The National tribune., 1910-05-26
TIE CAsEY-CoUCH DISPUTE.
The Jnpreparedness of Gen. Casey at
the Battle Of Eeir Oaks and the Part
Gen. Couch Played.

Gen. Couch Played.
The article in The National Tribune
of Dec. 23, 1909, by H. D. Kelley, Co
F, sth Ill. Cav. in which he champions
Gen. Couch and discredits Gen. Casey,
has called forth observations from 9TH
er comrades who were there. There
are always two sides to- every ques-
ton, and Gen. Casey has able defend
ers, as is shown in this symposium.
Gen. Casey at Fair Oaks.
George NJ. Booth. Co. H, Tooth n. Y.
Buffalo, n. Y, writes:
While it Is true that Gen Casey was
unpfepared, and that his division did
break, yet credit should be given both
Gen. Casey and his troops for the hero
ic fight they made. 1t should be re-
membered that we had only been in
our camp two or three days, and with
the condition of the weather and other
causes, which neither Gen. Casey nor
his men were responsible for. they did
as well as any division could have done
under the circumstances.
II call the attention of the comrade
regarding the location of Gen. Casey's
headquarters. They were just at the
left of the Williamsburg road, near the
Twin Houses The only troops in ad-
vance, save the picket line, was bat
terry of the 1st n. Y. Art. in the redoubt
Immediately in front of the headquar-
ters.
II speak of this to show that Gen.
Casey was not afraid to be in advance
OF his division, and say, Come on,
boysi' and that he was in position to
know all that was possible for an Off
Ger to know concerning the enemy in
front.
The two shells that the comrade
mentioned, we learned afterward, was
the enemy's signal for their line to ad-
vance and open the battle. For some
reason there was a little delay. One
of my terminates said to me as we heard
the screeching of those shells go over
our heads: George, run and fill the
canteensi'
II ran to a spring or pool of water
and filed them. When I got back the
company had received orders to fall in.
We formed with the regiment, and
were waiting for orders, when some one
Informed our Colonel that the boys
needed their dinner. We stacked arms,
and ran to our tents, and began to par
take of the hardtack that had just
come to camp, when the familiar COM
mand, Fall in!' was given.
AN Aid rode up to our Colonel and
handed him dispatch, which he read,
and then gave the command: 'Atten-
tion-Column forward We were soon
on the Williamsburg road, passed Gen.
Casey's headquarters and the redoubt
when the command was, Left into
linen and the battle of Fair Oaks be-
gan.
THAT mistakes were made we do not
deny, and one grave mistake was made
when my regiment, the Tooth N. Y,
was ordered to charge into the slash-
ing. In that charge our gallant Col
James NJ. Brown and Lieuts. Wilkerson
and Kellogg were killed and many 9TH
ers, and our line became broken. We
fell back to the rail fence and ditch,
where we were rallied by Gen. Naglee.
But this ditch was filled with water up
to our waist, and, seeing we could be
of no service there, Gen. Naglee or
dered us to fall back to the rifle pits
and redoubt. The gunners waved tn cir
hands for US to keep to the right or
left, as they were using canister shot
1 kept to the right. and had a hard
getting thru the swamp, leav-
ing my 'gunboats' for some poor john
ny who followed me. My only pair of
socks I had washed in the morning,
and did not have. time to put them on
when we were ordered to Fall in
Gen. Mcclellan says, concerning the
battle of Fair oaks: Gen. Naglee's
Brigade, with the batteries of Gen.
Casey's Division, which Gen. Naglee d.
rected, struggled gallantly to maintain
the redoubt and rife pits against the
masses of the enemy
And If this is not enough, let our enc
my, Gen. Joseph f. Johnston who COM
manded the Confederate forces on that
occasion, speak: L had ordered that
four lines, each composed of a division,
be formed on the right and left of the
road. The Federal ad-
vance lire, a long line of skfrmIshers,
supported by several regiments, was
encountered. The greatly superior num-
bers of the Confederates drove them
back to the main position of Casey's
Division. Here the resistance was very
obstinate, for the Federals, commanded
by an officer of skill and courage,
fought as soldiers generally do under
good leaders, and time and vigorous
efforts of superior numbers were re-
quired to drive them from the ground
History tells us that in this battle
the 6th Ala, commanded by Col. John
B. Gordon, lost SO per cent of the men
engaged; 81 OF their number were
killed"
Casey Ably Defended.
w. H. Doughty, Co. F, 18th Me-,
Me, writes:
The article by Comrade Kelley, 9th
III. SdS., tiicS u Set pldlu tne lis ana
'ands' of the battle of Fair Oaks, which
no man can do in the space he occupied.
The positions of the divisions on our
side Of the Chickahominy the morning
Of May 81 were as follows: Casey's line
extended from the right of the Will
road and at right angles to
It, with his center at Fair Oaks Couch
was at Seven Pines, a mile in the rear
supporting. Kearny was above the rail-
road, from Savage Station to the rail-
road bridge. Hooker was on the border
of White Oak Swamp.
"On May 80 there was a violent
storm. 1t rained all day and all night;
avery dry water course became a river,
)nly to be crossed upon ropes. The
from being a small
brook, wandering thru a wide extent of
Iowland, became a river a mile wide
the old bridge over 1t impassa-
BILE. The divisions I have mentioned
we're on the side of the river toward
Richmond and the enemy. The rest of
Little Macs army was on the other
side, and could not cross on the first
lay of the battle. Four weak divisions
we're to fight an army which Pinkerton
he Secret Service man, who was with
army. estimated to be near
y that of the Union army, having at
that time the flower and pick of the
South have such men and such an army
in the field.
"COmrade Kelley gives us a sample
of conditions existing among Union
when he says that Couch, the
commander of one division, tried to
boss Casey, the commander of another
Had that same Gen. Couch brouehf re-