The National tribune., 1894-01-25
TUPELO.
A Comrade Differs with a Recent Account
of that Battle.

read "a lengthy account of the battle of Tu
belo by Comrade 5. c. Miles, Sth Wis; anC
while the Comrade' S description is very gooo
in many of lis features, il is widely at varl
ance with our views, and especially is 1t Sc
in regard to the formation of our Ilne-oi
battle, and when, where and what troop:
aid the fighting on the 14th of July.
From Comrade Miles the reader gets the
impression that our line-of- battle was a semi
circle. with its right resting on swamp
on the north; the left on swamp on the
south, with it's salient point facing west on
the PoutOtOc road. He does not state the
position of any of our troops, except the
Eagle Brigade, which he places on the right,
aud the First Brigade Third Division, winch
he styles the Ohio Brigade, on the right o.
the Eagle Brigade, with right resting on and
protected by swamp on the north.
Now, Comrade Miles, you are certainly
laboring under a misrepresentation as to the
formation of our line-oi- battle, and we will
proceed to notice what we think is your first
mistake.
Our line-ofbatiIe faced west, slightly fac
ing northwest, on right which rested on
swamp on the north, with its salient about a
half mile TO the south, and on the POntOtoc
road; from this point its direction was
nearly due south 10 the extreme left on a
high. open piece of ground, with cavalry on
the flank.
We do not know what troops were on the
extreme right, bus when the comIade places
the First Brigade, Third Division, there, and
calls it an Ohio Brigade, he mixes things
badly. The First Brigade, Third Division,
did not have an Ohio regiment in 1t, but 1t
did rave three Illinois regiments (122d, 5Sth,
and 1l9th) 21st Mo-, and S9Ih Ind, and was
not where C0mTade Miles places it at all,
bat was south of the PontoiOc road in the
following order: the 122d Ill. on the right,
reaching up to the PontoiOc road; then
comes The 5S h ILL.,. then the Sd Ind. battery,
composed of the Sd and 9th Ind. non-veter-
ans; then the 2lst Mo-; then the 18th ILL.,,
with the S9ih Ind. on the left.
Now, If we are in error as 10 where the
brigade lay and the pGsi ions of the different
regiments, We will be glad TO have any COM
rade correct us.
1t remains for rs 10 notice COmrade Miles's
assertions IN regard to the fighting which he
asserts was from the extreme right 10 the
extreme lett, and at times in rear of his part
of the line, the last of which, we think is
the most untenable position he occupies.
About e a. m. on the 14lh of July our
brigade was formed in line. About 7:30
lery, which continued until 9 a. NJ, when
they advanced their infantry, driving in
our skirmishers, their Iine-o battle extend
ing but little past the left of the 2lst No.,
but in close range of a piungins crossire
from The 10Th Ill
To show that the assault was desperate, it
is only necessary to say the ground in front
was an open field, and the enemy left their
dead, some of them, within 10 feet of our
colOrs. We shall not attempt to describe the
Tepulse of The assault further than 10 say it
was simply buichery from Start to finish in
front of our line. We drove the enemy some
distance, and then fell back to our former
position, and from this time (about $50
g. M on at no time did the enemy appear in
our front, nor did he at this or any subse-
quent time during the day appear in front
of our line of battle, stretching away TO the
left Tor over mile in open ground and in
plain view from our position.
Right gladly do we pow come to point
where we can indOrse every word of Com
rade Mlles's article, and that is in regard to
the length of time and the stubborn brav-
cry with which the troops on the comrades
part of the line repulsed the repeated as
saults made on them from a. NJ. until
about 4 p m. Right here it may not be out
of place 10 inform Comrade Miles that the
fighting above referred to included part of
our brigade, the l22d Ill.
Now we think we have made it plain
that fully One-third OF our line was not
engaged In the fight, aud, from the forma-
ton OF our ilne-of-battle, no part of our line
was in rear Of the other.
That the enemy's loss was out of all pro-
portion 10 ours is easily accounted for. They
were the assaulting column, and had on all
parts of our line to advance across open
ground TO Re ach our line.
Thus ends the fight in daylight on the
14h of July, with the brunt of the fighting
falling on Comrade Miles's part of the line,
another days hard fighting To be charged mp
to The credit Of the Eagle Brigade aud an
other victory for Smiths Guerrillas.
Comrade Miles maintains logged silence
about another event, which took place at
the most critical moment at any time from
a N. until 10 p. m. refer TO the night
attack on our left, where the coloTeJ troopy
were posted.
After the final Tepulse on our right about
4 p. M, 1T was not apparent to US just what
the enemy was doing. Subsequent events
proved him TO be not idle, but collecting his
broken columns and massing on our left for
an attack. The blow fell about 8 o. NJ,
when the enemy suddenly hurled column
of Infantry against our left, sweeping il
from its position. Our left flank was
crushed, and the enemy poured in on our
rear. 1t was indeed a critical moment for
our army, and one that called for prompt
and quick action. We do not recall the
names OF the regiments that charged, and,
after Is or 20 minutes Of as bard fighting
as any during the day, drove the enemy
back, but think the oath Mo. and the 14th
Iowa were two OF them, together with Col.
kinney's Brigade. 1t is really amusing the
way COmrade Miles has of seeing things
which did not take place, ard not seeing
those that did. And the frequency with
which he bobs up in THE NATIONAL TRIB-
UHE; the reader, if not careful, will get the
impression that the Eagle Brigade did all
the fighting, that the 9Th Wis was the Eagle
Brigade, and that COmrade Miles was the
9Th Wis.
With no attempts at dizzy fights of
imagination or unduly applaudng or with
holding deserved praise from any, this arti-
Gle would not be complete justice if we
Jailed 10 notice the gallant part taken by
our battery, Sd and 5th Ind. boys To
them, we claim without the fear of success
ful contradiction belongs the honor of firing
the hrs, gnn In battery on the 14th of July,
1864; and the cool bravery of men aud
officers bad no superiOrs on this or any other
bstilefeld.-T. w. HOLMAN, Co. ID, 21st
Mo-, Rutledge, Mo-