The National tribune., 1910-03-10
asTH OHIO AT BURNSIDE BRIDGE
| Gen. Crooks Letter to Comrade
Places the Honor Where 1t Belongs.

| Editor National Tribune: About $3.50
the morning of Sept. II. 1852. the 2sth
Ohio. forming part of Gen. George
Crooks Brigade, Kanawha Division,
Ninth Corps. was ordered to take posi-
ton about $50 yards to the right of
Burnside Bridge at Antietam, along the
creek, with directions to ford the
stream as soon as Capt Simmonss Bat
| terry (20-pounder Parrotts) became en-
gagged, and assault the enemy. Pend
1 ing the preparation of the regiment to
execute this order, Co. B, forming part
of the support of Simmons's Battery,
was directed to deploy as skirmishers
to advance in the direction of the
| bridge and feel the exact position of
the enemy. Immediately, however, as
| the skirmishers reached the open
ground a little to the northeast of the
bridge they became exposed 10 a fierce
enfilading fire. not only from we'll
posted sharpshooters, but also from the
main force of the enemy posted on the
nights and commanding the eastern
approach to the bridge.
| ], in command of Co. d. being Sc
vereIy wounded and carried from the
/ field, left the company in command of
Lieut.. Greif Having located the enc
my. Co. B was withdrawn. The re-
mainder of the regiment had in the
meantime forded the stream, and COM
menced advancing up the wood-cov-
cred nights. with the enemy reluctant
| ly and slowly falling back before them.
The regiment finally reached the crest
| of the nights, and held the position be-
hind a stone fence until other troops
| of the brigade Joined them, when a
further advance was made. Gen. Crook,
| in ordering the fordng of the creek,
permitted the passage Of the bridge, as
stated In the letter by Gen. Crook,
which 1 append:
Headquarters. Department of the
Platte, Omaha, Neb.. Dec. 10.
1897
| John T. Booth. NJ. d.
| my Dear Doctor: On the morning
of Sept. II Capt. Christie, of Gen. Cox S
staff, came to me while we were lying
in that sunken cornfield. where, you
remember, we passed the night, and
told me that Gen. Sturgis's Division
had failed to take the bridge. or had
been repulsed, / don't just recall the
language now. Upon my inquiring
where the bridge was he replied, D
! If / know but supposed it was in the
direction he pointed. Upon my remon-
strating against such an indefinite or
der, he replied in a curt manner that
he had done his duty in giving the
order, and 1t was my duty to obey IL.
Having heard the firing in the morn
ing in the direction pointed out by
Ohio to reconnoiter. We had not pro-
ceeded far before we came across the
dead and wounded of Gen. Sturgis's
Division. I went sufficiently far in ad-
vance to see the situation and to con-
vince myself that the bridge could not
be taken from that point. 1 left the
| 18th Ohio where it was, and took the
2Sth Ohio and a section of Simmonds's
Battery to the right of the 11th and
up the creek into some small hills,
leaving the seth in the road near the
brick house. l posted the section of
artillery on a point that enfiladed the
| enemy's position, and in the meantime
had directed part of the 2Sth to cross
the creek above the bridge by wading
the stream, keeping the remainder of
the 2Sth as a support of the artillery.
Ny intention was to cross the bridge
with the 36th Ohio myself
| I'm q short time after opening of the
battery's fire and the crossing of the
l2Sth above the position of the enemy
they retreated. and by the time I
reached the 3Gth two regiments of some
other command walked across the
bridge without having anything to do
with taking it. 1 may also add that
these two regiments referred to were
the first troops 1 saw outside of our
own command.
"If any other troops than our bri-
gade had anything to do with taking
Of the bridge, 1 don't know It, ] feel
sure in my own mind they didn't.
Your sincerely-Geo. Crook."-John
Amrein, Captain, Co. d, 2Sth Ohio, and
Captain, Veteran Reserve Corps, Wash
ington, d. c.