The National tribune., 1893-05-25
FOURTEENTH CORPS.
The Official Records Sustain the Corps His
tOrian.

tOrian.
TN your history of the Fourteenth Corps
there are some statements which, in the
= main, may not be so very far from the
actual facts, yet to the actual partici-
pants will appear to have been made by one
who "smeleth the battle afar off" Permit
me to call attention to one Or two things as an
illustration.
In the description of the Jonesboro fight it
is made to appear that the right of Estes Bril-
gade carried the works at once, while the left
composed of the 18th and 3Sth Ohio-hated
under severe fire and waited until the brigade
commander who was off to the right, seeing
the other fellows safely over the works, could
come back and hunt up another regiment to
bring to their assistance.
Now, the facts which think every surviving
soldier of those two regiments will bear me
out in stating is, that the left of the line got
there about as soon as any other portion of it,
and captured their full quota of prisoners. as
well as sharing with others in the terrible
losses of battle. The 3Sth Ohio was in the
front line, with the 14th in close striking dis
tance. The first fire of the enemy was delivered
just as the front line was entering the woods,
and did but little damage, as it nearly all
passed over the heads of the men; but the lines
becoming entangled in the fallen brush, did not
reach the works until they had time to deliver
the second volley, which was sent directly into
fully half of the men. This staggered the 38th
for moment, but the 18th coming mp promptly,
the line moved on and over the works. which
was about the safest thing they could do, as
waiting there within 30 PAGES Of that hell of
fire until achievements could be sent for was
about the most foolbardy thing that could have
been suggested, and would have dubbed the
members of those two regiments as the cham
pion idiots of the Fourteenth Corps.
Another item is in summing up the CASH.
alties of the Jonesboro battle, the losses of the
entire Third Division is placed at three officers
and rs enlisted men killed and 90 officers
and 263 enlisted men wounded, when / can
name at least four officers of my own regiment
killed, and as to wounded we did not have
quite enough to supply one to each company
after the fight was over.-LEE II. RUDIsILLE,
Co. II, Seth Ohio, White Oaks, n. NJ.
The narrative or history of the Fourteenth
Corps at the battle of Jonesboro, published in
our issue of March 90 1893, is based on the
official reports as published in the Records of
the War of the Rebellion, Vol. 80, Part /.
Gen. Absalom Baird, commanding the Third
Division, in his report, pages 751, 1872 says of
Estes Brigade:
On the right the success was immediate
and complete. The 10th KY. followed by the 74th
Ind struck upon the short projecting point of rife
pit called the first line and carried it, well the
main line. extending thence to the right. A single
dash, after entering the woods. gave them the vic
tory. The rebel troops, confident in themselves
and in their ability to hold their works. were to-
tally unprepared for charge of this kind and
were taken completely by surprise They delv-
cred single voey, and before they could reload
found our men in the trenches with them. bayonet-
ing all who did not surrender.
On the left our men were not immedi-
aieiy successful The 18Th and 18th Ohio after
entering the woods, formed line extending from
the short projecting work 10 the left, but the dis
lance TO tie rebel main work ibeing greater than
the right and the approach to il IN ore obsructed
by fallen treeG they could reach IL
They remained in this position, subjected 10 n
terrible fire coming obiiquely down the works from
the rebel right, for some minutes after the right
wing had achieved its success Col Este, who was
at this point of the line, finding that the troops
our left did not or could not move forward with
as we had been led to expect that they would be-
gan to fear that his men could not hold on where
they were, and sent for renforcemenis. Seeing at
the same time q regiment of Brig. -Gen. Morgan's
left Brigade the 18th y. Y, marching up to go into
place in rear of our right, where ii was no longer
needed, Col. Este appealed to the com mandng Off
Ger, requesting him to put his regiment left
where II could be most useful. and guided him to the
place. The fire OF the enemy at this point was most
destructive, yet the gallant Colonel (Grower) car
ried his regiment into position with heroic
bravery challenging the highest admiration and
was himself almost the first TO fall before it. The
regiment seeing this, for n moment faltered, but
was at once treasured, and the order to charge be-
ing given, rushed forward along with the 18th and
38th Ohio, and captured not only the works, but
nearly all in them This ended the battle, as all
that followed was desultory firing shots from
distant artillery.
The return of casualties, to which exception
is taken, is the official report, as published in
the same records. The Third Brigade of the
Third Division lost in the charge: Killed, 3
officers and ~ enlisted men; wounded, Is
officers and 24S men; total, BAL. The First
and Second Brigades and Headquarter Staff
lost 20 killed and wounded. Only one officer of
the 33th Ohio was killed three however, died
subsequently of wounds received in this action.
CORPS HIsToRIEs.1