The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1908-02-27
THE RED RIVER CAMPAIGN.
Good Fighting to Little Purpose.

Editor National Tribune: 1 have just
ence of the Red River compaign, and
am led to think that he has gotten badly
mixed up in it or has forgotten part
of it. If he will look it over he will
remember that a part of the Thirteenth
Corps was in the lead at Pleasant Hill,
and that we were awakened at l o'clock
with orders to be ready to march at 8,
which we did. Comrade Cheney says
the Nineteenth Corps did not start till
daylight. After about eight miles march
we came up with Lee, who was ready
for action. We were formed in line of
battle, with the 23d Wis. and 9th Ind.
deployed and thrown forward and the
18th Kan. and nth ILL., held in reserve.
We were on the Skirmish line until
about o'clock, when We came to an
open field, where we were ordered to
rest, but were allowed very short rest.
Banks was there with Gen. Ransom,
who had command of the Thirteenth
Corps. Banks had been asked for re-
Inducements, but he refused, ordering
Ransom to go on and make the attack;
that he should go into Mansfield that
night and lie there on the field. Gen.
Ransom made this remark, That will
finish me-" We were Immediately or
dered into line, and forward to the fence
at the edge of the timber, lay the fence
down, but not cross till we had orders.
By the time the fence was laid orders
came to move forward. We passed thru
narrow belt of timber with fence on
that side, with an open field full of reb-
els almost on us, three lines deep. We
repulSed that charge, when they rallied
again with the same result. They tried
the same thing the third time, and then
gave it up. We were then nearly out
of ammunition, and discovered that our
men were falling back, so we did the
same, and then we found that we were
completely surrounded, and had to give
it up.
Meanwhile what was left of our bri-
gade were falling back to meet the
Third Brigade that was just -comini: up,
but too late to help us any. They soon
had to turn back We lost the Sfer-
camille Battery of Chicago and also
Nimms Battery, as the boys fell back.
they eXpeced to- meet the army coming
to their relief, but what they did meet
was a long wagon train some eight miles
| long in timber so thick that the train
| could not turn nor the artillery pass.
was not at this paint myself having
been taken prisoner short time be-
! fore. | was told the troops were the
| Nineteenth Corps. That night they fell
| back to Pleasant Hill, and early In the
morning they were in line ready to com
mence the attack. A. ]. Smith rode the
whole length of the line without saying
| a word, and back about midway, when
| he turned and faced them and made
this remark, Boys, is this all that is
left of my old Fourth Division?" Then
he began to talk, and you all know
what kind of language he was in the
habit of using. After he had vented
his spite on the rebels, he then turned
/ to the boys. He said that they had had
a hard time, and that he would take
revenge for them. After we We're re-
leased from prison, on our way home
we met LOT of rebels who We're in tina,
| engagement. One came to me one day
and began TO talk about that battle. He
said that Kirby Smith had been. com
| pletely cut 10 pieces and scattered il
every direction, and had Banks followed
I them up he could have gone on t
i Shreveport without any further trouble
that they never could have been rallied
again. But he said that the first they
knew A. j. Smith was falling back They
cid not know what to make of it. Bank
had sent an order to Smith to fall bacl
Immediately, but he paid no attention
to it. Then a second order came and {
third to the same effect. Finally Bank!
c. me himself, and ordered him back
smith asked for a short delay to tak'
care of some wounded, but was denied
; that even. The rebels rallied and fol
lowed our boys to the Mississippi Now
some one is to blame, and who is it?-
Alonzo Il. Stoddard, 102 East Sixth St.
Hastings Neb