The National tribune., 1892-09-22
THE SIXTH CORPS.

"The Cannoneer" Thinks More Should Have
Been Said About the Valley Campaign.
TN reference to the sketch of the Sixth
Corps. which has appeared in the last two
numbers of The NATIONAL TRIBUNE,
/ wish to express regret at the curt and
unsatisfactory manner in which the author
discusses the Valley campaign of 1864.
twill perhaps be said that am prejudiced on
that subject, but maintain that the history of
the Sixth Corps from July 8 to Oct. 10, 1864,
was not only the most brilliant period of its
own glorious career, but when properly ana.
lyzed and justly estimated will be pronounced
the greatest and most effective part ever played
by similar military organization in any war
or for any cause. True, when Russell and
Getty led their ironclad divisions out Seventh
street and the Tenallytown road that hot and
dusty 18th of July their matchless veterans
already had more laurels than they could carry,
or even count.
But with all the glories that then clustered
around their swartby brows, and with all the
fame and honor that they had wrenched from
the teeth Of battle since the Vermonters waded
the pond at Lees Mills, they still had Cedar
Creek before them Far be il from me to de-
preciate the behavior of any other men. had
seen the First Corps fight at Gettysburg and
the Fifth in the Wilderness and at Spottsyl.
vania. But at dark on Oct. 10, 1864, / was
ready to admit that all the other fighting had
seen was mot in it" with the work that the
old Second Division had done that day.
If you stand on the rear platform of swift
train and look back you will notice the rails
and ties come closer and closer till they seem
to blend away back as far as you can see. So
it is with my memories of the war; As the
train Of my old age speeds along look back,
and now, at q distance Of 30 years, the whole
track seems to blend in one rail and at one
point-Cedar Creek and Getty's Division of the
Sixth Corps.
Twas in the army from Aug. IL, 1862. till
Aug. 81, 1865, according TO my old discharge"
which has the place of honor among the pic
lures on my psrlor wall. OF that time served
from July 8 till Nov. 4, 1864 in the Sixth
Corps-s few days less than four months out Of
three years and IS days. Buff j had to sur
render part of the record would keep my four
months with the Sixth Corps and let the rest
go.
/ don't know why IL is was So. but there was
q contagion Of battle-an epidemic Of victory
in that corps that / never felt in any other.
On the defensive IL was always q rock in at.
tack hurricane. And what names il gave TO
history Sedgwick, Russell, Wheaton, Getty.
ice Bartlett, Lewis Grant, Bidwell, Upton,
Ricketts,, Wright, Martin MacMahon and from
them down to my own poor Irish blanket mate
Of Battery 81, Pat Hunt and my old neighbor,
Clint Beckwith, of the 121st n. Y, every one a
hero
In those days the mere presence of the Sixth
Corps was half the battle Even the little
children who lined the sidewalks as we
marched out toward Brightwood the 18th of
July, realized that Early was whipped before
we had got even within gunshot Of him. How
many times i have wished that Early's army
had stood at Silver Spring that afternoon. SO
that there might have been the battle of
Washington" Early had more men than
there were present for duty in Russell's and
Getty's Divisions, and they were the best men
in the rebel army, too; but there would have
been no doubt as to the result. The skirmish
that Bidwells Brigade had with Rodes's Divs.
ion indicated what sort of battle il would
have been if Early had stood for the onset OF
our two divisions entire. His sudden and
rapid retreat when he felt the Sixth Corps in
his front is the best evidence of Generalship in
| bis whole career.
Our two divisions had 300 muskets and Ie
guns that day, and if Early had waited three
hours longer we would have reached him. He
had about 10000 men, effective, with "a guns.
| The battle-ground was good one--brokcn and
timbered enough TO call out all the skill OF our
commanders IN manuveriDg, and at tho same
time affording plenty of 'open " for artillery
and for the infantry to act in masses. l have
always been satisfied that if EARLY had stood