The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1907-04-04
THE SD MASS. AT CHANCELLORS-
VILE.
Barlow's Brigade on a Reconnaissance
When the Eleventh Corps was Struck.

When the Eleventh Corps was Struck
Editor National Tribune: Allow me
space to say a few words in reference
to the Battle of Charlottesville. ] read
with interest the two brief articles from
Comrade Gushee, of the SD Mass, and
the criticism of the same by Comrade
Michael c. Carney on Feb. IA. I think
there are statements in both that should
be corrected. No man can truthfully
charge either Gen. Howard or Cen
Barlow with being anything but the
most brave, downright fighting men.
They proved this at Gettysburg, as his
tory shows.
The night before Stoneyall Jackson's
attack upon our right rear. / was OFF,
Ger of the Picket on the Plank Road,
and / reported in the morning of hear
ing chopping in my front all night. The
next day my brigade, commanded by
Gen. Barlow, was placed in position to
support battery. I do not know what
battery 1t was This position we held
until along in the afternoon towards
night, when. as the comrade> truly said,
we piled our knapsacks on the ground
and were ordered to the front-the
whole brigade-to reconnoiter the po-
sition Of the enemy. We marched 10
the front some four or five miles, until
we reached a creek, across which was
an oak grove over ridge. Here the
brigade halted, and Gen. Barlow sent
scouts over the ridge to see if they
could find any signs of the enemy.
1 wish to say right here that as we
left our position on the Plank Road, ]
looked with great anxiety and appre-
hension to the condition of the troops
who held the right of our line, for l
positively saw them with guns stacked,
and the soldiers any other way than
soldiers should be in line of battle be-
fore the enemy, and the battery, which
came next to that division on their left
without an infantryman to support It.
l looked back as we approached the
forest to see If any troops took our
place, and there was not a company
before We entered the timber out of
sight. Now whose fault this was / do
not pretend to say, but whoever made
that condition of things caused that
whole disaster. One thing I do affirm,
without fear of truthful contradiction,
that whatever officers were in command
of those troops on the right of our line,
were in fault, to have those men so
utterly unprepared, ] care not whether
1t be Major-General, Brigadier-GeEeral,
General, Colonel. Captain or Lieuten-
ant, unless ordered to do as they did by
q superior officer: and if they were so
ordered, from whomsoever that order
came, he was the man to be blamed.
When the scouts reported that the chief
forces of Gen. Lees army were right
before us, we got quick orders to Sc
cure everything SO there would be no
rattle or noise of any thing. 1t was
even ordered for no man to speak with
ordinary voice. but as near a whisper
as could be. We started back in short
order This we did until we could see
through the timber into the field where
We left our knapsacks, when, Just as
chance would have it, an Orderly who
was sent for us struck our left, and
gave the news that the field was occu.
pied by the enemy. The brigade was
halted and we retraced our march a
short distance, then worked our way
for the rearranged line Of our troops.
We had heard the roar of the battle,