The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-11-30
AT CHICKAMAUGA.
A Few Observations and Criticisms Regar,
ing that Battle.


ing that Battle.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Referring
to ComTade Works inquiry III your issue of
Aug. 81, as to what regiment made the charge
IN our front on Sunday evening, about three
miles south of ROSsville Gap, at Chicka-
manga. my recollection is that it was the
Both Ohio, of Gen. Turchin's Brigade; for
after they captured the battery they passed
10 the rear through our regiment A cousin
of mine, William Swan, Both Ohio, was lost
in that charge, and has never been heard of
since.
In regard to placing our picket-line inside
the rebel lines, my recollection is that our
pickles were placed after dark and inside
the rebel lines by reason of our not knowing
the enemy's position or lay of the ground.
This occurred at the opening of the battle
and, believe, on Friday night This fact is
impressed Oh my memory, because Col Dan
McCOok came to Maj. Holmes, commanding
the sd Ohio, and said there was one of our
ordnance wagons fast on stump, and it
was very close 10 the Johnnies' lines.
Maj. Holmes ordered me to get it off.
was not in very good humor; however, /
followed directions, and was engaged in
getting it off and out when Col Dan Nc
Cook came up and began to swear and order
me to hurry up. 1t made me mad, and l
told him if he wanted my job, to get it off
himself He said:
Well, get it off as quick as you can; the
rehs are all around us"
got The wagon out all right and reioined
my regiment. / think this occurred near
Crawtish Springs, where during the night
our regiment and the rebs got wafer from
the same spring, and where we were told
by the Iebs they belonged to Longstreets
Corps, and had just arrived on the cars.
Soon after We had lively skirmsh over the
spring, and in the morning when it got light
enough Saturday mOrDing) our pickets
found our lines inside the rebel picket-lines,
and we cap tured q part of rebel brass band
and picket-line in retiring.
On Sunday night / WAS one of the bows
who wrapped my blanket around the wheels
of Barnetts Battery ], I'd H., and helped
take the guns by hand down the mountain
to the Rossville Gap, where we could put
the horses TO the guns. Our orders were not
to make any noise and not to speak above
whisper We know now that the General
commanding had retired TO refuge, that
our position was critical, and that orders of
this nature were usual when surrounded by
the enemy, and the officer in immediate COM
mand was endeavOring 10 extricate his men.
This was our position at that time as UNI
derstood il, and while we did not take off
our shoes for fear of waking the sleeping
rebels, as one Of the writers in Picket Shots
intimates, we took off our I'd Ill. Battery /
as j here relate it, aud every soldier knows
that when a battery is taken off the field in
this manner its position is perilous
l want to say right here, for the benefit of
my critics, that if l had had the authority
TO command / would have been with the
Generals both in retreats and advances.
was a very poor hand in the rear in re-
treat and would infinitely prefer the rear
in an advance. But as matter of fact
things never shaped themselves that way
for me in emergencies, and somehow got
there just the same every time.
! made no record of these statements at
that moment, for, as all comrades will un-
derstand, was under the orders and direc-
tions of Maj. Holmes, commanding the SD,
continuously Friday, Saturday and Sunday
Our regiment covered the retreat of the
army through Rossville Gap, to the rear of
which point we camped under the plum
trees.
/ note that G. f. BOLTON has something
TO say about us. / will cheerfully concede,
and think he may be better posted about
some other part OF the field Of Chickamauga
than he is about Col Dan McCook's Brigade,
and the sd Ohio in particular. What he
writes reads like official reports compiled
in the rear. i have only memory TO guide
me, and after manner OF the Governors of
the CarOlinas will say that it is a long time
Observation-Disclosures and 1S93.-JOsEPH
SWAN, Co. G, sd Ohio, Kansas City, Kan.