The National tribune., 1902-09-18
Snake Crack Can

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: In the is
sue Of Aug. ii +. III. Wagner, of Co. ID,
9th H., gives an account o. ,n, t.,n."-, ..--,.
holding of Snake Greek Gap, Ga. He
says: I'VE made night march to the
entrance of the gap. One short hour for
rest was given. Serg't Muller, with Ii
picked men, was detailed to take the ad-
vance in the dark and frowning gap, of
which only five returned. At the west end
of the gap the rebel pickcts We're COM
plctcly surprised and their horses seized
without Il shot being fired. When half
way through the gap we met relief force
and our advance made Il dash at them and
followed closely on their heels into a large
rebel camp. In the fight that followed
our men drove them from their camp into
an open space of about 20 acres, and
over this open space the 9th III. charged,
driving the rebels into the woods on the
other side. They took shelter behind trees
and rocks. We dismOunted and held them
until we were reinforced by the JOth Ill. y
Now, nearly all of this differs from what
l think are the facts. While Sherman
was engaging the enemy ut Tunnel Hill
and BuZzard Roost, Gen. Mcpherson took
two divisions of the Sixteenth Corps and
marched for Snake Creek Gap, some 16
or Is miles south of Tunnel Hill. On May
. the :5gth Iowa. of the Third Brigade,
Second Division, was in advance. We ar
rived ut the mouth of the gap about i
p. m, where we came to Il halt. While
we were there Gems. Mcpherson and
Dodge came up, and sat down on the
ground and took out a map. They seemed
to be talking over the situation They
were not over 30 or % feet from our com
pany, and we could understand Il little of
what they said. 1t seemed that they had
not fully determined whether it was best
a
eight miles away, that night. After re-
naming there about one hour, we were
ordered to fall in, and marched through
the gap, the 3Jth Iowa in advance. When
we reached the east end of the gap it was
nearly sundown. We went into camp for
the night, with the remainder of the bri-
gade camped along through the gap in
our rear. including the 50th Ill. The Both
Iowa was in front, with two companies
Of the 9th ILL.,, as we understood it, still
in our advance, perhaps half-mile or
more.
The next morning, between daylight and
sunrise, the 9th Ill. was attacked by the
rebel cavalry. Hearing the guns the Both
Iowa fell iii line at once and marched to
their relief. We had marched out per-
haps halfmile, when we met the 9th
Ill. falling back, closely followed by the
rebels. The Confederates did not seem
" tHdt tueTe WIS any infantry
near them until they ran into our lines,
where number were killed and captured.
This ended all the fighting at the mouth
of Snake Creek Gap, and it was done by,
think, only two companies of the 9th
III. and the Both Iowa. and not by the
3cth Ill. l do not wish to take anything
from the record of the 5Oth ILL.,, as it was
as grand an old regiment as ever went
into the service, but these honors belonged
to the 18th Iowa, and not to the 50th III,
We understood at the time that there were
only two companies of the 9th ILL., with us
III taking possession of the gap, and |
think so yet, though in this l may be mis-
taken.
Now. all of this night marching and
fighting through the gap is certainly not
correct. As we arrived at the gap, at 3 or
O'Clock in the afternoon. the two com
panies of the 9th Ill. being in advance of
the 18th, might have arrived an hour or
two earlier. We marched through the gap
Ill The daytime, without shot being fired.
After driving the cavalry force back two
or three miles we ran into a large cavalry
force, and perhaps infantry. We then fell
back for mile or two, and threw I'D
strong breastworks across the valley from
hill to hill, and held them until Sherman
came up with nearly all of his army
CHAs. VAN GORDER, Co. b, 39th Iowa,
Audubon. Iowa.