The National tribune., 1893-05-25
CHARLOTTESVILLE.
The Part Taken in That Battle by Berry
Division. of the Third COrns.

I
| incorrect. He tries by belittling other
troops to shield the Eleventh Corps and its
| officers. While some of the Eleventh Corps
perhaps fought nobly and did their full duty,
others were surprised, and that in the face OF
| the enemy, while others were captured. entirely
naked, in bathing, and others stroliing some
distance away, with their guns stacked. Such
was the condition of things in aud around the
| Wilderness Church at the time of Jackson's
! sudden attack, as related to me by Mr.. Chan
! cellor who lives near, and was one of the guides
! employed by Jackson that day, and many Others
! of Jackson's command that l talked with both
in Fredericksburg and Richmond and other
| places.
Upon examining the maps of Col Hamlin
the readers of THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE will
see that at 1880 p. M. and even still later, he
has put the Eleventh Corps in front of Berry s
/ Division in checking Gen. Jacksons advance.
This is entirely incorrect. After Berry's Di-
vision took position there were no Union
troops in our 'front.' except those fleeing from the
Johnnies, completely panic stricken. When we
arrived near the edge of the woods, west of
Fairview, the Eleventh Corps came pouring out
ofthe woods in the widest confusion, some with
out caps many without guns There were pack
mules, mules in tip-carts, even women mixed
up in the disorganiZed jam. As we arrived at
the edge of the woods we fled right and march
ed along the edge of the woods until the 1st
took position with the 10th company *, rest
ing upon the Plank road Dnring all of these
movements of Berry's Division the Eleventh
Corps came pouring out of the woods, as related
above. and here in this position we did our
part in checking Stonewall Jackson's advance
and we fought Confederates and not air and
trees, as Col. Hamlin tries to have the readers
of The NATIONAL TRIBUNE believe. Berry's
Division tried to rally and encourage the Elev-
enth Corps to make another stand, and we
would help them check the victorious John
MES, but you might as well have tried to check
the waters of Niagara. All you could hear or
see was the wild gestures of their hands and
their wild jabber and shake of the head.
Such my readers, was the true state Of affairs
as seen by my own eyes when Berry's Division
arrived upon the scene of conflict and took
position across tie Plank road
As soon as we got into position Gems. Hooker,
Howard and Berry rode up the line in our
front and were received with cheers, and there
upon commenced the check of Gen. Jackson's
victorious troops. The firing even commenced
while the three Generals were riding in our
front, aud we staid there during that night
aud until the Maryland regiment gave way
the next day, when we were obliged to fall
back. And still Col. Hamlin would have you
believe that we only fought the COnfederates
in our minds.
Does it look reasonable that old veterans like
the old Kearny Division, commanded by
Gen. Birney, and the old Hooker Division,
commanded by Gen. Berry, would fight just
open air and trees alone from before sunset
until after midnight? Nearly all the regi-
ments in the First Brigade were in the First
Bull Run, and then for three months were bril-
gaded together under Gen. Hooker. When the
Excelsior Brigade (Gen. Sickles) and the Cd n.
]. Col Starr came to Washington the three
brigades were formed into division under Joe
Hooker, and went through all the battles of the
Peninsular campaign under Mcclellan; was at
Kettle Run, Groveton, Second Bull Run and
Chautilly, under Pope, and at Fredericksburg,
under Burnside prior TO the battle of Chancel-
louisville, and still didn't know whether we were
fighting the Johnnies or firing into trees only.
Ii the Eleventh Corps did most of the fight.
ing at Charlottesville, and did not become
panic stricken, why did Gen. Howard ride up
to Gen Berry when he Berry was advancing
at the head OF his division to the scene of con-
fict and exclaim to Berry, ~ am ruined
man." and Gen. Berry's prompt and ready re-
ply, Not necessarily so, General; have got a
division here that was never whipped and
they are not going to be now"
How well he knew the metal that old di-
vision was made OF, and how well Gen. Hooker
knew what that division could do. How often
heretofore he had led them through success.
fully the same trying ordeal, and never found
them wanting. / will leave it with your good
Judgment. my readers, whether Berry's Divis-
sion or the Eleventh Corps only checked the
Confederate advance in and around the Plank
road.
As ! said before. Birney's and Whipple's Di-
visions were down the right so cannot
write anything pertaining to those divisions;
but with the reputation that Birney's had,
both under Gen. Phil Kearny and Gen. Birney,
l think every reasonable man will say that
they knew whether they fought wind only or
real Confederate soldiers, and would be manly
enough and are good soldiers enough las |
know they were) to tell the truth in the mat
ter, and l hope some of them will be heard
from in defense of that gallant old division
Whipple's Division ! knew very little about,
as they were with us but short time as the
Third Corps had only two divisions most of the
time after Gen. FitZ-J John Porter took COM
mand of the Fifth Corps and took his (the
Third division with him. Gen. Whpple lost
his life in command OF his division during this
battle.
As to the wounding of StonewaIl Jackson. Col
Col. Hamlin again makes misstatements, and
takes the credit from where it rightfuly belongs,
and gives the readers OF The NATIONAL TRIB-
UEE to understand that he was wounded by
his own men, and even goes so far as to set the
time at least two hours earlier than history or
even the Confederstes themselves admit ]
have never heard it set earlier before than IL
o'clock, and all / have ever talked with land
they are quite a number of the Confederates
who were there Maj. Smith, of Jacksons staff,
among the rest set il from IL to 1880 at night
and that corresponds exactly to the time that
the 1st Mass. claims that he (Jackson) rode
into squad of men from that regiment sta
toned several rods in front of the regiment
upon the Plank road, and was challenged by
Serg't Dan Kelly; thereupon he wheeled his
horse to the right Of the road and dashed into
the woods about parallel with our regimental
line, followed by shots from Kelly and his
men, and that firing was followed by musketry
from both the Union and Confederate lines of
battle, with heavy artillery firing by the Union
batteries
Just after visited the different battlefelds
wrote 10 THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE in regard
10 it, and it was printed in the number of Dec.
-. 1883. If consistent, ! would like to have
the Editor reprint that portion of the letter
pertaining TO the wounding Of Gen. Jackson,
in connection with this article.
Col. Hamlin also misleads the readers Of The
TRIBUNE in his statement in regard to the
road Jackson took at the time he was making
his reconnaissance. 1t WAS the Plank road
where he was wounded, on all the authority
] have ever heard, and not on any dirt road.
visited the battlefield over four years ago
and talked with many of Jackson's old soldiers
both in Fredericksburg and Richmond; and all
had him wounded on the Plank road, almost
exactly in the same place that Sergt Kelly and
his men were that night. He fell from his
horse between two large trees that are now
standing, about $50 yards distant, aud in front