The National tribune., 1894-04-26
NELSON AND CORINTH.
A Defense of the Doughty Chieftain Whose
Prime Fault was His Temper.


EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: In try
ing to get skirmish-line into Corinth
have developed SO many distractions that
like many commanding officers in the early
days of the war, 1 am at loss to know
whether to advance or retreat Indeed, al
war books previously written say retreat
but before running away / will fire single
shot as a feeler, because it sometimes hap.
pened that one party was only prevented
from running away by the discovery that
the other fellow had already done so.
/ would ask Comrade Paulk, if the colors
of the 39th Ohio were "swinging in
the breeze in the rebel arsenal" and the
regiment there to protect it, why Nelson
should order the Major back to his line
with them? Also, what became of certain
10000 prisoners said to have been captured
at Corinth? Nelson's Division could only
account for one man, and / was thinking it
might have been trouble over the division
of prisoners which caused so much scintilla-
ton among the stars that day in Corinth.
| 1 think Comrade Paulk speaks unadvis-
eddy when he uses the term Brute" Nelson,
and also when he says jeff c. Davis did
his duty at Louisville" meaning the killing
of Nelson. Jeff G. Davis was certainly a
| gallant soldier, winning distinction on many
| him in the Fourteenth Corps; but l have
seen it stated that doing his duty" weighed
| heavily upon him in after years, and we'll
| it might. Shooting down an unarmed man,
| even in war times, and with even greater per-
sonal grievances, has not been considered
as truly heroic.
AS for Nelson, more gallant soldier never
| wore uniform. True, he had weakness,
and who has not? His was an ungoverna-
BILE temper, and tongue the like of which
/ have never heard. l was barely 20 years
old, and it may be that he took pity on my
youth; for, during the five or six weeks
! was with him, received but two very
light blasts, though witnessing many.
But to see Nelson in action was another
matter. He was in his element; and more
pleasant, good-natured man, with CHEEKY
good words for everybody, would be hard to
find. Of more than average ability, he
would doubtless have taken high rank had
he lived, though his temper wonld always
have stood in the way of his advancement.
/ am sure that no division commander
during the entire war was given a more
warm regard than was given to Nelson by
the men in the ranks after the battle of
Shiloh, and no officer looked more after
their comfort and welfare. In fact, many
by officers, who, if not negecting, were at
least very careless about their duties.
If / understand the matter rightly, the
trouble with JEFF G. Davis arose from
supposed carelessness, at time when great
events were casting long shadows over the
whole country, and the responsibilities rest
ing upon Nelson such as few men would
wish to bear.
Only those present in Louisville during
the weeks preceding the arrival of Buells
army can know anything of the anxieties
existing, and only those in authority COM
prehend the perplexities of the situation.
No, Comrade Paulk, not Brute Nelson"
but Comrade Nelson, and, as such, entitled
to the respect and esteem of all who wore
the blue.
But that which puzzled me most was tho
change in the man between duty and the
mess-table. In fact, there seemed to be two
men in the same frame. No matter how
angry he may have been the moment he
sat down at his table he was the typical
host, whose business it was to make every
body happy; and | have never since met
man his equal in doing it.
In the navy he had been all over the
world; as close observer, his descriptions
of places and things he had seen were high
ner of telling simply inimitable. Anecdotes
of prominent people showed his interest in
general affairs, and personal anecdotes
showed his makeup. There was nothing
of the bully or braggart in these personal
anecdotes, but told more as if of some other
person than himself Above all, he was an
American all over, rs one of his stories will
show, which ] will try to repeat, though it
will lose much of its fire by my telling.
While their vessel was lying in the harbor
of Rio Janeiro, Nelson and another Lieu
tenant, whom he describes as red headed,
hot-headed fellow" had quarters OH shore.
Vessels of all nations were in the harbOr and
others coming and going. An English mer-
chairman arrived one day, and among her
passengers was an English fop-dude we
would now say, but the word was then I'M
known. This fop, meeting Nelson, and
knowing him to be an American, accosted
him with:
"They do say that that fellow Buchanan
has been elected President of the United
States.o
Nelson corrected him, saying: "Mr.
Buchanan, you mean"
Nav, thot fellow Buchanan" and though
corrected several times, still persisted in
F" thot fellow" Well, instead of knocking
HIiu uOWH III ROOu IdukcC ld5uiOn, Nelson
opened his mouth on him, and those who
knew him can easily understand what for
midable weapon that was. He cursed the
Queen of England, calling her everything that
was vile, including her ancestry, near and re-
mote, and-well the Englishman was taken
all aback.
The next day, while he and his red-headed
friend were lOunging in their quarters, an
English naval officer, IN full uniform, with |
all the toggery to which his position and |
service entitled him, made his appearance |
and demanded satisfaction. Nelson said he |
knew it meant fight; in fact, just what he |
had been expecting, and, while not particu-
larry averse to scrimmage, he thought he |
would lose nothing by irritating him little, |
as the fellow probably knew how to handle |
q sword SO he blurted out, Pve no quarrel |
with you" manner and tone in themselves |
an insult. The Englishman insisted that he |
had insulted the Queen of England, and de- |
manded satisfaction, and was going to have |
it.
After bandying words until he thought |
the Englishman sufficiently excited, he |
started for the adjoining room to get his |
sword, intending then and there to settle the |
matter, but just az he put his hand upon the |
door-knOb he heard a kind of shutting noise, |
and turned about just in time to see his red |
headed friend seize the Epglishman lift him |
clear off the floor, and then bring him down |
fiat on his back and pummel him in thor |