The National tribune., 1893-08-17
CHARLOTTESVILLE.
Comrade Rapp Takes Issue with Col. Hamlin
on a Few Points.

9OL. HAMLIN in his reply to an
article / sent you under the head,
~ How One OF Berry's Men Believes
That Gen. jackson Was Shot,
wanders away from the statement which /
had made in relation 10 the LIST Mass. l do
not find in his whole reply single line
bearing upon the subject at issue, but, III
stead, a number of con radictions Of other
matters stated by me; these contradictions,
being founded on reports, etc, as 10 lines OF
battle, would at first blush appear to place
me in a position of error, but which l trust
can make at least clear
did not say the guns were Seeley's but
wrote: II stepped out 10 the road 10 ascer-
tain if perchance these were two of Seeley's
guns Having had considerable Opp0r-
tunity to see a great deal of that worthy
and most brave officer in Florida at the
very commencement of the war, it would
have been great pleasure to me to meet
him there.
Col. Hamlin also states that Col Blaisdell,
of the 18th Mass, commanded our brigade
Be that as it may, had always been under
the impression that Gen. Joseph B. Carr had
command, for the following reasons:
] feel sure that ! saw him a day or two
before We broke camp and bivouacked near
where Sedgwick crossed the river, previous
to our march up to the Fords.
Joseph b. Carr was not the man to ask
for a leave of absence at just the time of the
opening of a campaign that was realized
by all TO be q very momentOus one.
If am right-if Gen. Carr took our bri-
gade into action then Col. Blaisdell did
not take charge until Sunday, after Gen.
Berry was shot, when Carr would have
taken the division, and so succeeded that
brave among the bravest, Gen. Berry. If so,
his mantle fell upon worthy shoulders, as
well as did that of Gen. Carr.
Being at the field hospital l had no Op-
portunity to see personally who led our
division or brigade back across the river. l
state the above from my own personal OBJ
servation of Joseph B. Carr.
Now as to Capt Poland's and Col. Meal
listers reports. 1t must perlorce be granted
that they cover a space of time of 16 10 90
hours, from, say, $50 on Saturday evening
until late in the forenoon of Sunday, May 3.
Col. Hamlin will surely grant that If he
was in position at that time to forw ard re-
ports of his regiments it would not have
been done upon the field of action, but i'm
medately upon time and occasion serving;
he then would state only the most salient
points; hence all minor movements have
been discussed, and very properly, too, in
that bright column known as Picket Shots.
] may show below how when one accepts a
report literally it may do gross injustice.
/ postponed writing This reply, az / wished
to make sure that ! had not been mistaken
as TO the position of my regiment. am
now assured that We did lay by the road
Saturday night, we did advance, and were
engaged in the woods ahead of our first po-
sition, and do know that inquired of the
eanuopaprc who nd xr1. af fbau
Col. Hamlin, in quoting Gen. Revere's re-
port, seems to me 10 have made large in
road on his own repeated statements. If
Gen. Revere upon being posted in line by
Capt Poland, could state with no enemy in
his front when he placed the Second Bri-
gade IN line" this query follows: What
caused the terrible crush, rush, pell-melI-
call it what you wish-that was taking
place on the Plank read?
The hypnotic influence, so very ably de-
scribed by Col. Hamlin in his article on
Charlottesville as pervading not only
Hooker and all of his staff, but which also.
by his own statements, seemed to have
reached the Eleventh Corps Headquarters,
must have also possessed the men of that
corps; but no, here is a case right in point
against literal construction of reports the
men of the Eleventh Corps had fought well
before, they fought well after Chancellors-
vile; it is not possible that they were flee
Ing from mere will-o'-ihe-wisps oh, MOI II
was before a well-panned attack, and fol-
lowed up, too, as results show.
If Col. Revere's report applies as Col.
Hamln applies the other reports to my
statements, then his defense of the Eleventh
Corps, so ably made is of no value.
Again, be states in such a way that the
casual reader is led TO believe that Col.
Burns was during the action in the front
line, ahead of the 18th y. ]. Let US see.
Fox reports in this action losses as follows:
I'D \. Y, three killed, 81 wounded, four
missing; 18th n. j., Is killed, 146 wounded,
five missing.
i knew somewhat by observation of Col.
Burns in the field, and had the honor and
pleasure Of becoming acquainted with him
in civil life, and / know he would not have
left our front line with such bright prospects
ahead, as proved to be by the losses of my
regiment. This again shows that reports do
NOT apply TO every single detail.
The above ought, think, to show that
while reports are in the main correct, yet a
great deal lie often left out.
Now, allow me, in returning to the original
point at issue, 10 quote Col. McLaughhns
own report, and certainly ought 10 be al
lowed to call HIM in, seeing his regiment
was the one in the original issue. He
states:
AT $50 a cavalcade of q dozen or more
horsemen drove down the Plank road, when
my men Immediately fred upon them.
From the official report of Gen.
Lee ] am led TO believe that Gen. Jackson
was one of the cavalcade, and that he was
killed by my men,"
! believe Mclaughlin to have been a West
Pointer, aud an officer having been taught
promptness, yet his report does not appear
TO have been made until after be had heard
Of Gen. Lees report.
AS according 10 Col. Hamlin's statement
IN his reply 10 me, at least in its tone, ali
reports must be accepted, the long-drawn
arguments about Who wounded Jack ,on, y
in view of Col. McLaughlin's report are now
useless for the Is. Mass, as / said before
must have been the firing party, which after
all is, or was in my former article, the true
issue.-CHAs. RAPP, First Sergeant, Co. K,
18th n. j.
Going to the Worlds Fair7
II you are. go via Cincinnati and the C. II
ID. and Aonon Route. The superb train
,F st,-