The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1900-03-10
Says Corbin
ulas a COWARD

New York, March IT. J. Morgan,
late colonel of the Fourteenth United
States Colored Infantry and brevet
brigadier general United States Vol
unteers has written an open letter to
the Tribune with reference to Adju-
tant General Corbins military record
during the civil war.
He states that he is prompted to
write the letter by the frequent men,
tioning of his name in connection with
the senate resolution of inquiry as to
the military record of General Cor
bin.
Colonel Morgans letter deals prin-
cipally with the battle at Nashville,
Tenn, Dec. II and Is, 1854, during
which he was in command of an i'm
provised division of white and colored
troops. The officers commanding regi-
ments under him included Lieutenant
Colonel Charles H. Grosvenor, now
member of congress; Colonel (now gen
eraD w. r. Shafter and Lieutenant
Colonel (now generaD Corbin. Writing
of this battle. Colonel Morgan says:
Colonel Shafter and Colonel Gros-
venOr acquitted themselves with great
credit, Shafter showing special actiV
ity and courage and suffering the loss
of many of his men.
Il was not with Lieutenant Colonel
Corbin during the fighting, but Off
GERS reported to me after the battle
was ended that he had betrayed such
cowardice as to excite the ridicule of
both officers and men. 1 spoke to him
about it and he at once rendered me
his resignation. subsequently. however,
withdrawing it.
In my official report of the battle
1 said that 1 thought that Lieutenant
Colonel Corbin did not have the cour-
age requisite to command brave men.
Many years afterward. when the re-
belliOn records were about to be pub
lished, / was urged to eXpunge that
sentence before the report was pub
lished. This / declined to do on two
grounds. First, because | did not feel
at liberty to alter the records, beieV-
ing that such action on my part and
on that of other officers would not only
tend to destroy their historical accur-
acy- and value: and second, because
subsequent events closely connected
with my report and my record would
be without proper explanation
L preferred charges against Lieuten-
ant Colonel Carbin, based upon the in
formation I had received and believed
to be correct, and on these charges he
was brought to trial by a courtmartial,
which however, acquitted him.
subsequently he united with others
and preferred charges against me, on
which l was brought to trial. The
findings of the courtmartfai were set
aside. l was given the command of
brigade by the personal act of Gov
ernor Thomas; was subsequently pro-
NOTED by the president as. brevet brig
adler general, and was confirmed by the
senate. In August, 1865, the war being
over. I left the service. Lieutenant
Corbin became colonel of the regiment,
and if l mistake not he has remained
in the army from that
time to the present, a period of nearly
thirty-five years.
Y regret that any one has seen fit to
bring UP this matter, for | am of the
opinion that the Nashville incident
ought not at this time to have weight
in determining the question as to
whether the adjutant general of the
army should be made major general.
~orbin and l were at that time both
very young volunteer officers, with but
little experience in either life or ser
vice. and it seems to me that neither
his act as a soldier or mine as COM
officer ought to be judged by
the severe military standard of the reg
llar army
Il believe at that time that Colonel
~Orbin had betrayed cowardice, soy7e-
ported. and ] felt it my duty to court
martial him. But the judgment of the
court did not sustain me, and the incl
dent should be regarded as closed.
THE question whether the adjutant
general of the army should be a major
general is one to be determined by eX-
1erts, and ] do not feel called upon at
he present time to pass any opinion
IDon it. My object in writing this COM
nunication is to state facts as they oc-
cured. so as to remove from the pub
ic mind many misapprehensions and |
NOTWITHSTANDING