The National tribune., 1901-10-03
CHAMPIONS HILL.
Comrade Martin, 4sth Ind, Replies to criti-
cisms.

| cisms
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: It is
amusing 70 note how thin-skinned some
Of the old comrades are getting to be,
lest their reputation for veracity should
be assailed. As an excuse for not writ
ing about what they saw, or did not see,
during their term of service, they say they
are afraid somebody will dispute their
word. What fimsy excuse this is; but
l suppose they go on the principle that a
poor one is better than none at all. Now,
L am rot in the least bothered in that
way. / expect some one will differ with
me in regard to some points, no matter
on what subject l may write. This I
take it is every comrades prerOgative
through the columns of the Fighting
Them Over" portion of The National Tri-
bune. l know when l wrote my article
on the key to Vicksburg," published in
tho issue of Aug. 8, that / would be
called down about something, and |
was not in the least disappointed; but
if the comrades could all know how hearth
ly l enjoyed, and am still enjoying it, they
would understand that my feelings were
not hurt to any great extent.
l have received letters from Ohio,
Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Iowa
and one from PARKWAY California, from a
cousin, that | had not seen or heard from,
since q think it was) just after our re-
turn from Saltville Raid, in West Vir-
ginia, under Gen. 5. G. Burbridge, when
Gen. HObSOn's Brigade of Cavalry were
passing down Broadway in Lexington,
Ky, bound for some other field of glory,
where there was more of that article to be
found than on the raid just mentioned.
Perhaps our friend, Capt. Allen, 18th
Ohio Cav, was with those who passed
me that day.
L was standing in the door of our bar
racks, about three doors north of the
Broadway Hotel as the 10Th Ohio Cav
was passing, and as Co. ID came opposite
heard someone call out, Hello, Bob"
another Hello, Bob" and still another,
and looking whence these words came,
wondering who it was in that vast crowd
that knew and recognized me, | saw for
the first and only time during the war,
and never since, three of my cousins, Joe,
John and Will FOrshee, that | had not
seen for two or three years, and was I'M
aware of their being in the army until
that moment. Now comrades, for this
and for the many kind letters received
from comrades of whom l had never be-
fore heard, but all showing the true spirit
of comradeship, l would willingly be
called down" every day in the week, and
every week in the year. But in correcting
my mistakes as to who commanded the
Third Division, Seventeenth Corps" l
ind that many of them make mistakes
also. Even Comrade J. w. A. Gillespie,
Captain, Co. G, 18th Ohio, find is not in
fallible, and makes mistakes with the rest
of us. Now, my dear Captain, if you had
been satisfied to correct my mistake you
would have been all halle-ka-sok; but you
could not resist the temptation to quote
from your beloved regimental history, and
thErn . eli -
slipped several times before you got to
the top of Champions Hill.
L md no quotation marks in your
article, Captain, so will conclude that
they end with your signature, and pro-
coed accordingly. / will take up your
quotation at the point where you say:
| Ihe next morning we continued our
march to Hard Times Landing, where
transports and gunboats awaited us, and
which took us down the river about 10
miles, and we debarked and stacked arms
in Mississippi.
My recollection of the distance is three
or four miles, certainly not over the lat
ter distance. My regiment and the 9th
Ind. were on the fag-steamer Benton;
Gen. Grant was also on board, and watch
ed the shore closely through his glass as
we passed down. Being in the front, we
had our eyes open for anything that might
show up. Arriving opposite Bruinsburg,
| lut DtHlOH SlSudleu l1nu,
and slowly rounded to-" We We're the
first troops to land. The distance from
Grand Gulf to Bruinsburg is only 10
miles, so you will admit there is q slight
discrepancy here; but as it is unimportant,
we will call it mistake No. 1, and pass on
to where you say, Gen. Crocker's Divi-
sion was in the advance, and when in the
vicinity of Magnolia Church, met the
rebels under Gems. Bowen and Tracy,
nearly 5000 strong, occupying a strong
position, and with whom they became en-
gagged at 2 o'clock a. m. ON May ]. The
battle was fought with varying success
by that division until u M, when Gen.
Logans Division came upon the double
quick, and forced the rebels from their
position, driving them back with great
loss" Here, again your regimental his
torian gets beyond his depth by attempt
ing to tell what Crocker's Division did
Now, Captain, l may be very obtuse,
and don't get into the true inwardness of
his way of writing, but the only thing |
can make out of this is, that Crocker's
Division fought the enemy, that Gen.
Grant estimates 5000 strong, from a. m.
till II m, single handed and alone, and
that Gen. Logan's Division, coming up
just in time for dinner, ate up, or scared
away all that Croker had left. What
glorious news this will be for the men of
the old Ninth, Fourteenth and Twelfth
Divisions, Thirteenth Corps, who have al
ways imagined that they had finger in
the pie, although it was not very large
pie. The facts are just these: The Ninth
Division (Osterhaus) had the advance
from Bruinsburg to Port Gibson, or
Thompson's Hill, and when they struck
the enemy, at about 2 a. m, went into
biyouac and waited for daylight when
they opened the ball on the road leading
to the left from the top of the hill. Carr's
Fourteenth Division next went into the
fight on the road leading past Magnolia
Church, and TO the right of the Church,
and the Twelfth Division (Hovey's), went
in about Z a. M, filling the gap between
Osterhaus and Carr. The fight shifted
from one flank to the other, and then back
to the center, until Logan came up, went
in one the left, and one of his brigades, 1
think it was the Second, made the charge
that ended the battle. Crocker's Division
was not in it "a little Bit" in fact, did
not fire a shot. Mistake No. 2. We will
now pass on to where he says: 1.-THE en-
gagement commenced on the left,- and it
soon became a fierce conflict. Hovey's
and Carr's Division being in the hottest of
the fight" Here the historian again gets
| into deep water" in attemptinr TO tell