The National tribune., 1903-06-11

their respective divisions to find greater
losses, and, consequently, harder ightingi
First Brigade, Third Division, Seven
teenth Corps, Brighten. John Z.
Smlth 4SH
Third Brigade, Seventh Division, Sew
enteepth Corps, Col. George b.
Boomer NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. GAO
The query arises just here: II the test
was hard fighting and severe losses. why
were these two brigades not chosen in
stead of the first mentioned? While We
are at il let us examine the records n little
further aud we may find other brigades
and divisions that did some of the fighting
and sustained losses equal to, if not
greater, than the two first mentioned,
Here are the figures:
Second Brigade Tenth Division, Thir-
teenth Corps, Col. w. j. Landram.. 339
First Brigade. Twelfth Division,
Thirteenth Corps. Bris.-Gen. G. +.
McGinnis Sol
Second Brigade, Twelfth Division,
Thirteenth Corps, Col. James X.
SncK 6oJ
First Brigade. Fourteenth Division,
Thirteenth Corps, Brig.-Gen W. z.
Benton O,jU
Second Brigade. Fourteenth Division,
Thirteenth Corps. Brig. NJ. X.
Lawler 69O
These figures are for the campaign, or
from May l to May 22, inclusive, and
show that there We're eight brigades that
lost more men than Sanborn's and six that
lost more than Stevenson's.
The greatest loss by divisions was as
follows:
Twelfth Division. Thirteenth Corps,
Brig.-Gen. \. T. UOvey. 1,513
Third Division, Seventeenth Corps,
Mai. John \. Logan 1,251
Fourteenth Division, Thirteenth
Corps, Brighten. L. A. Carr. 80. 1,120
Seventh Division, Seventeenth
Corps, Brig.-Gen. /. +. Quinby. :. 1,C15
1t appears from the above figures that
if it was Il test of fighting and losses dur
ing the campaign by brigades, McGinnis's
and LAWYERS Brigades should have been
selected; if by divisions, Hovey's and Lo-
gans. Now let us see how StevensOn's
and SanbOrn's losses compare with other
brigades in the charge of May %:
May 22-First Brigade, Seventh Di-
vision, Seventeenth Corps, San
born --............ 213
May 22-Third Brigade, Third Divi-
sion, Seventeenth Corps, Steven
son. ............... ~
May 22-Second Brigade, Sixth Di-
vision, Seventeenth Corps, T. L.
G. Ransom Observation-Disclosures. 364
May 22-sccond Brigade Tenth Di-
vision, Thirteenth Corps, w. j.
Iandfam Isl
May 22-First Brigade, Fourteenth
Division, Thirteenth Corps, w. z.
Benton ..,..... ............. y4S
May 22-Second Brigade, Four
teenth Division, Thirteenth Corps,
NJ. ~. LaWier.. ................. S6S
Here we find four brigades that sustained
greater loss in the big charge May %
than either Sanborn or Stevenson, and
three brisades-Ransom's, Benton's and
Lawler's-that lost more men than
Quinby's entire division, and one brigade
Uawler's) lost more than Logans entire
division, and one division renth, Thirteenth
Corps, Il. A. Carr, lost more than double
that Of Quinby's, and within eight Of
doubling LOgan's losses. Now let US 60
back to where Comrade Wellman says: "I
should not have made the claim that the
4th Minn. was the first into the city if
had not known it to be a historical fact
that could not be knocked out by any
published records" 1t is plain to nv
mind that the comrade has not seen the
very carefully, or he would never have
made such statement. On page 81,
Part 2, Vol. XIV, Series 1, Official Re
ports, we find the report of Lieut-Col
John E. Tourtellotte, 4th Minn, dated
Aug. l, 1868, an extract of which reads
as follows: Here We remained until after
the surrender Of Vicksburg, when, on July
6, my regiment moved inside of the rebel
breastworks." l think have proven be-
yond doubt and by the published records
that every statement made by .Comrade
Wellman and his living witnesses Is
wrong: viz. that Sanborn's and Steven
sons Brigades were not chosen to be first
to enter Vicksburg for their superior fight
ing qualities or heavy losses, either during
the campaign or in the charge May %,
1863, and that the 4th MINI. was not the
first regiment to enter Vicksburg-R.
ii. MARTIN, Co. l, 46th Ind, Delphos,
Ohio.