The National tribune., 1901-10-17
POSITIONS, JULY 3. s:15 TO $50.

which went somewhat farther and stayed
somewhat longer under the same terrific
fire, lost as heavily.
THE LIGHT BRIGADE oUTDoNE-
If the charge of the Light Brigade at
Balaklaya, in which it lost 80 per cent,
has rendered it famous, why should not
the charge of Davis's Brigade, in which
it lost 60 per cent, render it equally ia
nous? And if the laundering stupidity of
the order TO charge has excited our SYM
patty in behalf of the British cavalry, is
there not enough of that element in the
order to the infantry brigade to satisfy
the most exacting? And if Davis's Bri-
gade deserves fame, why do not all the
brigades-with one exception-of Petit
grew and Trimble also deserve it?
Col. w. Il. Potter of the 18th \. j.,
Smyth's Brigade, Hays's Division, in an
address delivered several years ago, after
speaking in very complimentary terms of
Mississippi Brigades of Pettigrew's Divi-
sion, says: Again, larger number of
the enemy was killed and wounded in
front OF Smyth than in front of Webb.
OF this, besides the general recollection
of all of US who were then present, l
have special evidence. | rode over the
field covered by the fire of these two bri
gades on the morning of Sunday, July ,,
in company with Lieut. Col. Chas. II.
Morgan, the Chief of Staff of Gen. Han
cock, and Capt. Hazard. AS we were
passing the front of Smyth's Brigade Col.
Morgan said to Hazard: They may talk
as they please about the hard fighting in
front Of Gibbon, but there are more dead
men here than anywhere in our front To
this conclusion Hazard assented."
After the frightful ordeal they had been
through il is not to the discredit OF any of
the troops engaged to say that when they
reached the breastworks, or their vicinity,
there was no fight left in them, for there
is a limit to human endurance. This limit
had been reached, and this is shown by
the fact that there was not an OrganiZa-
ton upon the field which, when an attack
was made ON its flank, made the slightest
attempt to change front TO meet it, but
either surrendered or fed.
This being the case, the only thing of
interest is to decide which brigadeS re-
ceiyed the most punishment before this
limit was reached.
THE CAPTURED FLAGS.
During the recent discussion in the
Richmond newspapers as to whether any
Of the North Carolina troops reached a
point at or near the enemy's works, the
most prominent writer on the negative side
Of the question gives extracts from the
reports of certain participants in the
charge TO corroborate his opinion, and by
a singular oversight gives one from the
report of Maj. John Jones, then command
ing Pettigrew's own brigade, who SAYS:
The brigade dashed on, and many had
reached the wall when we received a
deadly vOlley from the left" To have
reached the stone wall on the left on the
salient, they must necessarily have adj
yanced considerably farther than any
troops on the field. And yet the above
writer, i'll the face of Maj. Jones's testi-
mony, thinks that neither his nor any
North Carolina troops were there.
But, then, he quotes from the Federal
Col. Hall, who" he says, gives list
Of the flags captured by his command
when the charge was made" Among
them he mentions that of the 22d \. c.,
and says: If this can be accepted as
true, it of course ends all controversy"
Col. Hall reports that at the close of
the assault his brigade captured the flags
of the 18th, 18th, 18th, and 57th Va, and
that of the 22d n. c.
Webb reports that his command cap
tured six flags, but does not name the
regiments TO which they belonged. Heath
captured those of the LIST, It'll, and 2Sth
Va; CAROLS Brigade, those Of the Bath
n. G. and 3Sth Va; Smyth's Brigade those
of LIST and 14th Tenn, 10th and sd n. c.,
and five others, the names not given, and
Sherrill's Brigade. captured three, the
names not given. Thus we have the names
of eight Virginia, four North Carolina.
and two Tennessee, IA reported captured,
names not given-in all %, which ac-
counts for Pickett's 10, ScaIes's five, Pet
tigrew's own three, and Archers four.
One of Pettigrew's and one of Archer's
having been carried back, some of the
other troops must have lost one.
If official reports which say that the
flags of the LIST and 14th Tenn. aud of the
10th, 22d, 34th, and sd n. G. were cap
tured cannot be accepted as true and
thus lend all controversy" perhaps re-