The National tribune., 1901-04-11
BUGLE NOTES FROM DIXIE.
A Fair and Impartial Narrative, Declares
Historian Sanford, of the 14th Ill. Cav.

| standpoint.
| l belonged to the 18th Ill. Cav, and
was through them all. | like Mosgrove's s
narratives, because they contain nothing
OF that bombastic style which proclaims,
See what wonders we accomplished
| Mosgrove seems to be fair and impartial
in his narrative, though, like others who
write of the events of the war, liable TO
mistakes.
In writing of the fight at RheatOwn,
published in the issue of Feb. p, it ap-
pears that the Confederate forces sup
posed they We're fighting large force.
Comrade Sumner, of the 9th Ind. Cav,
is correct in his account in 4 later issue.
Comrade Sumner says that the engage
ment at Henderson's Mill in early morn
ing was fought single-handed by the 9th
Ind, only about 500 strong, and the day S
battles were fought by the 9Th Ind. and
| the rest of the brigade-the 18th Ill. Cav.
and 65th Ind. M'td Inf, the last two regi-
ments being each smaller than the 9th.
As Sumner says, none of ShackelfOrd' g
other forces were engaged, nor did any
arrive until the Confederates were driven
from their last stand. OF course, the
Confederates at Blue Springs We're finally
outnumbered when reinforcements to the
brigade which first engaged them arrived.
1t may be possible. but not probable,
that a large force of Federals was march
ing up the valley, but no very large force
was present, nor it is probable that a
force of 10000 was within many miles.
Confederate General Williams, in his
report, says of Blue Springs: "The en-
emy broke, and attempted to escape un-
der cover of a ravine and woodlands to-
ward our left, where Giltners rifles dealt
destruction in their discounted ranks"
Again: During the night reliable infor-
nation reached me that a brigade of In
diana infantry (Gen. Wilder's Brigade)
had arrived at Blue Springs,
and were being placed in position to en-
gage us next morning"
Burnside, in his report. says that he
had sent a brigade of cavalry Gen. Car
ter's Union Cav.) to attack. He was also
forwarding infantry, but it seems that
Williams, or rather Col. Giltner, thought
prudence the better part of valor, and re-
tired in the night.
Mosgrove, speaking of the Confederate
strength at Blue Springs, includes two
small brigades, one of 900, and the other
of 500, probably.
Gen. Williams says that on their night
retreat he was joined at Greenville by
Gen. Jackson's Brigade of infantry, and
Williams acknowledges that Jackson's
Brigade was engaged in Sundays fight,
but Gen. Williams thought that Fosters
force was 2,200 strong.
The truth is, we had but one small bri-
gade, of less than ] 800 men, engaged
against three brigades of Confederates,
with Col. Witcher's "Night Hawks"
thrown in. There is no doubt, however,
that the net that was being thrown
around them had much to do with their
discontinue, as q tight place will some-
times cause panic among brave soldiers,
and the Confederates would indeed have
been in a tight place il the net had been
rightly handled.
faa RT1r cir 10
had sent our brigade, under Col. Foster,
on a detour and rapid march to get in the
enemy's rear at Rheatown. In one of his
reports Burnside says that Foster was
obstructed by bad roads, and could not
reach that point in time. This, however,
Burnside corrects in another report, and
says the failure was because of misun.
derstanding of orders.
These are the facts: The brigade halt
ed about dusk at q point within a mile
of Rheatown, where we remained without
any effort to throw up Instructions of any
kind, and far into the night, perhaps mid
night, as Sumner says, the 9Th Ind, un,
der Col. Graham. was moved to position
to intercept the Confederates.
| will now quote from my history Of
the 18th and its brigades, which was
written from notes kept at the time, and
carefully corrected by the official reports
of Union and Confederate officers: I'VE
remained in the enemy's rear until 10 p.
u. of Oct 10. We were IN the rear, or
rather front, of large force Of the en-
emy that Shackleford, with his cavalry
and a body of infantry, had whipped at
Blue Springs and We're now driving them.
"We remained in their front until p.
M, Oct. 11th, when, for some unknown
reas IN, which has never been satisfactOr-
lily explained. the 9Th Ind. alone was left
in their front, and the rest of the brigade
was moved back on the road We came
several miles.
"There was great dissatisfaction in the
brigade at the failure to even attempt to
check the enemy.
"All the men and officers seemed to I'M
derstand that we had been sent to inter.
cept the enemy"
1 quote again: "As to the obstacles re,
ferred to these only existed in fancy. We
did not see them. We were near Rhea,
town full 10 hours before the Confeder-
ates arrived. The whole movement was
inexplicable and so different from former
handling of the brigade that we pass it
without an attempt to explain"
Again: About daylight we hear can
nonading, which tells that the spunky 9TH
have engaged the enemy. Our men held
back in the rear were very angry that
they were not allowed to join the 9th.
About Z p. m. squads of the 9Th reach
thdi was
all cut to pieces, and their battery and
Colonel captured. There were loud i'm
precautions in the brigade that the 9th was
left alone where the whole brigade desired
to be and should have been"
AS to the engagement on the 11th, TAX
ing Comrade Summers truthful narrative
and "Bugle Notes." doubtless truthful rec
ord, that battle has been fairly well de-
scribed. | would, however, add one in
cident which serves TO confirm the trepi-
dation which Mosgroye acknowledges ex-
listed in their ranks, and which was a nat
ural result Of the really tight place which
they expected, as they knew a force had
been thrown in their rear.
During the hottest Of the engagement
Col. Capron ordered Orderly-Sergt w. L.
Sanford (the writer to take FIVE men and
picket a road on the left. We had not
been long in position until Lieut.. Boren,
of Co. q, 14th, with 35 men, and Lieut.
Boeke, of Co. /, Joined us, and we all went
to reconnoiter the enemy's right (our
left.
We made wide detour, and reaching
| the top of a ridge we discovered by the
course of our shells that we were in the
rear of the Confederates, who were dis
mounted in force at the foot of the ridge.
Almost quicker than ! can write it we
dashed down among them, discharging our
carbines and receiving volley, which
killed one horse.
We succeeded in capturing two Confed-
crates, who said that their force at that
place was LOO cavalry, Before we were