
N r. .about al that was lolt Of the brigade
as they stood in thc front line, aud had iug
given three times three over seeing the John
niUs rccoii. S.cklcs dashed up la advance o
hi- tr0UPs aud Boz bis well known chccrinf
tone sald Well done, boys hold them II
minutes more and j will have 10000 men her
o. help you, who don't know anything bu
fight"
In view Of the facts in the case. Is il uo
about time that The cry which Was started au,
fosfgrrl 90 c0yCT the Deficiencies OF peHurslsbi \
should be dropped, and ID its place Tie nemor,
Of those who SO nohly fell doing their duty N
grautod at least the honor they 80 iustl,