The National tribune., 1894-12-27
FRANKLIN.
Comradc ShelIenberger Taken to Task for
Some of His Statements.

Comradc Shellenberger Taken to Task for
Some of His Statements.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: In your
issue of Nov. %, Comrade Shellenberger,
writing on the battle OF Franklin, makes
some mistakes. He starts in to prove that
Gen. Cox and all the members of the
Twenty-third Corps who have written of
the battle deny, or eyade, that any serious
break was made in our line-ot-battle, to
prove that the General falsifies history, aud
that the members OF the Twenty-thrd
Corps who have written of the battle all
have taken their cue from him and re-
peated the falseh0od.
He stnrtles Us by the information that
both Stricklands front and second lines
were carried by the enemy; that his tStrick-
land's) front line was not regained by the
Union troops; that his second line was not
retakcn by the men of the Twenty third
Corps alone and this he concludes is proof
that neither Gen. Cox nor any member of the
Twepty-thlrd Corps can be expected TO tell
the truth.
Now, have Gen. Cox's account of the
battle, and he says about this part of the
line precisely what Comrade Shellenberger
does, almost in the same words. Gen. Cox
says very plainly that both the front and
second lines, occupied by Strickland's BrI-
gade, were in possession oil the enemy, and
that 0pdyckes Brigade charged and recapt-
ured the sc C md line, but that the outside line
remained IN the enemy's possession till the
end of the battle. have read THE NATIONAL
TRIBUNE pretty regularly ever since it was
10-cent monthly, and / have never seen a
comrade of the Twenty-third Corps writing
abOHt this part of the line who stated it any
differently, and all that army Except Com
rade Shellenberger) knows that Opdyckes
Brigade was part Of WagDer's Division, of
the Fourth Corps.
Gen. Cox also says the second line was
barricaded and strengthened with such ma
terial as the men could find; that an effort
was made 10 get the 1l2tb III. into the
outer line, but it was unsuccessful. Com
rade Shellenberger, in order to prove Cox
liar, says exactly the same thing, and
throws IN the 44rh Mo. for luck.
claim that Shellenberger misrepresents
uniusrIy land with apparent malice) not
only the commanders, but also the rank and
file of the Twcn;y-third Corps, when he says
they desire TO evade the truth regarding the
battle of Franklin. l challenge him TO show
anything from the pen of any member OF the
Twenty-third Corps claiming that Sirick-
iSltl : iIpbI slhe WAS EecdFIuItu, OF lnab HIS
second line was Tecaptured by men OF the
Twt nj y-ihird Corps alone, and when he i'll
Inmates that Opdyclle's Brigade did not
know there was front line, he simply
exhibits ignorance. Opdycke's Brigade
marched through that line from the front,
after it was built, in broad aylght and
went into reserve behind the Sc cond line.
The comrade further asserts that it was
through Scholields and COx's stupidity that
Conrad's and Lanes Brigades were kept out
in front till they were driven in with the
enemy at their heels.
Now have always had little different
unders; andiDg of that matter, aud several
members of the two brgades living in this
place say they have too. Our officers told
us about The middle of the afternoon the
General wanted them to explain that the
two brigades were out there simply 10 keep
our sklrmlshers from being driven in by
anything less than line-oi- battle, and that
as so0D as the enemy showed a disposition
TO advance il force, Wagner had orders TO
bring them in behind our line so as TO give
a clear field.
Hence we have always believed these two
brigades overstayed their time because Wag-
ner disoheyed his orders. Cox generously
says that in the excitement Wagner forgot
his orders, and sent word 10 Conrad 10 fight
but the Orderly who carried the order lives
in this town, has been Clerk of the District
Court here aboui 10 years, is one OF tie in
spectors of the GAR. of this Department,
and he says Wagner bad kept bracng him
self with whisky TO such an extent that he
was plainly drunk when he sent him with
that order. Wagner was accused Of dis
obeying orders. / have never heard that he
disproved It, or that he even denied it.
The command TO which belonged never
left our line Second Brigade, Third Divs-
ion, Twenty-third Corps; our position
was Just TO the left of where the line broke
and although we were terribly busy, we
still mad at least as good al opportunity TO
see what was going on as the man who was
hiding IN the cellar. We always have
claimed that the part of the broken front
line TO the left of Suickiand's Brigade was
retalSen during the battle by men Of the
Twenty third Corps alone The only part
we took in recovering that part of the front
line was 10 pour a rght-oblique volley into
the rebel lines which were still coming in
the direction of the gap, while Col White
charged into the breach with his gallant
Kentuckiaus and hurled the enemy out at
the point OF the bayonet.
By that time we had to turn attention to
our own front. The rebel lines we had
staggered IN the first onset were on rs again
with rein;orcements, and as a great many of
our guns were empty, we had two OF three
minutes business for bayonets and rifle
stocks. / know at least one man who
grabbed rebel off the top of our works by
the legs and tossed HIM over our lines back
of the ditch. and j heard that several were
tossed over with bayonets-WM. N. BROWN,
Co. +, Goth H., Rockwell City, Iowa.