The National tribune., 1895-02-14

y
to the main line, Gen. Johnston say
from so to 100 yards on plain, opeI
ground, nearly level.
Yet the report says he threw his com
mand into this trap between these two
fires, and held them there from 12:3(
p. m. until night.
The boys who were there well know
there was no place in the rear of that
battery and in front of the main line III
which command could have been placed
and remained for the time stated, subject
to a cross-fre from both fort and the
main line, and a grease spot be left Of
them.
At 5 p. m. Col. Gotham was not in
command Of the 111th Pa; and further
on he begs that whatever honos may be
given for the capture of the battery may
be given to the Second Division.
Having passed in review the most
salient points of the so-called report on
which the Captain bases bis claim for
the honors that day, will the comrades
bear with me yet little longer while |
present the claim of the Blue Stars, and
more particularly Of Gen. Harrison's
Brigade. We desire TO say, first, we will
not endeavor to bolster up pretensions
by putting words into the mouths of
those who have passed to the great be-
yond, but the living only will We bring
as the witnesses, not even the living of
the Third Division, who are deeply IN
teIcsted in this matter, lest their testi-
mony be impugned as to whom the hon
ors are due; not that they have failed
TO add their testimony, for | have col
lected 143 published letters from them,
from New York to California.
W. II. II. Minot, Co. B, 22d Wis,
Marshall, Mich, writes: "The rebel
guns captured at Resaca were hauled out
after dark by some of the men Of the
Third Division, Twentieth Corps"
l. V. Perdew, Cos H, 55th Ohio,
Eagle, Mich, claims it was Butterfeld's Is
division (the Blue Stars that carried
the rebel works at Resaca May 10, 1864.
George f. Stewart, 18th Mich, Balm
bridge, Mich, says the Third Division,
Twentieth Corps blue Stars
CAPTURED THE FoUR-GUN BATTERY
ut Resaca May 10, 1864.
Lewis Blundin, Co. G, 2Sth Pa,
Hulmeville, Pa, says: ." / remember the
facts well, as our brigade (the First Of
the Second Division) was in line with
the intention of charging that same four
gun fort; but the other troops got in
their work first, and we had to stand and
see them do their work, and grandly
they did it. Talking to some of them
after they had made their successful
charge, ] was informed that the brigade
was under the command Of Col. Ben
Harrison, now our illustrious President
comlade." Later he writes, speaking Of
Resaca: al am under the impression
that day was the one that tended in
measure to place the stars Of Briga-
dier-General on the shoulders Of our
illustrious comrade President, Ben Har-
rison. ] witnessed the charge Of the
brigade, of which Col. Harrison was the
commander, upon the four-gun fort that
Capt Shaw mentions, and / am under
the impression now as then that said fort
was the key of the rebel line. 1t was
certainly an effective charge"
III. A. Munger, Co. C. 154th N. Y.
Second Brigade, Second Division,
writes: ain THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE
OF Sept. 26, Alex. Bond, Co. II, 18th
n. y, says the Second Brigade of the
Second Division, Twentieth Corps, capt
nred the four-gun battery at Resaca. He
is mistaken. True, as he says, we went
into action that afternoon and charged
to the hill, but not up the hill, stopping
20 or 80 rods short of the battery under
cover Of the hill, which was covered by
q dense thicket Of young pines. y y
The First Brigade, Third Division, went
for that battery with rush, and the
cheer that rolled along our line, out
thundered the thunder Of the guns
was started by my regiment, who were
intensely interested spectators. The
First Brigade charged up to the very
muzzles of the guns, and threw them
selves fiat on the ground, protected in a
measure by the thicket. They
DID NOT ENTER THE FORT,
as a heavy line of earthworks immedi-
ateiy behind it was filed with rebels;
but they did hold it from the Johnnies
till about midnight, when our brigade
relieved them"
In very interesting communication
concerning this matter, Comrade Ma
thaniel *. Bray, Captain, Co. /, SD n.
j., Branchville, n. j., Acting Assistant
Adjutant-General Of Second Brigade,
Second Division, Twentieth Corps, SAYS:
"I have the evidence to know that to
a detail from my brigade belongs the
credit Of dragging off those guns on the
night Of May 10, 1864 X X x
During the progress of the charge the
writer was wounded and taken from the
field. However, / was informed the
following morning that the 33d n. J.
had dug into the works on the preced-
ing night, and with ropes dragged four
Of those cannon out. But upon further
inquiry j learned that portion Of the