The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1901-08-22
no I Il
CHAMPIONS HILL.
Gen. John A. Logan IN Command of the Third
~ Division.

! CHAMPIONS HILL.
2H'-tEI-
!. Gen. John A. Logan IN Command of the Third
. Division.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE; In the Is
4 sue Of Aug. r. 81. Martin, 90. l, 46th
. Ind, Of Delphos, O., in a lengthy article
t on the Vicksburg campaign, makes some
e statements not in accord with the true and
faithful history of that great campaign
Z made by the worlds greatest soldier, Gen.
U. S. Grant, and his able and brave lieu
J tenants. In said article Martin takes ID
, sue with Capt. Henry Wilbur, 18th Ind,
in saying: "Old Boy, 6Sth Ohio, Is of his
base when he says Gen. Logan COM
, handed the Third Division, Seventeenth
r Corps" and adds further that IF the
, Captain will polish up his buttons, and
. get at the solid facts in the case, he will
find that Gen. Quinby was in command
. of the Third Division, Seventeenth Corps,
, during that campaign" Now, to set Com
rade Martin right, L will say for his in
, formation that Gen. John A. Logan com
, manded the Third Division, Seventeenth
Corps, all through the Vicksburg cam
paign, from start to finish, and that
neither Gen. Quinby nor Croker were
ever in command Of said division. l quote
from the history of my regiment (7Sth
Ohio: On the 18th Of April we left
Milliken's Bend, La, as part of the
Seventeenth Corps, and marched over a
military road which Gen.. Grant had
caused to be made, passed through Rich
mond and along Roundaway Bayou to
Lake st. Joseph, around which we march
ed and reached Perkinss Landing on the
Mississippi River on the 18th. The next
morning we continued our march to Hard
Times Landing, where transports and gun
boats awaited us, and which took US down
the river about 10 miles, and we de-
barked and stacked arms in Mississippi
From that point we took up our line Of
march along the Port Gibson road. The
18th Ohio was detailed to act as rear
guard to the column on that day, and was
the last to come up for the biyouac at
night. Gen. Crocker's Division was in ad-
vance, and when in the vicinity Of Mag
lnoiia Church, met the rebels under Gems.
Bowen and Tracy, nearly 5000 strong,
occupying strong position, and with
whom they became engaged at 2 o'clock
a. N. on May 1. The battle was fought
with varying success by that division I'M
til IL M, when Gen. Logan's Division
came up on the double-quick, and forced
the rebels from their position, driving them
back with great loss. On the next day,
May 2, we occupied Port Gibson.
The country is broken and presents a
succession of ridges running in parallel
but tortuous lines, with deep rayines in
tervening, affording natural earthworks in
great variety. Hhe rebels were routed and
retrcated in the night toward Jackson,
burning the bridges over Bayou st. Pierre
and several other streams.
| We left Port Gibaon on the I'd Of May
and marched towardgV icksburg, and found
the country to grow better as we ad
vanced. We came to Little Black River
just after the enemy had crossed, and too
late to capture them. At this point the
Second Brigade had the advance and was
shelled by rebel battery, the shells burst
ing over and around the 18th fiercey for
a short time, but =, fortunately without
| hurting any one. Here, Capt. Hicken-
lOOper quickly got his splendid battery in
position and inside of five minutes the
rebel battery was on the run to get out
OF the way of Hickenlooper's weil-aimed
shells, which were seen to fall right in
| their midst. rs s.-
We then moved toward Clinton on the
railroad from Jackson, to Vicksburg, and
when within four miles of Raymond We
met the enemy 5000 strong. Gen Logan
was in the advance, and fierce battle en-
sued. They were again routed, HAY u,
and fed toward Jackson. In this battle
/ the 18th acted prominent part and suf
fered loss.
We moved to Clinton and occupied the
town, capturing quantity of clothing and
/ army stores, tearing up the railroad and
Gripping the rebels in various ways. I'm
| TIE Ht1l we went lOhdTu JdChSDH anu
again met the enemy, May IA, who Had
| taken position upon the grounds of a
planter. The battle was short and de-
| cisive. The rebels were routed, leaving
their killed and wounded ON the field. Two
batteries were captured. Our troops i'm
| mediately occupied Jackson and stacked
arms on the sacred soil' of king JEFF"
| So rapid had been our march and SO sharp
our fighting that the people, deluded by the
misrepresentation of the lying press at
| Jackson, were completely surprised, and
| they made stampede that would put to
tbiush score of Bull Runs. At daylight
/ next morning Gen. Logans Third Diyi-
sion was en- route to Vicksburg On the
morning of May IS the advance of our
column was checked by the rebels who
were drawn up in line Of battle at
| Champion Hill, four miles from Black
| River. Immediate preparations were
made to meet them. during which time
Gen. Grant and staff rode to the imme
date front and took position in an open
| field to the right of Gen. Hoveys position,
| and remained in full view of his troops
for some time, while giving orders to the
several members of his staff and making
arrangements for the desperate struggle
which he knew was soon to take place.
| The engagement commenced on the left
| and it soon became "a fierce conflict,
| Hoyey and Carr's Divisions being i'll the
Il
point were numerous, all converging to-
ward Black River Bridge, thus bringing
our troops nearer to each other as we ad
vanced. The battle soon involved the
| troops on the right of the road and
| Logan's Division became engaged and was
conspicuous throughout the entire battle,
which lasted several hours, during which
there was constant roar of artillery and
musketry. A brilliant charge was made
! after three hours of desperate fighting, and
a six-gun battery was captured by the sd
Ohio, under the eyes of Gen. Logan, who
was continuously present and by his per-
sonal action and daring inspired his divi-
sion to many acts of herolsm. The battle
of Champion Hill was one of great
moment to the Union cause, and, as Gen.
Grant said in bis Memoirs, one Of the
most important of the war, and in that
battle Gen. John A. Logan commanded
the Third Division, of the Seventeenth
Corps, Capt Henry Milburn, 18th Ind,
and Comrade r. H. Martin, Co. l, 46th
| Ind, to the contrary Notwithstanding
J. w. A. GILLESPIE, Captain, Co. G., 18th
Ohio; Second Brigade, Third Division,
Seventeenth Corps. Army of the Tennes-
see, Middletown,, o.
Milroy's Battle in the Shenandoah Valley.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: 1 have
just read DIR. Wilson's very interesting
account of a trip up the Shenandoah Val
ley. He makes mere mention Of Gen.
Il