The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1891-04-16
COmrade BecknHh Thinks the Sixth Corps wa
Evidently "In H."

| tomrade BcckNiih Thinks the Sixth Corps was
Evidently "In IT,"
EDITOR NhTONAL TRIBUNE: Ia looking
over THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE / find that
good many fellows are nnicting upon history
their personality, and in some instances allcg-
ing for themselves and their commands a space
on the tablets which had supposed was cor
recty and acccptabv filiod. / refer 20 the
operations along the lines in front Of Peters
burg IN the final struggle OF Lee 10 egtricate
himself from destruction and the incidents inn
menlately connected with the fail Of Richmond
and Petersburg. III happened that ] was
humble participant in those events, and my
memory retains the facts connected with them
SO Tar as the same relate 10 my immediate COM
maud and observation, especially The final as
sault upon the lines Ia our front aud the oper-
atlons in and about Forts Hell and Damnati0n,
which seem 10 disturb SO many OF the fellows
aud create SO much disagreement as 10 who
were there aud who were not and who got into
the city Of Petersburg on the m0rnngOf April
3. viii simply give you 10y own experience
aud observation. On tAe night of April ] our
brigade moved out from our works lour rcgi-
ment just coming in from the picllct-line) and
were relieved by some troops think ColOred
trOOps-frOm the Iwrutv-l fourth Corps.
We moved up 10 the LETT by the observatory
and passed out through oar works i'm front Of
Fort Fisher and silently massed Immediately
ia rear OF our pickct-liue, which kept mp
steady fire and chimed with the CncIny's
pickets who were but short distance IN front,
we having advanced our line on ground gained
the 2jtb Of March at this same point. At the
first gray OF dawn, 10 obedience 10 explicit in
siruCtl0ua on the firing 81 the eignai-guns-a
volicy by battery from the fort in 0nr rcar-We
rushed forward aud swept over the works ia
our front IL was then 50 dark We could see
the burning fuse OF the shells fired at us aud
the flash OF the rifles from the works in our
front, but although we suffered considerably
and were in the advance, we had no great
trouble in carrying the works and tho battery
IN our 'front.', rs they were but feeby manned
and defended. We then moved through the
hus and camps as far back ar the wagon road,
and destroyed the telegraph linc under n nasty
ire, which wounded several Of our men.
Some OF our men moved the guns OF the rebel
hAttery back toward our line during this time
aud carried our wounded back TO the field hos
pital in rear Of Port Fisher near the obserya-
tory. by this time Tire sun came up aud we
commenced % move dBwn the rebel line 90 our
right toward Petersburg a. we faced. We had
progressed a little way when VIC were ordered
back and our brigade, commanded by Col
Hamblin and consisting Of the 65th aud 9th
N. T.. called the Isl Chasseurs and isl Long
Islanders, consolidated Hambiins old com.
mand when Colonel the l2lst n Y, the %
Conn. u. A., the 9Jth ,Gosling ZouaEes) Pa,
aud 98th Goal EcaveTsj Pa, being the old Joe
Bartlett aud Emory Upton Brigade, were
moved back and leaving our camp cquipage ia
light marching order were rapidly moved down
the line 10 our right and on the way down
were told that our fellows were hard pressed
between Forts Hell and Damnaton and we
were on or way TO help them out.
We were pushed out through our fort, rushed
across the intervening space between our aud
the enemys works aud occupied the outer face
OF Tie main works which we found already
occupied by our men aud which was exposed 10
a rakinR iire from our left We found these
men had suffered very severely and a great
many dead aud wounded men were lying about
ln our Immediate vicinity. We occupied this
position uHtil just about or before dayli ght the
morning OF the 3D. the firing from the other
side siackeninR and dying out about midnight,
I aud some Of our fellows went over the works
and explored the rebel fort and found they
were leaving. We were among the FIRST troops
in Petersburg. il not tie FIRST, and have some
/ souvenirs Of the occasion left ia shape 81
fragment OF flag which they had flying over
one OF the buildings aud which we replaced
with one OF our OWns aud lot Of their money
aud postage stamps. in The Afternoon we
moved back 10 our camp FOR our baggage. aud
just outside OF Petersburg were reviewed bv
President Lincoln and Gca Grant. ] feel con
hdent we were the first troops L. break tie
Z lAht9 III lAHht Ol AtlrI-DuEHt because TIE sound
Of The battery v0llcy had not died upoa the
ar before We were iH motion, aud we were not
4 checked az any time in our forward movement
and our fellows always rlJimcd that when we
went into the city GA the morning Of The "a
we hOisicd the flag on The cDETt house while
. the dArEics got one up on the postolicc; bat
I do know we got the c0mmis.ary supplies
4 among which was Dot 81 applrjack and To-
b1cco, and the contents OF the posiOliice: 80
think 81 is fair to say the Sixth Corps was Ia at
4 Fort Hell and Petersburg as soon a. any Of the
other follows, aud broke thc lines IN their front
without any delay aud assaulted before day
break, and then went 10 the relief OF our people
on the sight who had failed 20 dislOdge the
4 enemy IN their front thiu. you Will find
4 all these facts there iB Washington on record
4 in the Official report, and as tHe matter s Ia
4 controversy aud has excited considerable dis
cusaiOn, ! hase thought IL worth while 90 call
I yonr attention 10 II and give you some ol the
4 incidents 50 you can gci no the facts by uYosti-
cation, and give them through Tar NATIONAL
4 IEiEUNE 10 the old fellows. who AL believe
they are right and will swear 10 Il. and yet arc
4 mlstakcn.-1LINT0N BaCKWIfH, l2Id n Y,
FIRST Brigade, First Division, Sixth Corps, Cat
iettsyiiie, Ky.
Eead Better than Pension on page 2.