The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1907-05-23
THAT LONGEST MARCH.
A Reply to the STRUCTURES On the 11th
Kun. Cav. and Col. Moonlight.

Editor National Tribune: In wa
times when a picket fired, the shot wa
usually returned by a volley from tn,
enemy. Now when a comrade fires
picket shot through the medium OF thu
great soldier paper there frequently
comes a volley in reply. not from thu
enemy, but from comrades. I note the
letter in your issue of April 4 from Jas
per Malone, Co. H, 21st Mo-. replying tc
tho article of Comrade Childres. of the
18th Kan, as to the longest march.
have nothing to say to Comrade Malone
as he writes In fair and gentlemanlI
;! tone, and am pleased II it is a fact tina
the Sixteenth Corps made the longes
march Of any commnd during the ter
rible four years of war; but ! cannot re-
frain from saying something in repl,
to the letter of Comrade w. H. Rick.
man, Co. L. 4th Iowa Cav, on the same
subject. He says that the 18th Kan
started from Westport on the Ions
march. He is reckless in his state.
ments, or he did not read all of Com
rade Childres's letter. The 18th Kan
did not start from Westport on that oc.
casion. 1t had been engaged in -four
battles with Prices army before the
command left Westport. to-wit: Lex,
ington, Oct. 10; Little Blue, Oct. 81; Big
Blue, Oct 90, and Westport, Oct. 20.
The comrade says: THE 18th Kan
scarcely did anything but run and
dodge around to keep out of the way OF
Price" The cOmrade is not well ac-
quainted with the reputation of the
| 18th Kan. or he would not deliberately
state that 1t had ever run or lodged to
keep from meeting Price or any other
rebel. In the one fight on Little Blue
where this regiment was engaged from
early morning till after dark, 1t lost
more men killed in action than the
comrades regiment did in the whole OF
its chase after Price. The 18th Kan
was fighting Price in the front from
Lexington to Westport, while the 4th
Iowa was marching in the rear
Again, the comrade says: IF Moon
light had done what he was sent to do
he would have been in front of Price
and stopt him till they got up, but in
stead Moonlight was four or five miles
away at Mound City. There he stayed
until the Sixteenth Corps fought the
battle of Mine Creek, drove the rebels
back, and took all the prisoners Then
when Moonlight saw that they had done
the work he came marching down, and
it is a wonder he wasn't court-mar-
tailed"
Well, the above is trife mkt, but
think / can understand what the COM
rade is trying to say, and must admit
to much surprise. ] was heretofore I'M
der the impression that Gen. Curtis was
front of Price, with Gen. Blunt second,
and that Gen. Pleasonton commanded
the forces pursuing Price till after the
junction of the two armies at Westport.
| acknowledge now Gthat / have been
mistaken. 1t was one w. II. Hickman
who commanded the whole outfit.
learn this from this statement that If
Moonlight had done what he was sent
to do he would have stopt Price till the
valiant Sixteenth Corps came up and
annihilated him, just like was done at
the skirmish on Mine Creek, which the
comrade magnifies into a battle. When
Price started to retreat south from
Westport his route was just along the
State line dividing the States of Kan
sas and Missouri, and / was made to
believe that Moonlight was ordered by
Gen. Curtis to take his (Moonlights)
brigade and keep on the right flank of
Price to prevent him from spreading
out into Kansas and devastating the
country, and also for Moonlight to beat
the advance of Prices army to Fort
Scott, which is only three miles from
the border of Missouri, and where there
was large supply of Government
goods. For nearly 43 years 1 have be-
lieved this, but ] learn now for the first
time that w. II. Hickman, of the 4th
Iowa Cav, ordered Moonlight to get in
front of Price and stop him till Rick
man got up with his force and whipped
Price. VIII a correct history of the
Price Raid never be written? The COM
rade is surprised that Moonlight was
not cOurt-martiaied for his mismanage-
ment of his command during the occa-
sions spoken of. Well, I can hardly
understand why he was not myself. II
l am permitted to make a guess, tho
guessing is bad in matters historical, !
would surmise that after Comrade Rick
lnl hit II I'M, Inf
ter part Of it's tremendous, lengthy
march, without having first ordered
drum-head court-martial for Moon
light forgot to do so, perhaps, In the
exercise of the other onerous duties in
volved upon him) and the command was
left to the Generals, these Generals, not
knowing what Moonlight had been sent
preston that Moonlight had done fairly
well, and instead of concentrating
him actually complmented him and his
command in general orders.
Let me suggest in a kindly way to
Comrade Hickman that he should not
exhibit i'll humor when he sees any
thing from one of the comrades in The
National Tribune which he does not
think exactly true; and above all he
would better not throw stones at a
valiant soldier like the late Col. Moon
light, as Moonlight is now dead and
was never before accused Of cowardice,
and no one who has valuable reputa-
ton for veracity, whether he belonged
to the 10th Iowa Cav. or any other COM
mand, would SO accuse him.
The writer of this was an orderly for
Moonlight during the Price Raid affair,
and had a horse shot under him at
Westport, and remained with Moon
light, and carried orders for him during
all of the times herein spoken of and
thinks he knows more about what
to do than any member of the 4th Iowa
Cav. or of the entire Sixteenth Corps
for that matter, and only asks that this
be published in refutation of the SLAM
derous attack on the reputation of the
gallant Scotchman, Col Moonlight, who
spent 90 years or his life in the army
/ would ike the address of Comrade
Childres. / only know that he is in
West Virginia. His account of the long
march comedies with my recollection in
most particulars. The most serious
mistake being that he states that the
fight on Little Blue was on the day fol-
lowing the battle of Lexington. The
fight at Lexington was on the 18th Our
command moved back across Fire Pral-
rie that night and took position on the
west and north bank of the Little Blue.
Price did not attack our position there
till on the morning of the 21st.-J. F.
Ward, Co. II, 18th Kan. Apache, Okla.
William ]. Stevenson, Dover, Me-, ia
in favor of bill to give the old vets
81 g. day. He served in the 9Th Me-.
is now so years old and badly used up.
He believes the Government is able to
make this recognition Of the men who