The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1901-08-29
WILDER'S BRIGADE.
Superb Fighting Around the Widow alenn'l
House.


Glenn House on the Goth outside of
Lytle's skirmishers. Lieut.. Belknap, 2lst
Mich, quoted by me in my article in June
9th issue, corrobOrates the fact of Wilder
making his grand counter-charge on Hind
mans Division in front of the Glenn
House.
Lieut.. Belknap tells april 6, 1893 that
his men were using the Glenn House as
a hospital, and the house was intact when
Wilder charged beyond it, but the shells
of Hindman's batteries set it on fire dur
ing the desperate engagement Then VIII
der fel! back to the Glenn House from
where he had driven the enemy, having
cleared his front of everything, and at
this time the 39th Ind. (of Willich's Bri-
gade, Johnson's Division) was brought up
and assigned to Wilder's command.
No fighting occurred after this, beyond
some skirnishing as the rebel line adj
vanced again, and Wilder under orders,
withdrew his brigade, which included the
39th Ind, which remained under his com
mand until he reached Rossyiiie. Before
withdrawing, Wilder says: Il had decided
to cut our way through BragS's army TO
join Thomas on the SnOdgrass Hill, and
was only prevented from attempting 1t by
preemptOry orders from ChaS. y. Dana,
Assistant Secretary of War, who having
lost his way to Chattanooga had come
I'd lust as | was forming the brigade in
five lines, columns of regiments (the 39th
Ind, being temporarily assigned), to make
the charge, which | firmly believe would
have resulted in the rout of Longstreet
Corps and the defeat of Bragg's army:
In the oblique charge of Wilders BIZ
gadc past the Glenn House it smashed
the brigade of ManiGault back on the bri-
gades of Deas and Anderson, of Hind
mans Division, driving the whole line
back nearly n mile in front of the Widow
GIenn'S, and when Wilder Withdrew, the
brigade of Trigg, of Preston's DIVISION,
had advanced to within about 800 yards
of him and halted, with skirmishers out
and engaged. When we returned to the
Widow Glcnn's lines were formed extend
ing past the house, but principally to the
right of it, better position, in Sheridan
breaStworkS.
And now, to prove further that | am
right. ! make the following extract from
the History of the I'D Ind, page lS4:
The Lightning Brigade this morning
formed on the hill west of the Widow
Glenn's house lin rear of it,, and was the
extreme right of the army, the I'D lying
on the right of the brigade. The line
faced east two companies ont as flank
ers facing SOUTH. Our regiment had
thrown up line Of rails and logs and
stacked arms, our horses had been brought
up and beef killed, and just as we began
to cook breakfast the roar of the artillery
north Of us became terrible and the fight |
ing furious. To the left and |
little in front of our brigade was bat |
terry of 32-pOund Parrot guns, and every |
time they fired the earth trembled and |
shook. Just as we got our beef on to |
cook the rebels made charge on tins |
battery and took it. We were ordered to |
fall in and take arms, and moved TO |
he left front for about half a mile in com .
mon time and then to the east, when we |
wheeled into line and moved forward on !
IuicI time for nearly half mile farther
md were ordered to charge, which we DID
with a will. 1t seemed to us just then
hat the heavens and earth were certain
V coming together, for as we drove the
'ehels back from the battery the artillery
men flew to their guns and opened fire by
rOlleys. The shots cut the tops from the
rees over our heads, the shells bursting
II front of us, while each gun was an
,wcred shell for shell from tie rebel bat
cries, which shells also burst in and about
,ur lines. To this was added the rattle
md crash of our Spencer rifles, and the
loise was so deafening that We could not
lear ourselves cheer, though each man
-elled at the top of his voice.
I'VE drove the rebels about half a mile,
ook 300 prisoners, fell back on high
,round right in front of the battery we
TAU TtidhtH llDI the ltDtlos anu ItlOi
,ur lines so close to some large houses
which had been set on fire by shells that
he right of the regiment had to double
II to the center, and then the heat was
% intense that it scorched our clothing. l.
ammunition had been left in the houses
Widow Glennsl. and the shells began TO
,urst, throwing fire and shingles 100 feet
Ugh. The rebels are coming for us again
nd we see their sllirmishers darting from
rec to tree, getting nearer and nearer
At this time the Both Ind. was brought
I'D and formed on the left of the I'D,
which had become the left of Wilders
frigadeJ Just then we got word that the
following this disastrous
ews we were ordered to go guard our
-agon train into Chattanooga. The reb-
Is were almost within 100 yards of us
heir skirmishers) when this order came,
nd we gave them few rounds to check
heir advance and moved to the right
.aking the battery at the Glenn House
fl the field with us) back to the works
e had left over an hour before"
1t will be seen that from the foregoing |
ccount Wilder's Brigade drove the en-
my from Sheridan's breastwOrks at the
lem House. recaptured the bHttery that
ad been taken, and drove the rebels off,
| fact, followed and drove them clear
cross the Lafayette road. Lieut.. G. Il.
Dist Mich, who tells his story
The National Tribune of April q, 1898,
iys the rebels were in the works when
Wider came up and drove them out. The
Widow Glenn's House was intact when
Wider made his daring and brilliant
large, but was set on fire during the en-
lgement. Then when Wilder's Brigade
IL back and formed line at the burning
lem House the Both Ind. is brought up,
rter all the desperate fighting is over,
nd Just before the Glenn House line is
Dandoncd, and Comrades Falls and
)nes want to know why Wilders Brigade
onument is placed at the Glenn House,
hen the Both Ind. was there on that
ate They neither of them make claim
any fighting ut the Glenn House, only
lat their regiment formed on Wilder's
#, joining the I'D Ind, and it seems
me that the troops who did such des-
crate fighting on the ground We're en-
tied to place their monument there. 1t
i'll be seen from the extract of the I'D
ID. history that they were the left of the !,
,igade after the fighting in front of the r.
lem House was over, and the 39th Ind. u
inc up and joined them. So l have to s
axe my protest against giving the Both r
I'd. credit for work they did not do. ~
In the legend Of the Atlas of the Battle r.
I'D of Chickamauga, Gen. III. V. Boyn- Y
ii says of the attack on the right on the n
Orning of the Goth: I'm this attack of g
indman's Division upon Sheridan's Di- ii
sion, Gen. Wilder's Mounted Brigade of a,
eynolds's Division, with the 39th Ind. a.
ounted Inf, charged the left of Hind
ans line, checked Manigault's Brigade
I'd pushed it east of the Lafayette road
Einiard'S,"