The National tribune., 1902-10-09
WhitA Oak Road.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: The arti-
Gle on the battle of White Oak Road, in
the issue of Aug. 81, written by Com
rade White, 146th n. Y, was read with
a great deal of interest as my regiment,
the 10th n. Y, was in the same brigade.
l presume that his account from the stand
point of the 146th N. Y. was correct, but
l think he is mistaken in regard to the
ground freezing the night of March 81
l do not know the situation of the 146th
March 80, but the 10th n. Y. was on the
left of the brigade and out of sight of the
that position after dark. There had been
a cold. driZzing rain most of the day, but
after darkness set in the sky cleared and
the moon shone brightly the earlier part
of the night. The most of the 140th N. Y
were in a field on picket duty, behind n
barricade made of fence rails, and a small
reserve was in the timber in rear. 1 was
with that reserve.
During the evening a mounted officer
came along and called for a detail of a
non-commissioned officer and five men for
special duty. Lieut.. McDernot. of my
company, who was in command of the
reserve, counted off FIVE men and myself
and ordered us to follow the mounted
officer, which we did, outside of the
picket line. There he gave me instruc-
tions to follow a line of fence near us up
l.,
go through that timber certain distance,
turn to the left, cross a field, and go un-
til we found the Confederate pcket line
l Obeyed his orders strictly. found two
cavalry pickets, also the direction their
line was running, and returned and re-
ported. The officer was not satisfied with
my report. and gave me orders to take the
men, go back over the same route and
not stop until we drew the Confederate
fire. Just then Lieut.. McDermot stepped
up and said: 'Sir, it will not do any good
to send those men back; l went with them
into the woods, but when they started
across the field l kept on in the woods
and went far enough to hear men moving
on bridge and also heard them talking,
and learned that their picket line runs
just as he tells you"
rs that picket line on this side of the
road" the officer inquired.
We told him it was on this side
"1f that is the case" he said, "we will
have to give up what we contemplated.
We desire to make junction with Gus
ter's cavalry pickets on the left, but if
the rebel line is on this side of the White
Oak Road we will have to give it up"
The officer then ordered me to return
to my regiment. The morning Of March
81 l was sent to the top of that hill with
three men on videt duty. Several times
that morning Confederate officers and men
reconnoitered our position from field in
our front, but the dense brush at our right
kept us from seeing any movement. Fir
ing commenced some distance down the
line, and the 140th N. Y. advanced to our
position, but before we saw the enemy
our line broke on the right, and as our
left flank was in the air, with no sup
port whatever, we had to fall back. We
crossed the creek Comrade White men,
tions, and on the other bank we found
Gen. Griffin's Division drawn up in line.
with batteries, and their fire stopped the
enemy's advance, the corps advanced,
drove the enemy, got possession of White
Oak Road, and that night March 81
about midnight our division started for
Five Forks. and 1 know the ground was
not frozen for the mud was so sticky that
it bothered us to pull our feet out of it
w. I. BEcKwITII, Co. G, 10th N. Y,
267 New York ST., Aurora, Ill.