The National tribune., 1891-05-14
KILPATRICK'S RAID.
Gen. MInty Replies to the STRUCTURES OF N. W. II

Gen. Mnty Replies 10 the Structures OF NJ. W. II.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Allow me 10
say word or two in reply to the diatribe Of
NJ. w. H., Maquon, Ill, which appeared in your
Issue OF March 20.
lie says. "All write is written from men,
DRY, as | have no data to write from" and then,
to prove the excellence of his memory, ac-
knowlcdgcs that he does not know the number
Of the division he is supposed TO have been
member Of, but believes the number ! NEIL
toned Is correct
All that this unknown "comraden saws about
"oficers' call and Kilpatrick's address TO GER
tain officers may be correct as 10 Kilpatrick's
Division. IL it refers 10 my division il is ut
terry aud completely false. My division was
out Of sight aud hearing Of Fitzpatrick and his
Busler, being at that time hotiy engaged nth
the Confederate General Reynolds on the rail-
road
lie finds fault with me for speaking highly OF
Fitzpatrick, a man whom have always looked
upon as Que Of the most dashing aud gallant
cavalry officers Of our or any other army. /
am second 10 none in sincere admiration Of the
gallant Fitzpatrick.
In speaking Of me personally he says: " He
must be one Of those officers who has become
tired Of waiting for some one 10 sing his praise,
and has commenced 20 sing himself"
My military record can be found in the
archives Of the War Department aud in tho
various histories Of the war which have been
published; aud SO long as RobeTtsOn's "Michi-
gan in the War" Miles's Annals Of the Army
Of the Cumberland" Wales "Minty and the
Cavalry" Thatcher's "A Hundred Battles in
the West" aud many other histories arc ex-
tant, this assertion Of the anonymous comTade
is simply absurd.
Whatever has appeared over my name In
THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE was written with
the single purpose Of doing simple justice 10
the saber Brigade" that gallant aud glorious
body Of men Of which i had the great honor OF
being the commander.
Far be II from me TO say or do aught which
could even be construed into casting a slur ON
the Third Cavalry Division, or the gallant
regiments Of which il was composed. The Sd
KY, 9TH Iowa, Sd Ind. aud 10th Ohio had al
various times formed a portion Of my com
mand, and i know their fighting qualities
could not be surpassed. or the 92d H. it is
sufficient TO say that for a long time ii was one
Of the regiments in Wilders Brigade OF Mount
ed Infantry.
wrote the account Of the part taken by the
Second Division in the Fitzpatrick raid only after
repeated urging from old comrades disliked
writing that account, from the fact that J. a. its
commander, must necessarily make very free
use Of the personal pronoun IL" did not
write from memory" / have data, the same
data that can be found by you, Mr.. Editor, in
the official records in the War Department.
IL 50 happened that on that raid the bulk Of
the fighting was done by tho two brigades and
the battery from the Second Division, which l
! had the honor 10 command.
NJ. w. II. says: The fact is that Kilpatrick's
command did their full share Of the lighting
and charging on that raid"
Here are few figures which In this connec-
ton will be found suggestive aud interesting.
The command with which / reported to Kill
/ DatficE was.