The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1894-12-06
CorpI Spohr Returns 10 the Charge Upon
Col Isaac r. Sherwood.


Corpr spohr Returns 10 the Charge Upon
Col. Isaac II. Sherwood.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: In your
issue of Oct. IL j have read the article of
Col Isaac II. Sherwood in reply to my letter
published in your issue Of Sept 6, in which
/ defended the honor of the 1S3d Ohio, so
uniustly nsulttd by him in relation TO the
death of Col. M. Clark, of that regiment, in
issue Of Aug. .. This Of Oct. ii is, indeed,
surprise. Instead of answering my letter,
in which l tried 10 tell the real facts he
branches out again on things entirely out Of
the issue, making sill further imaginative
statements, and is all mixed up worse than
before He talks of his regiment (the 1l1th
Ohio, tries to defend them somehow in the
same manner | am doing for the 1S3d Ohio,
with this difference, that he insulted my
regiment while / never mentioned his
regiment except to their credit, and could
not say anything against them, rs they were
a good and brave body of men, and Col.
Sherwoodis article in that issue was entirely
unnecessary.
But i now take issue again with him on the
very ground on which he tries to extricate
himself on the msstatemens made and
still persists in trying 10 prove by the War
Records, perhaps thinking a Corporal could
not get al the facts as well a Colonel /
leave ii to the records 10 which there is no
going behind.
do not propose to go into the details ofthe
battle of Franklin, OF what other troops did,
but purpose only TO deny the misstatementsuf
Col. Sherwood. In his first article he stated
that Col. Mervin Clark fell into his arms when
he was shot; that they were in an open field,
and he, Col. Sherwood, was commanding
brigade. These facts / denied and still
deny. as the Colonel did not fall into his
arms, and they were not in an open field,
and Col. Sherwood did not command bri-
gsde for "a single moment in or during the
battle of franklin.
Ia the last article (of Oct. III he quotes
from Col. Standings report Of the 23d
Mich, from Vol. a, Official War Records,
pages 37S and $50. | have this volume be-
fore me, and will, for the Colonel's benz fit,
quote the following extracts From Col Or
lander III. Moore. report No los, commence
ing on page BIS, Vol. As, continued on page
379; he says; The line occupied by the
brigade WAS so long that i found it impos-
sble TO fill it with my brigade, and applied
TO the Commanding General of the Division
for more troops, and received company o. so
men from the 1S3d Ohio, which put in posi-
ton between the 129,h Ind. and Odd M ch,
ne.r the center of my line" On page $50, he
SAYS: 1.-THE 111th Ohio was hankedn He
mentions number of officers in his report
for their distinguished bravery and valuable
service, but Col. Sherwood's name is not in
il. i have looked in vain for the order No
z, dated Nashville, Dec. 2, 1864, signed by
command of Col o. H. Moore commanding
Second Brigade, commenting Col. Sherwood
1or gallant conduct This order i cannot
find any record Of If il was issued, il is
not IN the official report. Col. Moore makes
q full report OF his losses in killed and
wounded, and all the movements of his bri-
gade. This is the brigade that Col. Sher-
wood claims TO have commanded, he being
Lieuienaut-Co Colonel Col. Spauldiug, Of the
23d Mich, being a full Colonel, and next in
rank, who would have been called had Col.
Moore been disabled. This report is signed
by Col. 0rlaBder H. Moore; attest. /. II. !
Hubble, Acting Assistant Acknowledgement. /
Second Division, Twenty bird Corps On /
pages 3s7 and 3SS Of Vol IS. in Col. Sher- /
~oods Own report, dated Nashville Dec s. /
1864, ! only quote where it relates TO the /
battle Of Franklin 1t says: Upon arriy- /
ing al Franklin j was assigned position on /
the left of the brigade. We threw up tenn
porary breast works, which were not com
plete when our skirmshers were driven in
and the rebels il three lines came upon our 4
front" Further on he says: AT midnight, /
in accordance with orders, ] brought NV /
regiment off the field and, with the balance /
OF the brigade, marched all night, and the |
next day, Dec. j, reached Nashville at 9 d.
m" he gives his losses-kilIed -: 40 !
wounded, 2 missing; total, 81 Signed. Isaac
j. Sherwood, Lieutenant-Colonel,c command |
ing regiment
h1c -, =
his regiment-not one word of the brigade
He says be fought behind works and the
rebels came on him in three lines In his
letter Of Aug 2 be SAYS be fought In omen
field at right OF cotton-gin; that there were
no fort or parapets, and that the rebels
came IN live or SIX lines deep. These state
menis 20 to show his disposition 10 exagger- |
ate facts, and they make for himself the |
monument lac accuses me Of trying TO make |
for myselE
in his article Of Oct II he concludes bv
saying bis regiment lost more men than any
regiment al Franklin. Another m estate |
meHt, rs the following report will show. on |
page 3O9, Vol. 40, the loss of the llIfh:
Officers killed, wounded and missing. a;
men killed, wound d. and missing "a: total.
a. no; 81, a. Col Sherwood reports. The
loss OF the l53d Ohio, which the Colonel
says fell on their fees aud did not fight. was:
Officers killed and wounded, 5: and 63 men.
s. IN all or 90 more than the I1llh. The
loss Of the 50lh Ohio was: Officer, killed
missing, and wounded, 5; men killed and
wounded, 1l5; total, l20, or ~ more than
the lllIh-almost double Its loss. MANY
ether regiments lost more men than this
regiment, yet Col. Sherwood SAYS his reci-
ment lost more than any regiment in the .
battle Idesire TO cali Col Sherwood's at
tention TO page 3GS, Vol -, the report of |
Gen. Thomas II. Ruger, commanding The
division, Of 9ags and prisoners captured at
the battle OF Franklin:
TWEHTY-THIRD CORPS.
Second Brigade. Officers Mon p-a..
lO1tH Itl...-....-..-... 5000. .. "a ~
l2q,h lnd ......... .... .
23d Mich. ...-.. "a