The National tribune., 1892-08-11

noon when, after overwhelming FitZ-John
Porter and driving his forces back on the center
and left, mass after mass of his forces were
rushed against our left"
That much will prove we were not two miles
in the rear waiting for orders When McClellans
army was ordered to leave the Peninsula and
report to Pope reinforeements the Fifth
Corps marched overland to Newport News, a
distance of l16 miles, and shipped to Aqua
Creek; then marched to Bull Run, arriving in
the vicinity Of the battlefield about shutdown.
We halted and rested On our arms few LII i'll
Rtes. i noticed great many tents pitched,
and soldiers Longing around IN camp. in
Quired of one man what troops those were. He
said Sigel's and told me they had been around
there a week more.
The First Division Fifth Corps, was again
under arms and marched into an open field
and formed line of battle. battery was
swung into position. We could see the rebels
filing past an opening in piece Of woods in our
front about mile distant. They fired one
shell at our battery. 1t was now getting dark
aud we went into camp. 1t was always mys-
terry to me why they ordered our corps to as
sault the enemy late in the evening" after
our long march, when there was weilrested
| troops waiting and anxious for orders to attack
the enemy.
The next morning We marched into a new
position and formed line of battle. Butter
| fields Brigade, First Division, was in the open
field in full view of the enemy's guns. In this
position we remained under scorching br0il-
ing sun until about 2 or 3 o'clock in the after
noon, when the bugle sounded the advance.
| The First Division [Morrell's) charged the
bloody railroad cut Aug. 30, 1862 On our re-
turn from the Maryland campaign we buried
| the bleached bones Of our fallen comrades,
whom the rebels had stripped of their clothing
and other effects. leaving the naked body for
the vulture and Virginia hog to get their wo rk
| in.
will not attempt to describe the disgraceful
| panic in our rear as We advanced against the
| storm of lead and iron that met us. Let me
! tell Serg't Thomas right here, that while he
| was king for information about these 10000
men who were two miles in the rear and listen.
| ing to the talk of drunken rebels Porter's
| Corps was being battered into a shapeless mass
| by rebel lead and iron.
i also notice in your issue of May 26 that
Gen. Capehart has, in very able manner vim.
Dictated Gen. Porter and even il it has taken
him % years to be convinced of Porter's inno-
cence. let me, through your valuable paper
thank him. and hoping that at least in the
next 25 years he will come to the same con-
clusion in regard to Mcclellan.
1t seems almost impossible that any man as
well posted on war records and the facts con.
nected with McClellan's Pennsular campaign
could reflect SO much diseredit upon Gen. Nc
Clellan, when the humiliatin2 actions of Hal
leck and treachery and intrigue of Mcdowell
are taken into consideration. However. again
/ thank Comrade Capehart for vindcatinf
Porter, and also the Canneneer for doing the
same for noble Warren. / hope next Septem
Der to show Comradc Thomas where Butter
fields Brigade fought at Bull Run No. FL. K
LAcKEY. 10th Mich, Third Brigade, First Di
vision. Fifth Corps 467 Vinewood Avenue
Detroit. Mich.