The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1904-04-28
BENTONVuLE.
Robinson's Brigade Held it's Position Against
Six Successive Charges.

| EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: | have
read with much interest the story From
the Sea to the Grand Review" To err
is human, and / find that Comrade Wild
ney, usually correct, invOluntarily writes
an incorrect history of the part taken by
Robinson's Brigade i'm the battle of Ben
tOnvile. He says:
"Buell's Brigade. on our extreme left
beyond supporting distance. opened tine
battle with n vicious attack, but recoilc,l
when it encountered superior numbers.
| Johnston Immediately followed this re
pulse of Buell. with his premediated at
tack. His long line enveloped the retrea t
ing brigade and drove it broken and dis
organized, far to the rear. HObart's Brig
ade next caught the blow and was driven
back, Notwithstanding a gallant resistance.
Robinson's Brigade Of the Twentie. Il
Corps had just arrived and was moving
into position on Hobaits right when il
was also enveloped and driven back by the
rushing. cheering, compact masses Of Con-
federates. Miles's Brigade Immediately
after suffered the same fate, and then
three of our cannon, stationed Oh the malta
road, fell into the hands of the enemy.
Thus four brigades We're successfully
driven from the original lire. and two only
remained Mitchell's and Vanderveer's.'
Again he says: Gen. Slocum attempted
to strengthen Carln's line with Robinson )
| Brigade as soon as ii reached the field, but
while moving into position this brigade
was caught in the whirl of the Confed-
crate attack and driven back with the
| Others"
Now. as a man in the ranks can not
usually see the evolutions and movements
of troops beyond his own immediate con-
mand, | shall only describe the movements
of Robnson's Brigade, of which l was Il
member
On Saturday. March 10. 1860. Robin
\ IL IL Al
tieth Corps, was following the Fourteenth
Corps OH a road that would take us. as We
supposed directly into Goldsboro Wh.s
we were halted for dinner we heard artil-
| lery firing some distance in front. \
staff officer soon appeared with orders
for us to resume our march and to NOV.
| in 4 hurry. En- rOute we met stragglers
from the Fourteenth Corps.
| Upon our arrival at the front, Brigade
Headquarters were established on n small
elevation to the left of the road. On tho
knoll were some stnmps and logs and in
front of it was a depression some fou,
feet deem and so feet wide. Beyon1 the
depression was level field. some 22.:t
yards wide, and bordering the field. OH the
further side, was woodland. The field
ard woods were occupied by Confederates
in strong force.
Robinson's Brigade. composed of tho
SD ILL.,: 143d \. Y: Glst and SD Ohio
oISl w iS., uHu lolst ditti SCiit
manuvering for position. charged across
the field to near the edge of the woods
| We were then charged by the C0nfetlerat.'s
| in front and flank. and for time it seemed
that we must inevitably be shot down OF
captured. 1t was then about 2:30 p. m.
and Il stampede was imminent. Very OPP
pOrtnnely. two or three companies of the
| 1i3d n. Y, on the left Of the line. faced
to the left to oppose the COnfederates WIN
| were moving unon our left flank. Fh" SD
ILL.,, a most excellent regiment, had not
accompanied us in the charge. hut mad re
manned in position to the left in the rear.
! This was fortunate. as the regiment now
confronted the head of the thanking col
umn, and when the Confederatas faced
toward our left flank the sol lii. was in
Il position to enfi,ade their lire. BY this
time our artillery, consisting of fom
4-gun batteries, was in position. on the
side Of the depression just in rear of the
field, whence it could fire over our heads.
These excellent dispositions of Onr troop
enabled us to drive the enemy back into
the woods. although it required some tin-
and hard fighting to do so. Ii should ht
borne in mind that we were i'm an onei,
| field, without protection. We now hastily
constructed frail breastworks Of the few
rails ard branches of trees we could find
scattered about. exnecting every mome'
TO be again charged by the Confedcratcs
They did charge us six successive times
every charge being sgn"iiy rem SCI
| When night came We We're ST II hollin;
our position in the field. near the edge OF
| the woods, having at no time been drives