The National tribune., 1891-03-19
FIGHTING THEM OVER.
What Our Veterans Have TO Say About
Their Old Campaigns
BATTLE OF DECATUR.
Al Least One Instance Whore the COlOrod Troops
Fought Modify.

MI Decatur through the entire engagement.
Our Cavalry Brigade commanded by Col =. NJ
Thufulurph, had headquarters there when The
attack was made WAS Acting Assistant
Adiutaut-Gcngrai for This Cavalry Brigade, so
was u a position 40 know much oil The move
ments and of the couuscs of those IN command.
The enemy made the attack on Oct, % 1864,
al noon, Our force consisted OF the 18TH Mich.
and part Of the lO2d Ohio and a small part OF
our brigade which included four guns ul llght
artillery, and some heavy pieces OF artillery
inside HE Qualifications. We took every man
that could be found. even the guards from tNe
guardhousc and made a bold sbirmsh line IA
front OF the Notifications and could not stretch
the liuu more than two-thirds the way around
the works a heavy force was against us, aud
the fighting the first half day was terrific Tor
the forces we had Our losses were heavy.
After the fight had been going on some time,
we were reinforced by the Sd and 9th Mich.
During rbe night other icnioTccmeu's came,
that made the place safe. la the might the
rebes made a rush ON the line of our pickcts,
drove them back aud dug gopher holes WITHIN
rs yaIds Of the works on thc lower side next
the river. They also planted a battery nearly
HmllC above the Qualifications. on the bahk OF
the river which greatly harassed aud enaan-
Fered the boats iu passing 10 AND from ms. Inns
battery was planted near q mound, winch Was
q shelter from guns In our Qualifications, ana a
Tte-pt was dug, facing Us, immediately across
and over that mound, IN which the enemy
placed force of infantry. The enemy in Tie
gophcr-ho below the fort annoyed ms very
greatly. killing a number OF our men; so
Lieutenant with AZ men Of the 18TH Mich
went down the river lunk near the waller s
edge % CluebrHle, then coming out un-
observed by the enemy, advanced as far as pos
siae under cover 0l sligltrdge, which lIared
them iu rear of the pophcTs raising q Wlid
slogan they charged the holes and brought l26
prisoners into the fort while they lost only one
man. wounded and our cavalry srut accompany
outside jlIc gate iu readiness 10 aid the hIchi-
gan men 10 necessary received lire from
smother direction, and lost one or two men
killed and some wounded If j remember
rightly.
Two guns from our brigade battery had been
sent boz the night up the river on the northern
side and planted opposite tie rebel battery, ana
at daylight the next morning hot artillery
duel WHs fought across the river ln WulcA our
guns succeeded 10 blowing nu two rebel cat5sons.
The rebel battery was still source Of great
annoyance, however
During the third day ] think ID was I was
riding along thc street when Col Dooittle, who
WAS commanding The post when Gen. Granger
wa absent rode up with me, aud remarked
that the assault by the party OF the 18th Mich.
had been 30 successful ID was Thought adylsa-
bic 90 try q similar movement up the river
went down b. aH old hOtrl whore we had a
temporary headquarters, hitched my horse, and
came oui on a porch 20 Tie second-story over
looking ilIe street with a fair view up the river.
Col. Morgan, with his regiment, the lith Y. ,.
lcOiurcd Int, Was on thg street below me pre-
pairing 10 make the assault. ] WAS .orclhly
impressed with The appearance Of Morgan. ie
WHs speedily arranging his men, who were
piing their knapsacks aud blankets together,
leaving few men in charge. Morgan had
some small hatchets Ia his and, aud i believe
few other officers had them Also
A. ans fu
moved out promptly IL was through an open
field, aud when in range the regiment fired
and "a once charged with The bayouct Seeing
thai they were negroes the rebels were very
stubborn about giving way, but Morgan men
were as determined as the others were stub.
born. They charged upon that mound aud
bayonetrd the enemy Ia the riGe-pt, captured
and spiked the battery. That WIS what they
went 20 do. That was all that could wisely have
been done. Col. Morgan took the impl@mcuts
90 do tuat, and i was handsomely and bravey
done. /. was the bl00dlest scene that i ever
witnessed for only q few minutes work.
No support was needed OF could be given the
14tA. o. a. would have been done. ln think
iuE oyer d nov, there is only one thing thai
could have helped them, and that couldn't be
furgatru. Alter spikluE the guns the ICbci
reinforced aud came back 90 the colUrcd rcgi
men which dropped override bank OF the rvel
near hc WalcI'1 edge, aud al one time the rebels
came up a. the top Of the bank and firing
down, killed aud wounded several OF them.
lad this been luTesecH aud a command
standing ready, q counter attack might have
been mace on the rebels from the open field
which ~ -ld have possibly drawn part 81 TIA,
fire FROM the 18Th, but 10 place a command
where b could iiayc made such counter al
tack, would have revealed our whole movement
aud made 'ac work which was done by Morgan
and Lis regiment next 30 impossible
ou the morning Of the 2gth Of October tn
enemy opened q vigorous firing a. il an assault
on nur works was intended, aud about il
O'Clock their firing began 10 cease on the uppe
side. and 81 was evident they were withdraw
ing from lat end OF lhcir liuo. Gen, Grange
could not tell whether ID meant a Withdrawal
from tbC held or q concentration OF their force
a. some point for the purpose Of stOrmiug us
lie accordingly sent Col. Morgan with bis regi
mcut 30 recuuuoitcT in the direction Of the en-
envy Cen. Granger, with some officers Of hi
stat together with part OF Doolittles ant
IhomsuTPhs staG CliicerB the writer IN
Cluuca. were On the outlook on top Of ID
house occupied ly Gen. Granger as headquar
ters. Col. Morgan threw out heavy szirmish
lime and advanced ont into an open field owe
mile rom Decatur, when suddenly there aI
pcgTCl q line OF smoke uCT6ss the field MS
from the ground aud upon this the rebels aros
and started DO ron. The l4th fired upon Thea
and began rapid advance. The enemy 81
pCared 10 be reinforced when they turned an
made q rapid movement towards Morgan an
again disappeared, evidently into a rife-p
The firing then was pretty heavy, the l4i
holding their ground while the rebels wcl
mostly concealed. Ailcra while an officer cam
frum Morgan 10 where We were aud reportC
% Gen. Granger that Col Morgan directed nil
~ say THAI be bad struck the enemy aud va
holding his ground, but that the forces agaiut
him were too strong i0r Am 20 ad vance Gcl
Granger uttered Eecu exclamation. aud Sal
that he did not intend that he should oucae
The enemy lu combat, but that he rccuHuoit,
aud ascertain what be- could Of their move
mcuts and for him o. return.
THIS was not Con. Gordon Granger, but Gci
Robert r. Granger aud Tor his abb itv aud ga
lauiry a. Decatur hc was promoted from Brig
dIcr 90 Major. General.
10 ls Bol true that be refused 10 support @
Morgan. but on The contrary WAS very compl
mcnnry tgHud highly pleased with Col Morga
aud Dos gallant command. There was no mo
gallant officer OF Drawer command in the ser
lee than Morgan and bis regiment aud the
praise Was universal among the white soldier
They lCii bar after the rebels retired and ] u
dcrFtUOd that they were ln the battle at Mas
vile as were some 81 our white troops but
thiF ] Ga not kuow.-NILL A. McIELE, Adj
taut 81 Tenn. Cav, haryyille, Tenn.
s T
BEAD Better than Pension on page 8.
Jhe Retreat on Bolivar.
EDITOR NATIONAL TEHUNE: Ia y0ur iss
nj L. lE.T..