The National tribune., 1903-03-26
Bottoms Fridge.

EDITOR NATIONAL. TRIBUNE: 1 had
supposed the incident closed, so far as
the question who first crossed Bottoms
Bridge was at issue. but it appears COM
rade Stevens, Co. Il. 9Th Mass, is not
satisfied. l suppose if the 9Th Mass. had
been ordered to cross, they would have
been as brave as other men, but this time
they were mot in it." Comrade Stevenss
quotation from Brighten. Peck admits
that Gen. Casey" commanding eur divi-
sionJ was in his 'front.' and had made
movement" Will Comrade Stevens
tell us just how the 9TH Mass. got through
Gen. Casey's line in 'front.'" without
Gen. Naglee's Brigade finding it out.
COmrade Stevens is mistaken this time.
There were absolutely no Massachusetts,
or any ether troops in our front when We
came in sight of Bottoms Bridge, except
that the Sth Pa. Cav. came up and joined
us. This was in the afternoon of the 10Th
of May. To be more particular about it,
there were no other troops in front lex
cept the "Johnnies') at that time, nor
from that time up TO May 81. The pecu-
liar part of COmrade Stevens's proofs"
is that in his reference to his diary" the
claim is made that the 9TH CROSSED Bot
TOMS Bridge: that is to say, a picket
force under Private Goodies crossed
the bridge on MAY 81" This may all
be true, as we had crossed on the Goth,
the day before, and were at that time
leading the extreme advance toward
Savage Station" or Seven Pines"
where we overlook and engaged a bri-
gade of the enemy with seven pieces of
artillery. ON May 81 Saturday.. and
routed the enemy as usual. From here to
Fair Oaks TO other troops except the
enemy were in our front. l give the fol-
lowing extract from General Order No.
3, issued by Gen. II. M. Naglee.
''On May 10 at Bottoms Bridge you
waded waist-deep in the swamps of the
Chickahominy. You drove away the
enemy and were the first to cross that
stream.
by command of Brig Gen. Henry NJ.
Naglee.
geo. II JOHNSON,
Captain and A. A. G."
have already quoted Comrade Fl. G.
Miller. of 154 East Capitol ST.. WASH
ingtOn, d. c., in former article, stat
ing from his diary, too, that he was one
of ZOO picked men who engaged the
enemy at Bottoms Bridge on May 20,
and after skirmish drove the enemy
across, they setting it on fire, and how
the linen eXtinguished the fire. dipping
water with their caps" saved the bridge
and went across.
In his article Comrade Stevens quotes
capt. hOiman as saying that ON the 2lSt
when he saw the bridge it appeared to be
blown up in the CENTER The fact is
this is where it was repaired after the
attempt to burn it by the enemy: it might
easily look just that way. The 900
saved the bridge, as already stated. on
May 20 (the day before>. Naglee's Brig
ade was at Bottoms Bridge when the
9TH Mass. and other troops had recrossed
it and We're en- route to Harrison's Land
ing, and for three days after all had
crossed in the retreat, held the bridge
until all had got across in good shape,
then destroyed the bridge.
Concluding. let me say, in the language
of the hero of Santiago. let US not quarrel
about the rooster" There is glory
enough for ALL All did the work as
signed to them like patriots, and the world
will never know all that was endured by
the boys in blue during those awful
years of war.-W. III. RossER, Co. c, sd
Pa, Mill Hall. Pa.