The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-11-06
BATTLE PICTURE
BAD HISTORICALLY
PYLE's "NASHvILLE'' CRIT
CIzED BY ST. PETER MAN.
Captain Carter, Who Commanded Com
pany of sevent Minnesota Regiment,
Goes to ST. Paul to See Famous
Painting, but Finds It Inaccurate as
Portrayal of Great Charge.

Howard Pyle,'s $4,000 battle canvas
which adorns the governors reception
room in the new capitol and which .pur-
nesota troops at the battle Of Nash
vile, has no historic value. That is
the statement Of Captain Theodore G..
Carter of st. Peter, who led his COM
pany of the Seventh Minnesota in that
charge. Captain Carter, after inspect
ing the painting, says it makes the men
look bloodthirsty and fierce, but it is
nothing more than a picture of the ad-
vance Of General Hubbard's brigade.
When the artist IS work was finished
and the picture put in place, Captain
Carter determined to visit the capitol
for the purpose Of inspecting it. He
st. Peter said: "The painting called
Pyle, recently placed in the governors
room, which, according to reports, was
to represent the charge of the Mime
sofa regiments on Dec. 16, 1864, simply
represents the second brigade of the
first division, sixteenth corps, COM
manded by General Hubbard.
Location of Troops.
"The Minnesota men were posted
as follows: The Tenth Minnesota on
the left Of the first brigade, forming
nearly a right angle with the Ninth
Minnesota, which it joined, and which
was on the right Of the second brigade.
Next came the Fifth Minnesota, the
right of which rested on the Granny
White pike. Then came the Twelfth
Iowa, which was on the right Of the
third brigade, commanded by Colon Colonel e
rd bpssde een Ga rns st the Sf seT e
enth did not join the Fifth, as claimed
by General Hubbard. Il It is possible
that the Tenth is represented in the
painting, but if 50 the smoke hides it,
mostly. In reality there is too much
smoke. I could see the Tenth distinct
ly when they reached the enemy's
works. The. capitol guide says that
the regiment on the left is the Seventh
but the topography in front Of the Sew
enth was entirely different from that
in front Of the Fifth.
stone-Wau Defense.
"The enemy's works on the right
or west of the pike was the ordinary
left of the pike was a lane at a right
angle with it, and they had used the
rear fence to build up the front wall,
reinforcing it with rails laid close to-
gether and sloping from the top to the
ground in front. The best map of the
whole field is one made by the Con-
federate engineers, and it shows this
reinforced fence. Back of this wall
the ground rose abruptly at least TWEEN
ty feet, and there, in the edge of a
body Of timber opposite the extreme
left Of the seventh, was planted the
Pointe Coupee battery; which at first
raked the second brigade with grape
and canister, but which turned it upon
the Seventh and Twelfth Iowa ais soon
as they started, probably enabling the
second brigade to. complete its charge,
which otherwise would have been diff
fcult. AS it was, the fifth suffered
the most in killed and wounded.
hv Teeer charge was ordered sna suddenly sy
the first brigade, was the only one that
says he was ordered to charge, but I
did not find man in the Ninth that
heard any such order from any officer.
order, but he, ordered his brigade to
charge when he saw the others start
ing. It was called an 'echelon' charge,
but the echelon part of it was simply
because no one knew there was to be
any charge, and when the Tenth went
in, the next one followed a little be-
hind, then the next one, etc. It would
have been better to have had it all
take place at once and save the cross
lire upon any regiment. -.