The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-12-24
BRoGAN ANSWERED.
Vermont Brigade Man Puts in . Few WORDS
AboutfDader Creek.


BROGAN ANSWERED.
Vermont Brigade Man Puts In . Few WORDS
AboutfDsder Creek.
EDITOR NArroNAL TRIBUNE: + saw in
the issue'of Dec. 4, by John Brogan, 20. =,
Bloomington, Ind, ap article IN wnlcn Nc
makes some statements which 'n'nk 0pen
He remarks that DIFF Getty's Division was
separated from the corps and acting indie
pendently on some otter part OF the field,
there may be claim living in their inner
consciousness that the boys of the "nl'e
Cross did it all.
That the fact is exactly as his SUPPOSE
titious case puts it, the following Will oem1
onstrate Geo. E. Pond, in "Campaagns o,
the Civil War-The Shenandoah valley,
says: "This division (the Second), IN the
hard task of retiring slowly and checking
the enemy at every available point, per-
formed superb service, whose Importance 10
the fortunes of the day cannot be exagger-
ated; for, being on the extreme left OF .ne
infantry, near the pike, it bore the Drunt OF
the attack"
Brogan says he was on the extreme left.
Pond says the Second Division was on the
extreme left.
The same historian says: when Sheri-
dan arrived the only parts OF the
army found engaged were the Second ID,
vision of the Sixth Corps and the cavalry"
AS to whether the entire Sixth Corps was
in line, or whether the Second Division was
fighting independently, quote from Zen.
Sheridan's report:
81 suggested to Gen. Wright that we
would fight on Getty's line, and to transfer
Custer to the right at once, as ne (Custerl
and Merritt, from being on the right IN the
morning, had been transferred to the lei. )
that the remaining two divisions OF the
Sixth Corps, which were to the r1gnc y,
Getty about two miles, should be ordered
up"
Comrade Brogan is quite certain that
neither he nor anyone in his division saw
Sheridan that day. This is conclusive evil
dence that his division was where Sherl-
dams report says it was-twO miles to the
; rear of Getty, for those of Getty's DIVISION
saw Sheridan as he rode down the lines,
stopping in front Of the Vermont Brigade.
Perhaps it may be news to Comrade Bro
gan, but the Third Division went in hrst,
followed by the First and the Second Diyis-
| ion was the last to appear on the scene. Inc
| First and Third Divisions had been success
| lively attacked and OverpOwered by Eariys
concentrated army. Nearly every field OIL
Ger in Wheatons Division the First was
killed or wounded, and the First Division,
| in retreat from the field. passed through the
corps artillery.
Gen. Getty's official report says: Com
PEELED from unforeseen causes to halt and
occupy crest 300 yards to the rear, it held
this position unsupported for over an hour
after all other troops had left the field, check
| ing the further advance of the enemy and
repelling every attack, thus giving the scat
| tered commands time to reOrganlZe anu re-
| FORM" az BRA
That the men who were brought up from
the rear did good work is conceded, but that
there was good fighting at the first attack
in the morning nobody believes. zen:
Wright, who commanded the army until
Sheridan's arrival, says: "The proceedings
up to this point were bad enough for us, a:
it gave the enemy almost without struggle
the entire left of our line, with considerable
artillery, not q gun OF which nao Deel
fired" ifl3o
But the reserve of this line was posted 6
considerable distance in the rear, where il
could be made available as movable force
and was we'll situated to operate upon any
force attempting to turn our left. 1t was II
no way involved in the disaster of the hrs
line which, after all, was but small par
OF our whole force, being only one weak al
vision. It's loss was in no wise to be takei
as deciding the fate of the day.
With the other troops brought up TIM
supporting division was in good position +
offer sturdy battle, with every prospect Q
repnlsing the enemy, and, aided by the res
of the army, as it would have been, tn
chances were largely in our favor. Here tn
battle should have been fought and won, bu
from some inexplainable cause the troop
forming this part of the line would no
stand, but broke under scattering fir
which should not have occasioned the slight
est apprehension in raw recruits, much les
in old soldiers like themselves.
Comrade Brogan probably will dsput
the official reports, as has been the custom
many when writing of this battle. He
, frank enough to show his contempt for, an
disbelief in official reports when he say
speaking of the work of the Second Division
81 believe that even the official reports {
the battle state something in the sam
line"
One thing ] failed to note in its prope
place. Comrade Bros an says fierce figh
ragged for over an hour, waged by the men
the two corps on our left, in which we
the Sixth Corps took no rart."
Gen. Wright then knew nothing Of thi
: "fierce fight" and he knew nothing of
after the battle. What be heard, if any
thing was Early's men firing at the fyin
\ men.-C. PORTER, Co. E, 11,h Vt, Grinnel
Vt