The National tribune., 1895-01-24

Comrade r. A. c., 14Sth Pa, Canton. o.,
sends the following reply to Comrade II. p.
Sherwin's inquiry in the issue of Dec 6, 1894:
Barksdale commanded q brigade of Missis-
sippians, attached to McLaw's Division,
Longstreet's Corps mot Anderson's, as Sher-
win supposes, which belonged to Hills
Corps, and, as he informed the writer, had
| served three terms in the Federal Congress
from Mississippi Immediately preceding the
| outbreak of the war. He was typical
Southern flre-eater,' and remained in his
seat sometime after the State had seeded,
| in fact, until the last wag of the hammer
doing all in his power to obstruct Federal
| legislation authorizing enlstments, war
supplies, ETC., designed to strengthen the
Government in its preparations to pre-
serve the Nations life. He was the Barks-
dale who supported Preston Brooks in his
murderous assault upon Chas. Sumner on
the floor of Congress. 1t is mentioned, as
an incident of that affair, that Barksdale,
who was bald headed, lost his wig in the
melee, and finding it again while the tu-
multi was at its hight, in his excitement, re-
placed it wrong side foremost, thereby rem
| dering his appearance so grotesque that
friends and foes on observing his misfit
| were convulsed with laughter, thereby al
laying the fierce anger, which, but for this
ladicrOus circumstances, might have led to
much more serious consequences than the
wOunding of Mr.. Sumner, brutal and I'M
justifiable as that was.
"Just before he died Gen. Barksdale said
to me, with apparently all the vehemence
his fast-faling strength could command:
Beware, you will have Longstreet thunder
ing in your rear in the morning. On my
return to the line perhaps a hundred yards
distant, l ran across Gen. Hancock, who,
with several members of his staff, was re-
Ginning on the ground just in rear of our
division First of Second Corps), to whom /
gave this declaration of the dying Barks-
dale. He replied in his quick, emphatic
dispositions to anticipate such movement
on the part of the enemy, SIR What
Barksdale predicted was precisely what
Longstreet advocated, and would have been
attempted had Lee taken his advice"
Criticism.
Geo. Fl. Lusk, 122d n. Y, thinks "there
is one serious mistake the comrades make in
writing up their accounts of the battles in
which they participated, by not combining
themselves to just what they saw with their
own eyes, which many times makes it I'M
pleasant reading matter. / refer more par
ticularIy to the remarks of Gen. Powell in
THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE of jan 10, 1885,
where he says my own construction of them
is that there were other than Gen. Crooks
troops badly demoralized mt Cedar Creek on
the morning of Oct. 10, 1864, which demon
alfzation, however, was soon overcome after
Sheridan made his appearance in their
midst
Now, sir, if Gen. Powell was at his post
of duty in command of the Second Cavalry
Division and believe he was, he could not
have had any knowledge whatever of what
the Sixth Corps were doing prior to Gen.
Sheridan's arrival. Neither did Gen. Sheri- |
dan himself know, except from hearsay for
he was not in their midst, until he arrived,
later on, at the lines near MiddletowD, from |
Winchester.
"Gen. Powell also asks why the Sixth |
Corps failed to form line on the left of the |
Nineteenth Corps. This is easily answered, |
because there was no Nineteenth Corps to |
form ON to; but they formed just the same, |
and after Bidwells Brigade of Getty's Di- |
vision of the Sixth Corps had successfully |
repulsed the rebels, with heavy loss on both |
sides, including Gen. Bidwell, killed, they |
were ordered to fall back, which they did in
perfect order, and while doing so the rest of |
the Sixth Corps formed on their right with
out single company or regiment democrat |
lied, and with their left resting on the pike |
near MlddletOwn, where they lay until Gen. |
Sheridan came up from Winchester. 1t was
after this that Gen. Crooks command were
formed with the Sixth Corps and assisted in
driving the rebels down the Valley
"Comrade Mcdonald is right when he
says Gen. Sheridan's Memoirs are incorrect |
in many instances in regard to the mornings
operations at Cedar Creek, for Cen Sheridan
was not there to see for himself, and later he
endeavors to refresh his memory from hear
say Of many years standing. There were
too many who were willing to put their own
on the matter, and in such O
shape that no blame might rest on their own
shoulders. / have nothing but kind words
for the Eighth and Nineteenth Corps, for /
believe they were good men, and | only say
here what / saw with my own eyes, and
without word of hearsay. II would be
much pleasanter and more satisfactory to
all concerned if the comrades would simply
tell things as they saw them, and in doing
This would create not only valuable but en-
oyable history of facts"
Information Wanted.
Allen P. Shuey, Onset, Pa, wants the
name and address of any member of Co. b,
'9th Pa, who knew private John Behney
" D1le IN SERVICE OF prlSOn. |
John F. Vaudeville, Hern, Tex, wants
Information of M. Giebreasi, Co. G, sd ILL.,,
md Maj. Stanfeld Golf, of SOD Ill
Unwritten History.
James H. Russell. Dist Iowa, Dubuque,
Iowa. writes: THE Dist and 23d Iowa alone
made the charge at Black River Bridge, May
II, 1863, and caused one of the greatest
tampedes known in history, for 80, 600 rebels
never stopped until they arrived in Vicks-
surg under Gen. Pemberton, and nearly
1000 went to Jackson, Miss, under Gen.
Johnston. An eyewitness said, / saw a
ew days ago one of the finest body Of troops,
n perfect marching order, cavalry, artillery,
md infantry, come from Vicksburg, and when
he bridge was burned at Black River the same
r0Ops, barebeaded, without arms, rushing
,ell-mell. without officers or order, pushing
me another down, artillery and wagons over
urned, fences torn away, so that they could
ret away; and this commenced before another
egiment came up, and the proof no other
me lost q single man in that charge that was
made prematurely but successfully"
A Correction.
M. M. Murphy, Joe Hooker Post, No. 81
VT. Vernon, o., sends us the following: "In
The NATIONAL TRIBUNE for Dec. 81, 1884, /
It bottom of sixth column of sixth page
lnder the caption of Unclaimed Papers,
ind the name of Conrad Frushum, Co. F,
I'D Ohio and as this was my company, and ,
IS the name as printed is not correct, I give !
tha nj mil In tha hot