The National tribune., 1906-10-11
THE 9TH OR s1ST MO.
The Record of Some Gallant md Loyal
MissOurfans.


MissOurinns.
Editor National Tribune: In the
Soldiers Friend 1 notice commune
| cation by Comrade Harter, Co. A, 27th
Mo. I seldom criticise a comrades
| article, but will have to a little in his
case. First. he says we (the 2Ith Mo-
were placed in +. p. Blairs Brigade
| and sent down the river in the Spring
of 1863. Now it is well known by all
comrades of the brigade that it was
| first organized at Helena Ark, or.
rather, across the river opposite tnat
place, in December. 1862, and con-
sisted of the 29th. 3Oth. S1st and 32d
| Mo-, saith Ohio and 18th Ill. 1t was
/ intended the brigade should have been
composed of six Missouri regiments,
but the 27th failed to come to time,
and the 2Sth never organized as a regi-
ment but joined Bowen's Battalion and
became the 10th Mo. Cav. The Ohio
and Illinois regiments were attached
to the Missouri regiments to enable the
brigade to become part of Gen.
Sherman's army, which was to attack
Vicksburg, in December. 1862.
This as made up is the brigade Gen.
Blair led in the charge on Dec. 20.
1852. 1t put t!yo stars in the Cen
erals crown then and there. After
Gen. Grant took command of the
army in the Winter. the three corps
were formed. Gen Sherman command
ed the Fifteenth, Gen. Steele the First
Division. and Col. Frank II. Manter. of
the 32d Mo-, the First. of Blair's Rri-
gade, until June. 1863. when Col.
Fletcher. of the 31st Mo, took COM
mand. The 9th Mo. joined the bri-
gade in March, 1868. So you see, it
never went down the river with Blair's
Division. Fletcher commanded the
brigade for a short time, and then Col.
B. F. Farrer, of the 30th Mo-, took and
retained command until after the sur
render of Vicksburg and the campaign
to jackson, when Col. Fletcher again
took command. The 18th Ohio took
the place of the saith Ohio in the bri-
gade, and Col. Chas. Wood, of that
regiment, having been promoted to n
General. became brigade commander.
When Wood became a Major-General
the 18th Mo. was attached to the bri-
eade and Col. Wangelin, of that regi-
ment, became the commander during
the Atlanta campaign. After the cap
ture of Atlanta and the reorganization
of the army. Gen. VIM. Wood. who
had been Lieutenant-Colonel and Colo
mel of the 10th Ohio, took command,
and remained the brigade's commander
until it was mustered out at Washing
ton in 1865. Col. Fletcher returned to
Missouri and became Colonel of the
47th Mo. in the Summer of 1864. He
was next in command to Gen. Ewing
at the battle of Pilot Knob. Sept. 81,
1864 He vas elected Governor of Mis-
souri, in November following. He never
was a Brigadier- General. other Col
onels commanded the brigade for a
short time at different times. The bri-
gade never belonged to the Thirteenth
Corps; always the Fifteenth.
What l object to most is Comrade
Harter's charge against the officers of
the other regiments as to their care
and reports of their sick, wounded and
deceased men. What he says may he
true of his officers. but it is not of the
officers of the 31st Mo. ] now have n
record of the time and place of each
man killed, died of wounds or of sick
ness of Co. c. We kept track of our
men, and notified their folks at home
as soon as possible if one of them was
killed, wounded or died. If sent to the
hospital we followed them up and had
been any trouble in proving the death
of any member of Co. G, and so far as
I know even of those that died in pris-
on, and five of Co. G died there. or
the company. four deserted in Novem-
ber, 1862, before we left" Missouri;
eight were discharged on account of
wounds or sickness; five were trans
ferred to the Veteran Reserve Corps:
five were killed in battle, and %
marched with Gen. Sherman to Wash
ington to be discharged. That leaves
35 to die of wounds and disease. or
the 81 honorably discharged, one was
murdered by bushwhackers and Il
have died. There are now Is living
out of the S5 Missouri boys who en-
listed in Co C, 31st Mo, in August,
1865. We never received any re-
cruits.-W. H. Evans Captain, Co. G,
31St Mo.