The National tribune., 1894-09-20

the Commanding General, Col. Stoughton
formed the 18th Mich. across the road at the
east end of the Gap, facing the battlefield,
its TANKS extending up the slope on each
side of the highway, while the other regi-
ments of the command continued the line to
the right and left along the east face of the
Ridge, which position Col. Stoughton, in his
Official report, says was held by his brigade
until 4:10 o'clock a. IN. Sept. 90, when he
successfully withdrew his pickets and re-
turned to Chattanooga Now, these are not
bare assertions, but historic facts, which the
official records substantiate, and which every
man alive who was present with Stoughton
can verify.
During the Dist the 69th Ohio reioined
the brigade. This regiment belonged to
StOughton's command, but had been tempo
rarily detached during the Chickamauga
campaign and battle. The 37th Ind, of
Sirwell's Brigade, and the 18th KY, of John
Batty's Brigade, were also placed under
command of Col. Stoughton at this time.
From December, 1863, to March, 1864, the
18th Mich. was encamped at the west end of
Rossville Gap, and the position it held on
that memorable day, and in fact the sur
rounding country, became as familiar to the
men of the regiment as are now their own
door-yards.
Last October, as a member of the Michi-
gan Chickamauga Commission, in company
with James w. King, of Three Rivers, and
Washington Whitney, of Cambria, visited
this historic Gap, and by direction of Gen.
Fullerton, President of the National Chicka-
manga Commission, we drove stake at the
east end of the Gap, where tablet will be
erected, on which will be inscribed the his
torical and actual facts in regard to the
holding of that position, precisely as / have
stated them. And without doubt the other
regiments of Stoughton's command will erect
similar tablets at the positions they held
along the east face of the Ridge on each side
Of the 18th Mich.
In the two days of desperate fighting at
Chickamauga, such as the world had never
before witnessed the 18th Mich. performed
every duty which devolved upon it. 1t not
only held every position to which it was as
signed, and overcame the enemy in all his furi-
GUS charges, but left the bloody field with the
same self reliance with which it entered the
fight; and On leaving it's position at the
Gap on the morning OF Sept. % its conf
dence in itself was still mistaken.
Now, wish to say few words to Com
rade Little, and to all those who may attempt
to claim honors on the field of Chickamauga
and vicinity to which they are not absolutely
certain they are entitled to receive.
These historic grounds have now become
National Military Park, where the facts
relating the valor of American soldiers, both
Federal and Confederate, who contended
there will be recorded on monuments and
tablets of stone, as an object lesson to future
generations Every claim will be sifted, and
nothing will be there recorded but facts.
Shou11 Ia p1oi. ari find
wrong, acknowledge it.
No one will doubt that Comrade Titles
men were in the vicinity of where he locates
them, at the west end of Rossville Gap, up to
midnight, Sept 81, at which time the whole
army retired to Chattanooga. That he was
ordered at the time to march his command
Immediately to Chattanooga seems reason
able; bat his uncertainty as to the day and
hour he left, his lack of knowledge of the
position of the Federal and rebel lines in
that vicinity, and the story of the taking
up of his pickets, naturally lead one to be-
lieve that the Lieutenant was slightly nerv-
GUS at that time.
Fifty men Of the 18th Mich, and prob
ably hundreds from Stoughton's command
can be found who will be willing to swear
that to their certain knowledge there was
not an armed rebel within 100 yards Of the
Lieutenant's position, at the west end of the
Gap, until after o'clock on the morning Of
the 22d of September, 1868.
/ can also assure the comrade that, had
the 18th Mich. boys been so near to the
enemy as he fancied he was at that time,
there would have been some captured or
dead rebels right there, and in good deal
| less time three to five hours) than it took
| him to Withdraw his pickets.