The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1894-10-04
McCLERNAND'S INACTION.
One of Hovey's Men Presents the Question
from His Point of View.

| EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: AS think
you are the most long-suffering and patient
man | have ever known, | am going to ask
to further try your forbearance by replying
to Comrade VIM. S. Bedford Co. E, Sth Ind
In the first place, Comrade Bedford says
he stands up for the Thirteenth Corps, and
then he goes off into a vigorous defense OF
Gen. McClernand, and in such a manner as
to reflect upon those who have passed be-
yond the barrier that prevents them from
speaking in their own defense. think at
this late day that heated discussion as to
merits or dement's of comrades of the war,
especially commanding officers, are some
what out of place, yet history should be writ
ten correctly.
Truly, the Thirteenth Corps needs no de-
| Tense, especially as to its part in the memor-
able Vicksburg campaign, which it bore so
conspicuously, nor does Gen. McClernand
nSed any witnesses to prove his fighting
qualities. Comrade Bedford quotes the great
number of killed and wounded in the Thir-
teenth Corps during that campaign, and
thereby clearly establishes the truth of the
charges upon which Gen. McClernand was
relieved from command of the Thirteenth
Corps.
Comrade Bedford says let us not tarnish
the fame of Gen. McClernand, and, if we
blindly justify his acts, we tarnish the fair
fame of Gen. Grant, and convict him OF re-
moving Gen. McClernand from his COM
mand without cause and unjustly. Now let
us see if Comrade Bedford is right.
On the morning of May Is Hovey's Divis-
| ion, of the Thirteenth Corps, was at Bolton,
Miss, on the north road approaching Cham
pion's Hills, Osterhaus's, Carr's and Smiths
| Divisions were farther south on what was
called the middle road, but nearer to Cham
pion's Hills (Pemberton's army than was
| Hovey's Division. Gen. Grant ordered Me-
Clernand to advance cautiously, but not to
| bring on an engagement unless he felt GER
| tain of victory. Grants Memoirs, Vol. l,
page 510)
Hovey, with his division of nine small
regiments, made the attack On Pemberton's
army by order of Gen. McClernand, and for
three hours he maintained the unequal con-
| test unaided, though McClernand was near
| at hand with his other three divisions above
named, which were scarcely engaged at all,
and though often requested, he neglected
and refused to reinforce Hovey until more
than one-third of his men were either killed
or wounded, while McClernand, in spite of
Gen. Grants order, failed to come to the
| rescue.
Gen. Grant says in his Memoirs, Vol. 1,
page 513: when 1 arrived on the field
| Hovey's skirmish had grown into a battle.
McClernand in person was on the middle
road, and had much shorter distance to
march to reach the enemy's position than
| Mcpherson. / sent him word by a staff
! officer to push forward and attack. These
| instructions were repeated several times
without apparently expediting McClernands
| advance"
Had Comrade Bedford stood where / did
in Hovey's Division during those long hours
of waiting for help from McClernand, until
over !, 200 of the $500 constituting Hovey IS
! Division were shot down by foe that out
numbered us five to one, he would not be so
enthusiastic to rush to Gen. McClernands
| defense.
| But what was the result of McClernand's
| hardness? to use mild term. In order to
save the remnant of Hovey's Division and
to hold the line Gen. Grant was compelled
| to draw reinforcements from his right,
| thereby opening an avenue of escape for
| Pemberton, of which he was not slow to
avail himself, and defeating the well-laid
plan of the Commanding General for captur-
ing Pemberton's army. J think history
warrants the conclusion that if McClernand
had performed his part on that field as well
escape for Pemberton, hence no siege OF
Vicksburg and no necessity for the destruc-
ton of more than One-third of Hoyey's Di-
| vision.
See Grants Memoirs, Vol. /, page $40,
where he says: Had McClernand come up
with reasonable prOmptness, / cannot see
how Pembert0n could have escaped with
any organized force"
Now, let us follow the Thirteenth Corps
and its commander until May %, the day OF
the assault made along the entire line, and
which was a disastrous failure McClernand
reported to Gen. Grant that he had gained
the enemy's intrenchments in several places
and asked for reinforcements.
Grant says in his Memoirs Vol /, page
531: g / occupied a position from which l
thought l could see as well as he did, but l
did not see the success he reported. His
request for achievements being repeated
sent them, and ordered Sherman and Nc
Pherson to renew the assault in his favor,
but the last attack only increased our
casualties without giving any benefit what
ever"
Again, On June II, as if to show his con-
tempt for all military law, order or disci-
pline, McClernand issued that famous order
of congratulation to the Thirteenth Corps
without first submitting it to the Command
ing General. He very well knew it to be an
act of INSTRUMENTATION, in violation of the
orders of the Commanding General, as well
as in violation of special orders from the
War Department. Hence the removal which
followed soon after.
The removal of Gen. McClernand from
command of the Thirteenth was not only a
matter of justice to that corps, but also to
the Fifteenth and Seventeenth Corps, as
McClernand's fulsome congratulatory order
to the Thirteenth, above referred to, was
(perhaps unintentionally) a reflection upon
those two deserving corps.
While the men comprising the Thirteenth
are proud of the record the corps made in
the Vicksburg campaign, they have no wish
to detract from the credit of any other corps
Both the Fifteenth and the Seventeenth did
everything required Of them and more, and
had either of them been placed in the posi-
ton occupied by the Thirteenth they would
have made no less glorious record. In fact
the record they made is equal TO that of the
Thirteenth, only they were more fortunate
as to losses.-C. NJ. PARKER, Co. A, 46th
Ind, Lincoln, Neb.
Hotel Andersonville.
c. Protexter, Chicago, H., who was Q
guest of Landlord Wirz at Hotel Anderson
vile for seven months, says that in some
ways Wirz was an ideal host. He kept all
the gates shut and took great care that nc