The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-11-10

I I
x-O-igfunl position of the 9th Ind
OPPOSITION OF the I5th y. J.
C-0riginsl position Of the % Mass
D-Route Of I'd Mass. to position from which
charged.
4 E-Position of the 9th Ind in the meadow on th
shsrge.
EXPOSITION of I'd Mass. on the charge
G-Rebel works.
H-Rock Creek.
When opened this discussion know o1actl,
what was talking about. In the first place
during the battle saw the I'd Mass. at c, anC
again at f. If am wrong about this | canno
trust my memory as to having seen Rock Greek
and the stone house beyond in their relative
positions. The only thing i have put in The
above map by inference is the route of the I'd
Mass, from to f. / have talked with many
comrades and found my impressions confirmed
sn everything essential; and, above ell, / pur
sued one course that other comrades should
adopt. / relied on memory and never tried Il
assist il with Imagination. In the interest o.
truth alone / pursue this controversy, not &c
give my regiment any unmerited credit, or put
is stigma any other regiment My position
AE not only confirmed by comrades with good
memories but there has been accidentally un-
esrthed piece Of documentary evidence which
will settle the matter with everybody who is
disposed to be fair.
4 The letter of which the following Is on ex.
tract was written On the field Immediately af.
Ser the battle. 1t was written BY Mai. Col.
kreye TO 3 lady who was at that time more than
q friend. Afterwards there was reconsidera-
tion. correspondence was returned, and the mat
Ter Joined the innumersble caravan of might
hsve-beeDs Although carnage had ceased on
the field. il is evident that the fire Of battle is
still raging in the gallant Majors heart. Ow-
( Ing TO this some things may be little over
drawn, but in detailing the movements within
his view it will be seen that it confirms every
material point in my original statement. Fol-
flowing is the extract:
After few minutes Col. Coigrove. CON-
nsDding brigade, received orders to advance
the lire. The ABIDE Camp who brought the
orders to Col. Colgrove made a mistake It
should have been, advance the skirmishers
INSTEAD OF simply the line' Nineteen dead
Massachusetts men and Is dead Indiana men
were the fruit OF this mistake. The I'd Mass.
was ordered to charge the enemy's works on
our left and front tenemy's right. The 18th n.
J. was ordered to occupy the 2d's place.
Their Colonel gave the command: Right face,
by file left-March!' Here follows descrip-
zion (which is not pertinent to the discussion
of the Misunderstanding or accident which at
that particular juDcture rendered the gallant
18th non effective. Col. Colgrove saw how it
was and told Col. Carman to take his men ont
of the way, aud added: Col. Fesler, move the
9th into those works. During all this time
the I'd Mass. is moving on the double quick
&c It's point of attack. The boys heard him.
and did rot wait for commands, but rushed
FORWARD with cheer. Before we reached them
1.-THE works which had been occupied by the I'd
Mass. at O., we heard the Colonel: Twenty
seventh, charge the works in your 'front.' By
this time the time at which the 9th left the
Rd's works.. the ID had gained their 1.-THE
eDemysl works, and were fighting nobIy,
p1hcers yIeing with each other who should be
foremost IN leading the charge and the men
striving 70 Guido each other The enemy held
their fire uatil we came into the open space
about 90 yards of, and then what murderous
IRE they poured into u.s. You would need to
see the melting line to know. The first fire
seemed TO knock the three right companies
right down. This did not make them falter
one bit, but we received orders TO retake our
places IN the works as the I'd Mass. had been
driven back. 1t was with difficulty that the
regiment was got back. They knew whom
they were lighting, and vice versa. When we
Eetreated the enemy thought we were licked
snd presnmp tuously charged u.s. We took no
notice OF them until they got pretty close,
when, turning. the old 9th rushed upon them.
bore them back, trampling their dead and
dying under foot. moment they stood our
There was probably not one man in a hmm.
cred Of The 9th Ind. who knew what had be-
come OF the I'd Mass. after they left their
works al {. When / saw the I'd Mass at + IL
was beeause my attention Was called to it. aud
MT that H. did lot know il was the I'd Mass.
With othersof the 9th Ind. supposed the I'd
Mass. had gone directly across the field and
been driven back before we entered it. instead
Of making The circuit and attacking at the
point indicated. And Maj. Colgrove evidently
believed this also at the time he wrote the let
Ter referred TO. Although be directed my at
tention TO the I'd Mass. az Z be did not know it
was the I'd Mass, for he says that when the
9th Ind. reached the works vacated by the Cd
Mass the I'd Mass. had gained the rebel works
For years alter the war ! never knew
that the regiment at p was the I'd
Mass | read, and inquired, and medi.
tsted, and ct last my diligence was rewarded
by the discovery that it WAS the Cd BASS 1T
should be understood by the non-military that
The average mind Immediately succeeding q
battle Is not in an analytical mood. Besides
there are many things TO divert the mind from
continuous and searching thought on particu-
lar Eubjectj Col. Feslcr. commanding the 9th
And, says be never cav the I'd Mass, or knew
what had become Of IL, after it left its original
position at C. If the I'd Mass. had entered the
meadow at the point and time indicated by
Comrade Hinkley it would have been ia plain
Wow OF every man IN the 9TH IND, and there
woulo have been no controversy. The 9th
Ind. would have meekly borne all that has
peen said but the statement being at variance
with the facts, we protest against it.
1t does not require any particular ability TO
tmirch the good name of regiment. All that
ss required is a Low nature. Suppose. in writ
tng about the battle of Antietam, / should re-
fer to the time the Cd Mass retreated over to
The 9th Ind, which was lying in reserve, and
eescribe the retreat as cowardly and disgrace
fuL. In doing this i would simply lie. The
whole front line was giving way, and the re-
treat OF the I'd Mass was a military necessity.
But could describe it in such way, without
really saying so, ss TO convey the impression
That the retreat was disgraceful In doing
this would do nothing worse than has been
Gone by the I'd Mass. man who furnished the
Gaia upon which the Adjutant-G General OF Mas
naehusetts made his statement.
Capt. George A. Thayer Sketches of War
History. Ohio ComEsndery, Loyal Legion, Vol.
Y. page 80, says:
~het two regiments of 600 men could essay
esainst brigade safely hidden in strong de-
lenses these regiments attempted. But only
one passed the meadow-the ID Mass The