The National tribune., 1899-03-09
WERE NOT SURPRISED.
Col. Bartholomew Writes of the Gallant
27th fass.


27th iiass
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: In looking
over the re o., o. gae Civil War in North
Carolina War Aecosds, Series |, Vol. XLNIl.
tnd gT"~, mistakes which reflect upon the
cretit Gi nay gallant bghting regiment, the
2.ta Mass. la the nr-l place, on page %, IN
statement of CASUALTIES at hinston. tne lines
OF Upham's Brigade are blank, when the
facts are suat lost ,,6 men killed and
| wounded. ! bad abvut four inches OF the
small lone OF my left !eg torn out by a
minie-bail AL were taken prisoners. On
page 93~, Upham's report SAYS that he lost
OIL March . 23 officer a.id sol men.
The report, pa@es li5, 9l2, 932, SAYS that
We were surpri ,e,i AID route.i. But we were
not surpIi Ell aud routed, but made a
gallant hSnt; So much 81, thai when the
gallant rebel Col. Zackerv. of a Georgia
regiment, returne my sword to me two
months later while | lay i'll rebel hospital,
he said: g Colonel. | feel highly honored at
the privilege oil returning this sword to an
officer who fought handful of men as you
did that day. was there"
Upham's rep'rt, Oh page 999, does not
mention the Ith Mass, when that regiment
did ali the lighting that was done there that
day, and tphim was not III 1T at all; and aS
TO the surprise, we were sent up there alter
dark on the 1th, about two miles beyond the
main column, aud told by the Aid that the
10Th Conn. Was one and one-haf miles or so
beyond us. on picket. and We We're to support
them. About Sunrise on March 3, an Aid
rode up and told me that we were being
thanked by lioke's Division. and ordered US
back about One-half mile and out on IA road
81
them. lie -ad there was vIdet out bevond
us watching for them We lay there three
hours OF mole in llne-of battle. talking it
over, supposing OF couise that help would he
sent to us. but about Ii o'cl OK. a citizen
came Oh horseback from that direction, and
said, Colonel, you are being fianked and
you may expect them in from there any
moment, pointing 10 the south.
sent my right company In that direc ion
as picke,s in c.arge of my Adjutant. The
ground wa, nearly level for 100 yards, and
then sloped off INTO a long hollow. | noticed
That as he went over the brow Of the Eill he
began to ieploy to the r.gnt. ran toward
the hill and haIloed 10 them to deplOy more
TO the lett, and as did 10 swung my arm in
that direction. and as my eye followed the
motion down into the hollow saw that the
woods was full Uf them" The Adjutant saw
the rebels ut the same time. ami rallied
When | AOt back TO my NEIL very much out
Of breath, told them they were coming, and
we should fight them, though there were
1000 OF :. U0O OF them and only l6o muskets
vi us; but we we're all veterans had been
through 25 battles together
The details OF the hight are too long to print
here, but in all the battle, which lasted So
minutes, | lost 56, killed and wounded
did not see q man, except my own, until the
sbird time that marched out OF the ap-
preaching circle, when we came upon one
half of the 10th Conn, most of whom were
recruits, lying down behi nd rail fence. My
men Jumped iii among them faced about and
went at Tie enemy again. | tried to get the
400 or SO of the loth Conn. up to help us,
and the veterans did join Us gallantly, but
when The rebs came in through some small
pines close on our right those recruits broke
and ran to what seemed to be our rear, but
was really to our front, and my men were SO
mixed up with them t,at | lost control of
them, and just then ball weEt through my
leg, as have already told.
We might have got out without tight by
to our left after | saw them
in the hollow, but such thought never
entered my mind, and if it had my heart
would not have let me leave the 18th Conn.,
in the lurch. The 9Th Mass never did run
and never surrendered, though twice they
had their musketS twisted from their hands |
by Oyerpowering numbers. do not know |
TO this day why help was not sent to u.s.
was very much 10 blame.-WALTER
g. BARTHOLOMEW, Colonel, 9th Mass,
Tampa Fla