The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1891-06-04
FIGHTING THEM OVER
What0ur Veterans Have 10 Say About
Their Old Campaigns
TIE WILDERNESS.
"Honor TO Whom Honor is Due"


in your columns 10y the several versions there
given OF the recapture of our works on The
Brock road at the intersection with the Fred
eriekshurp Orange Courthouse plank road, az
o. M. Nav g. 1864. The intersection rs about
IL miles westward from Fredericksburg, The
plnnk road running east aud west, the Brock
road north aud SOUTH nearly. The district IN
the vicinity of the intersection was, with the
exception of few places and for miles around
the intersection, covered with timber 81 large
growth aud even there there WAS nj the tlue
OF the battle dense ENHANCEMENT OF brush.
There was an exception 10 TINS condition pa
the section southwark from thc plank road Tor
about three lourths Of mile and eastward
from the west side of the Brock road, where
the recapiured works were located, Tor two
hundred yards. On this section there were
but few full grown trees hut IL was covered
pretty thckly with brush three 10 four ieCt
in hight To this condition of their surround
ings must he attributed, in some measure the
very varied aud in some eases conflicting state
ments that have been SET before your readers
There were some troops engaged in the recap
ture of the works Ca whose presence Your cor
respondents have all been silent, but who are
mentioned in the official report OF the writer
under date OF Aug 10, 1864 covering the opera
tion Of the Second Brigade Gen. J. G. Rlel),
Fourth Division lGcn. Wadsworth and Gen.
Cutler, Fifth Corps Gen. q. RWarrenl, duIing
the iirst epoch Ia that campaign. They were
troops OF the Third Brigade Col. Roy Stone, Of
Madsworth's Division, and are entitled TO a
full share Of the hOnOTs WOE on that occasion.
The official reports OF that campaign have not
yet been published by the Government in the
Rebellion Records, and il seems, therefore, not
only proper, hut incumbent that they should
be mentioned in your columns at the present
time 10y the writer Combating what has been
presented as history" by SwintOn by Greeley
- a. q a.. q raHrau
turing the works is due, becomes in this case
primarily a necessity. Whether successfully or
not is = matter that will be left 10 the unbiased
and honest Judgment of your readers after they
shall have read and given due consideration to
what follows.
The circumstance under which portion Of
the Fifth Corps found itself on the ground that
was being operated over 10y the Second Corps
has been clearly stated in your columns by
Lieut. f. NJ. Rodgers, the Abide Camp Of Gen.
NadswOrth and need not be repeated here.
Suffice IL 20 say that when the line Of the
division broke under the onset Of the enemy,
about 4 D a. M, about n mile westward of the
Brock road aud where the General fell NOR
tally wounded, the writer endeayored TO con-
duct the officers and men that were near him
20 the rear, la the effort 90 gain a favorable
place for rallyng them. A slight elevation
met with failed to serve the purpose, end they
fell back 10 the Brock road, about quarter Of
mile north Of the plank road, aud To which
point the occupied works az the Second Corps
extended az that time Here Gen Rice who
had been assigned 10 a special command, WAS
met. lie directed the writer 70 reform the
brigade in rear Of the Brock road the left Of the
line TO rest az the plank road, and 10 collect aud
assume command Of sll the officers and men Of
the division Ia that vicinity. The line was
formed as directed, aud about 100 yards east OF
the Brock road AZ p. m. tie writer directed
Lieut.. date Lieut. -COloncl) LRmldin. of Gen.
Rice's stat, hut now serving the writer, 10 pre-
pare field return OF the troops IN hand.
This report showed present for duty n total
Of 504. Al that hour the brigade Of Col Car
roll Second Brigade, Second Division. Second
Corps was In line about a hundred yards in
the immediate rear of the troops Of the writer
When, half an hour later, Lieut.. Lambdin
brought the order from Gen. Hancock, through
Gen. Rice 10 drive the enemy out OF the works
on the west side of the Brock road south ward
from the intersection, at which point were two
guns Of Battery -, and from which he had
forced the occupants, the command OF the
writer moved promptly and drove the enemy
back into the woods from which he had sud
denly emerged. The portion OF the works thus
FecaptuFed EXTENDED from the intersection
southwark f0rAbOut 800 yards aud included the
point whore the enemy had planted their colors
upon the works. Upon the enemy being driven
Nhthf a. lAf Et nNliihfi OF Ait Objects ana mon
Of the writers command, carrying with them
their respective regimeutal colors sprang over
the works into the slashing ia front 10 pursue
the enemy, but were recalled by the writer as
be had been informed by Gen. Rice that ar
Engagements were being made for a general ad-
vance at later hour lie then reported IN
person % Gen. Hancock who was then still on
tbe plank road ia the immediate vicinity; his
reasons Tor recalling his troops, that they could
AZ that hTur tp - OF No
approved by the General.
The command Of the writer at that time can
scarce be- said 10 have been a regular brigade
only such IN the sense in which two or more
regiments or parts thereof, may be said 20 con-
Etitute brigade. la his official report, pre-
xiousy referred 10, the following regiments are
credited with being represented by some Of
their officers and men, and taking part with
those under bis command in rccapiuFug the
works, rs mentioned The Seth. 1920, l43d,
ldJth. 10th Pa; the 10Th, 5Jth. l47th n y
OH Wis and who, iu almost every case had
their rCeimeutal culors with them aud an be-
longing 10 The Fourth Division, Fifth Corps
Some time-perhaps half an hour or more
after the affair was over the writer was 4 ireCt-
cd 10 yacatc the rechptured works. which were
then reoecupiod by the troops Of the Second
Corps that had yielded them 10 the enemy
wien he made the attack. There were several
other changes deposition Of the troops Of tie
writer made before they were allowed 10 law
down b rest that might. After midnight the
writer received aud still preserves q manifold
copy 81 the following order from Gen. Birney
showing that we were still al that hour under
his command:
HEADQ E RIGHT WING MAJ -GEs HANcocE's)
Orders Of the Day: . -''''
Tile men Will stand 10 arms at d:3gH m The
following disposition will be- made ~ saon a. pos
Hibe' Commencing on the Tight at the pIauk
road. ehcb division or brigade commander aci.p
Independently VIII place about three -fourtl- al
hls command ln the 'front.' line ~ rife piis Ruo
about one fourth Of his entire command IA tbs
second llne, 90 placed 10 Euuuort ans porfior
o. be line Commanders who by lhis Hrrnf,y,
mcut ARE deprived 81 thclr positions in Iinr ~
mass heir troops In u their present u-itior
ls command 81 Muf. -Cigu BTusT-y
D. bIEEEY, A. h.-8.
Some hours after sunrise the command n
tho writer was dissolved, for reasons sd fortl
by Gen. Cutler iH the letter following. and Con
Rice resumed command o. the troops belopgin,
% nis brigade
twill bc seen further on that Gen. Hancorl
never received from Gen. Birnev any roport =
the operations Of his troops under his command
iD that campaign aud % this omission. ID seems
che officers aud men Of the Fourth Division
Filth Corps, who served under the writer ON ia,
occasion, and performed ia a very gallant man
nnr a very important service must Rttribut,
the fact that the laurel which is so iustly
due 10 them has by 80 many authors who hav,
written upon the operations OF the war beer
uncoHscl0usly bestowed upon others. II will \,
eeen, however by the survivors aud the friend
OF those who have passed away, that IN the re-
p0rtF OF the onpraf IONS az tbn Corora &c.. -.