The National tribune., 1909-01-21

was a prisoner In the hands OF the
enemy st the time. ! have had a long
correspondence with Gen. Miles since
then. inclose copy Of my last letter
to him. I am prepared to prove my
statement by officers and men who were
Everett, Mass.
Gen. Nelson A. Miles.
My Dear General: Yours Of the 9Th
inst. duly received and contents noted.
You say you did not at first compre-
hend my purpose. 1 thought 1 made it
plain to you last Summer after showed
you Gen. Walkers report in the His
tory of the Second Corps" where he
says: Calling up portion of his old
regiment, the 61st N. Y, which still
remained firm, Miles threw it across
commenced to fight his way back. lead
ing the regiment in person Only a
few score of men, perhaps 200 in all,
stood by him, but with these he made
ground step by step until he had re-
taken Douchey's Battery, three of whose
guns were subsequently brought off the
field, and had recaptured considerable
portion of the line, actually driving the
enemy into the railroad cut"
told you then, as I tell you now,
and you know it as well as I, that re-
port Is untrue. You or the 61st had no
part whatever in the recapture of those
guns or their removal from the field.
Now. General, I will tell you the true
story of-the recapture OF those three
guns:
When the brigade was driven pell-
nell out OF those works one of the
men of the battery said, "For Gods
sake, help us out" With these words
in my ears ran until seized the col
ors of the 5th from the color-bearer's
hands, and called upon the boys to go
back and help the battery boys. Some
score or more Of the enemy were then
around the guns. We rushed back with
a yell The enemy retreated without
resistance, not firing a shot; neither
did we; so there was no fierce fighting
at that time, as you say. After reach
ing the guns a few shots were fired
from the vicinity of the station, one
shot killing Lieut.. MCGEE, of the S1st
Pa, and wounding William English, of
the 5th N. H. There were men from
the 81st and some from other regiments,
who were located between the guns
and the station, and, as I remember,
most of their colors went back, but by
far the larger part of the men were
.5th N. II. men.
Capt. Cove was the senior officer of
the 5th, with Capt. Hoytt and others,
who removed the guns to the rear, until
took charge of them. Lieut.. Douchey
told Capt. Cove some years after. when
he met him in Chicago at meeting of
the Society of the Army of the Poto-
mac. that he received his guns from
the provost-guard. I. with others, re-
manned where the guns were until
Capt. Kicker, of the 5th, who was serv-
ing on staff duty that day, came up
and said: "What are you fellows here
for? The brigade is back mile and
a half" We were the last to leave that
part Of the field. During the time
remained there there was no demon
stration by any troops inside or OUT
side of the line facing Petersburg.
You say: IF had remained or sup>
ported or defended that battery, it is
quite probable that well-directed fire
would have saved 1t from falling into
the hands of the enemy" 1 firmly be-
lieve if you had placed the old First
Brigade 80 that they could have met the
enemy's fire 1t would have been differ
ent: but you left US exposed to the
enemy's fire on our flank, and when
they broke thru no troops could charge
front under such fire It was evident
for some time where the final charge