The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-08-31
CHARLOTTESVILLE.
Where the Third Corps was Immediatel
Following the Rout of the Eleventh Corps

Where the Third Corps was ImmediateI!
Following the Rout of the Eleventh Corps
= HAVE carefully read the differen
Z articles on Charlottesville by Col
! - Hamlin, and have been surprised Il
read of the great amount of fghtins
which he has credited his corps with in thai
engagement.
The soldiers of the Eleventh Corps were
as good as any others in the Army of the
! Potomac, but it is well-established fac
| from the date of that battle until the pres
ent time that they had the misfortune to bt
surprised by JacksOn's Corps coming in or
their right flank and rear, causing them tC
retreat in the most complete disorder and
confusion.
At this late day it is an easy matter to
draw maps, and at their bottom note the
time showing the positions of troops at such
an hour, but those made by Col. Hamlin
are not correct, and believe my assertion
will be verified by every living member OF
Berry's Division, Third Corps
In your issue of July q the three maps
therein contained show the position of our
division from $50 TO 7:15 p. IN. as being on
the left side of the road leading from United
States FOrS to the Chancellor House.
/ regret to say there is no truth in that
statement, and l do not have to trust my
memory nor anyone else's to make that as
sertion, for lying before me as / write this
is my daily journal carefully written at the
time with pen and ink, which, in connection
with two letters written TO my sister upon
that battlefield on May and 5, states that
we took the position as described by Col.
Hanlin on the evening of May /, where we
remained exposed to shell fire until Satur-
day, May 2. at A o'clock p m.
From that time until 4:30 p. N. we heard
very heavy firing, when at that hour an Aid
came riding rapidly up to Gen. Berry with
orders to lead his division at once to the
front. The sound of the firing coming
nearer all the time had prepared US for that
order, and it was but five minutes work to
fall IN line, and by orders each company
threw their knapsacks in separate heaps
and leaving one man from each company to
guard them, we started on double-quick for
the battlefield, cheering as we went.
On arriving near the Chancellor House we
filed to the right, and with our ranks well
closed up pressed our way through the dis
| ordered masses of the Eleventh Corps, which
in wild confusion were retreating rapidly to
the rear. The fields in front of and to the
south of the Chancellor House were fairly
covered with the fugitives, who without any
organization, were seeking place of safety
AS we double-quicked down the Plank
road TO check the victorious advance o.
Jackson's Corps, / saw Serg't Jas. McDavett
of my company, grasp one Of the German sol
diers by the shoulder, and placing his revOl
yer at his head forced him to go back with us
in the fight, where both of them were killed
the next morning.
On arriving in the valley opposite Fair
view, short distance in the woods Gen
| Berry formed us across the Plank road il
| two lines Of battle. The left flank of oul
regiment rested on the Plank road, with In,
! 11th and 10Th Mass, the Goth Pa, 120lh n
| Y, and other troops on our right, while il
! our front WAS the LIST Mass. aud the Excelsio
| Brigade.
The Second \. J. Brigade, having been OF
/ duty at the ford, joined us during the night
| and formed in iine Of battle on the lett 0
the Plank road.
In your issue of Aug. 3 Col. Hamlin shows
| the greater part of the Eleventh Corps from
| 7:20 to 8:15 p. N. still in line of battle di
rectly in front of cur division. l do no
believe that after 40 p N. on May 2 Their
were any of the Eleventh Corps still in lin,
of battle at that place, as described by Col
|
wounded, and think the list Mass and tn
Excelsior Brigade will confirm me in tn
statement that there were no troops in from
of them that night, except rebels. Gen
! Doubleday says it is uncertain whether tt,
rebels shot Gen. Jackson that night or tn,
LIST Mass. or the I'D n. Y, both of whom
were firing heavily in that direction.
l have shown by the extract from m,
| Iiary hat he fhrae frSf ,,oapo IF Hol Hau,
lin, as showing the position of our division
| at such an hour, are Incorrect; that instead
of being near the Chancellor House. we ha,
already double-quicked down the Planl
road and taken up the position in the wood
from which the Eleventh Corps had re
/ treated
Col. Hamlin's map in paper of Aug.
think is also incorrect, for do not believe tn
1st Mass. and the I'D n. Y would be firm
heavily to the front unless they had som
rebs to shoot at.
] think the historians of both the lit
Mass. and 11th n. j. were about correct i
their statements, and / say this withou
meaning to cast any reflection on the drawer
of the rank and file of the Eleventh Corps
for believe it was the fault of their com
mandiDg officers in allowing them to be SUI
prised, and, besides, many of them were nc
satisfied with Gen. Howard. well remem
Der the following byword, which was com
mon throughout the army, as having bee
said by one of their number, g runs mi
Howard, und ! fights nit Sigel !" thereb
showing their love for their old commander
On Aug met in Dover Edward Kinney
member OF Co. E, 18th N. j., one of the me
who was left behind in the woods, near til
Chancellor House, to watch knapsacks an
i asked him 10 tell me what time of day
was when we left the woods there to double
quick down the Plank road when the Ele,
enth Corps retreated.
After thinking carefully for few me
| ments, he said it was about 4:30 in the afte