The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-12-22
A MISTAKE.
An ArtilIeryman Tells Who Commanded His
Regiment in 1864.

4 heSItueHt HI AcVfs
~ URING the Goth National Encamp
| ment. GAR, held in Washington
| IL D. c., from Sept. 10 to "a, there was
sold at the Sixth Corps Headquarters
| Roster of the Officers of the Corps. 1t said
| that on May 81, 1864, the 9th N. Y. Fl. A. was
| commanded by Lieut.-Col. Taft; which is err
| roneous. Every living survivor who was with
| the regiment knows that at that date the two
| baGtalions which were composed of Cos. a, B,
C. ID, L, H, X, and NJ were commanded by Col.
VIM. a. Seward, and the Sd battalion, conf
posed of Cos. G, /. L. and F, was assigned to the
Artillery Brigade, and was commanded by Maj.
Snyder. This article is not written to deprive
the gallant Taft of his laurels, but to place
Gen. w. II. Stewards name where it belongs at
that date. The regiment crossed the North
Anna River on the 25th of May, 1864, and on
the 3lst crossed the Panunky River where
diminishing took place, which was the opening
of tho battle of Cold Harbor. Ger. w. II.
Seward (then Colonei) commanded then and
every minute after until July g. 1864, at
Monocacy, Md, where Coils. Seward and Taft
were both wounded, the latter losing q leg
The writer of this was told by member Of
the EncampmeHt Committee that the records
of the War Department showed that Col. Taft
commanded the regiment on the 3ist of May,
1864 If so. the records are wrong, and every
survivor of the regiment, think, will bear me
out in this statement.
The writer visited the Monocacy battlefield
on Sept 90, 1892, in company with over 80
members OF the Third Division who fought
there with the gallant Ricketts, in 1864. The
party included Col. Patterson, Nth N. j.. Col.
Weyand 126th Ohio: Col. w. w. Henry, 10th
VT; Surg. Chamberlain. Lieut.. l.. d. Williams,
and many more Of the 9th n. Y. Ii. A. About
every regiment that WAS in the fight was repre-
scnted at the Reunion on the field, and visited
the exact spots where their respective regi-
ments were located. Tho fence between the
wheat and eornfields where the 9th n. Y. II. A.
and the 10th Ohio met the Johnnies has been
rebuilt on the Same line il occupied when the
battle took place: the very stone piles that
were there in 1864, along the fence, remain,
and it seemed as if could see the gallant 15lst
N " 10th VT. 14th n. j., and other regiments
on our left. file up the lane to the Thomas
House, where so many of the brave boys gave
up their lives on that hot July day. The same
old stono mill stands down in the rear of us,
and the same little old barn and yard where
we who were captured passed our first night in
bondage. We met Mrs. Gambrill, who lived in
the white house at the mill, in the identical
carriage which stood ut the door when the bat
tie opened. and the horses were killed, and lay
there in harness during the battle. The bullet
marks are visible OH the carriage to this day.
We noticed several bullet holes in the door
and window frames of the mill, silent wit
nesses of that fearful carnage which ragged
around it that hot July day Of 1864. Mrs.
Gambril invited US to her residence, which
has been built between the old home and the
Thomas House. She has beautiful home, and
may she never witness such horrible sights as
she was forced to on the 9th of July, 1864. when
it seemed as if Eariy's whole artillery fire was
on those two buildings and the
Thomas House.-FRANK..TALLM 3 Lincoln
street. Auburn, n. Y, Secretary Third Division,
Sixth Corps Association, Co. E. 9th n. Y. H. A.