The National tribune., 1899-09-07

1enlisted at Cincinnati, o., July s, 1861,
when 15 years and four months of age, IN
Co. G., 39th Ohio. and served from that
date until July, 1862, carrying muske''
and nv musket was in the stack at the
termination of each days march, except
upon one occasion, when l was detalleu
as clerk in the office of that fighting Cen
eral, Stanley, Division Of the Army OF the
Mississippi.
| served at Headquarters under various
general officers until, through the recon-
mendation of Gen. James NJ. Tuttle, former
Colonel of the Sd Iowa, and by his advice,
I accepted the position of AdJutant OF what
was formally mustered out as the 1oth
U. S. C. T., March 4, 1864.
The officers appointed for this regiment
were all time-tried and fire-testcd veterans
who fought at Wilson's Creek, Mo-, BEL
mont Fort Donelson, Shiloh. New Madrid,
Island No 10, Pea Ridge, 1uka, Corlnth,
and last, but not least, in the NlckSburg
campaign. They were commissioned OIL
GERS. non-coms, and privates OF Stanley
Division, which, by the vicissitudes OF
army transfers, became afterwards the
Eighth Division of the Army of the len
nessee, the First Division of the Sixteenth
Corps, the Third Division of the Fifteenth
Corps, and again the First Division OF the
Sixteenth Corps.
No favoritism was shown in their selec-
ton, for their army record alone. with
that of general intelligence, otherwise
called common sense, was taken into con-
sideration by Gen. J. NJ. Tuttle, who had
the power to appoint. Gen. Tuttle was
known in the army as the officer who storm
ed Fort Donelon as Colonel of the I'd
Iowa.
At the termination of the Meridian cam
paign, in February, 1864, our old division
with the exception of those who were on
veteran furlough), the Third Division OF
our corps, and a provisional division from
troops of the Seventeenth Corps-thc
first two divisions to be commanded by
Gen J. A Mower, and the latter by Gen.
A. J. Smith-were organized into snug
and compact army to cooperate with Gen.
N. P Banks to drive the rebels out of Louisi-
ana, etc, and this campaign is now known
In military history as the Red River cam
paign. 1t was also in this campaign that
we were dubbed as Smiths Guerrillas."
Our officers were ordered to accompany
this expedition to recruit for the regiment,
as negroes on the sugar plantations were
said to be about as numerous as leaves
in Vallambrosa." We were also made
good use of as flankerS, reconnoiterers and
dispatch carriers by Gen. Mower. Where is
there soldier who served in the Army of the
Tennessee who does not know or remember
Mower? He rose from the ranks to
Captaincy in the 1st U. S., and allow me
space in this article to do justice to the
memory of one of the best officers during
our civil war, and who was known in the
Western army as hurrying great many
staff officers to heaven. He had no politi
cal or family influence, but by sheer merit,
dash and bravery rose to be Major Gen
eral and was mustered out of the volun-
teer service as commander of the Twen-
tieth Corps.
No better tribute was paid to Mower
than that of Gen. Sherman, who trans-
ferred him from the Sixteenth Corps, while
pursuing Gen. Price in Missouri, to duty
under him in the Atlanta campaign. Gen.
Sherman was heard to say: Il have use
for such officers in this campaign" He
was born in the Nutmeg State, has had no
historian, and / trust that some comrade
sf his old Second Brigade, when history