The National tribune., 1901-10-31

log house of small dimensions, and stood
intact when the 39th reached the crest
of the hill and when the 9th Ill. closed
up its ranks, which was considerably
heightened by its oblique move, its right
rested just at the edge of the woods to the
left of the house The 39th Ind. joined
its left onto the 9th with its right extend
ing beyond the stable, which stood to the
right OF the house. The only fighting that
was done on that ground that day was
done by the 39th Ind, in which we lost
three officers and FIVE enlisted men killed
and 80 enlisted men wounded; greater
loss than either of Wilders regiments
suffered in their three days fighting of
that great battle, and greater loss than
Wilder's whole brigade suffered on Sun
day. Sept. 20, 1863, which fact is shown
by tn, Records of the Rebellion and also
by the reports in the Adjutant-Generals'
Offices of the States of Indiana and llli-
nOis.
The casualty reports is evidence suffi-
cient to show that the Both Ind. occupied
the most hotly-contested point along the
line held by the mounted infantry on the
extreme right of ROsecransS army on that
day. That we received the onslaught on
an opcn front while the others received it
in the timber. and that the enemy were
not in position on Glenn Hill when we
made the cOunter-charge, is shown by the
reports of Gen. Manigault and his regi-
mental commanders, 'as leaving their po,
sitiOn east of the Lafayette road at IL &c
a. H." Col. Wilder so worded his re-
port that it gives the impression that his
brigade were the only troops that with,
stood that charge, and that all to his
left were swept away, notwithstanding
Miles and Harrison say that they moved
their regiments back with Wilder, leav-
ing the field at 80 p. III.
| wish to call the attention of Comrade
Doyle to Col. Miller's report. If it is
correct the historian of the I'D is nothing
more than a very imaginative writer of
war fiction. But, on the contrary, if the
historian is correct. it is evident that Col
Miller must have lost the identity Of his
regiment and made report for some other.
1t will be seen that Col. Miller received
the order to mount and charge at noon;
that he reached his horses, and, accord
ing to the report of Maj. Jones, OF the
18th IND, the horses were one mile and
half in the rear when he received or
ders to move forward on foot, which he
did, marching by the flank till he was
well over the hill, where he formed line
of battle" etc. This all shows that the
I'D Ind. had marched on foot something
more than three miles over rough and
hilly ground. From the time he left his
position on the right until he reached a
position or the left it must have con-
sumed q considerable amount of time,
while the onslaught of the rebel columns
and their repulse was all over within less
than one hour, and at the time that house
was burning Hindmans and Preston's Di-
visions were following up the route OF
Sheridan and Davis, and every step they
took, according to their reports, was plac
| ing Wilder's Brigade farther in their rear
That the house had been used by Belk-
nap as q hospital, or, as the historian OF
the I'D Ind. says, as a storage room for
ammunition, sounds considerably like Isl
Klegg" to one who fought on the hill that
day; especially the fire and shingles be-
ing thrown 100 feet in the air, the burst
| ing shells, the scorched clothing of the
men of the right wing of the regiment as
they We're being doubled back on center.
l presume they were lodging those
shingles, which were three or four feet
long, for with such was the house COW
cred, having been roughly riven out of a
large tree.-J. n. JONES, Co. A, Both Ind,
Alexandria, Ind