The National tribune., 1908-03-12
GEN. JOHN POPE.
Onei of His Veterans Rises to Give Hin
His Need Of Praise.


Editor National Tribune: I wish to
join my voice to the tribute paid Gen
John Pope by several comrades in re-
cent issues. l thank you for giving this
brave soldier, patriotic citizen and sue
cessfui General the credit so long with
held him. ] was under Pope in central
Missouri in the Fall and Winter of 1861
62, was with him in the Army of the
Mississippi, which captured Island No
10 and New Madrid, with 5000 prison
ers, in April. 1862, and followed his flag
to Fort Pillow, whence we e-were recalled
to reinforce Grants army after the bat
tie of PittsbuTg Landing. l was in his
command, the Left Wing of the army
investing, Eorlnth, under the intensely
incompetent Halleck. If Pope could
haveof1ads his way we would have cap
tured Corintil before Beauregard'S army
got out of it. The same would have
been. truesif Grant could have been in
command. Pope was active and alert
beyond Halleck's S wishes.
The enemy had Withdrawn snugly be-
hind their fortifications at Corinth, but
the asspaillilte advance of Halleck. en-
couraged them to make demonstrations
against different parts of our line. Yet
on a certain sunday my regiment. the
5th Iowa, with a section of a battery,
made a reconnaissance to ascertain the
condition of the. road, and we found il
verW,goodi altho we went IL miles and
crossed the Mississippi line. without see
ing rebel and altho the natives told
us that a company of cavalry had been
along the road the day before. At one
house where we stopped the woman
told US that her maiden name was Todd
and that she was a sister of Abraham
Lincoln's wife. She gave US some South
ern newspapers, from which we learned
of the capture of New Orleans by Far
ragut's fieet-three days before the news
reached us by the way of the Northern
papers.
The Sunday before the capture OF
Corinth. my. regiment, with larger re-
connoitering party, were not halted till
we struck picket post on the Memphis
&-Charleston Railroad, east of Corinth
The Thursday following Pope's army
advanced near TO Corinth and engaged
the enemy, and had some sharp skir-
mishiBg. s,Msf company (B), with Co. A
were on the skirmish line, and by a
mistake were left in the woods ali night
and "a skirmish line was thrown out in
our rear. That night 1 heard the drums
beating as if troops We're marching
heard thezrsttle of artillery, the, run,
ming of Inns and the whistling of To-
comotives, and / thought that Beaure-
gard was receiving reinforcements. In
stead they were the rear guard of Beau
regards army, covering his evacuation
of Cerinth, and when Halleck got word
Fridsy of the evacuation he did not find
rebel or a cracker box to put his brand
on. The campaign was the greatest
farce Of the war, simply because the
fighting Generals. like Grant, Sherman,
Thomas and Pope We're held in the
leashess when they sought "a swift ad-
vance As / remember. the sharp little
I'd Iowa Cav charged rebel battery.
was about the only stirring event of thai
snaillike advance.
Gen. Pope's force was alert and anX-
ious;durins all this time, and he led the
advance after Reauregard, but neither
infantry nor cavalry could make any
headway trying to overtalle railway
trains
After this siege Gen. Pope was or
der4d East but his impress was lef
upon his command, and the regiment:
constituting his army were among the
very best regiments in the Armies OF
the Cumberland and the Tennessee
with which they were incorporated
Pope was a fisciplinarian, always alert
exacting as to military duties, alway!
anxious to get at the enemy, brave, re
sourceful and patriotic, and 1 have al
ways felt that it was shame that h.
was sent TO the rear, and sacrificed L
cover the regulations of such men a
Mcclellan. F'ftz-Johp Porter and Frank
lin. and ] thank you for your accoun
of the second battle of Bull Run.
Apropos 10 that battle | am please,
to say that the only brigade of Fitz
JonU Porter's command that went 4
the assistance of Pope was commanded
by Gen. A. Saunders Piatt, who is still
living on his fine farm in this County
and enjoying life and his well-earne'
honors-J- Q. A. Campbell, Bellefon
tane, 0.