The National tribune., 1911-01-05
Cutting the Macon Road.

Editor National Tribune: In The Ma
tional Tribune of May 26 notice with
some surprise and amusement a COM
munication from Comrade S. A. Nc
Neil, of the 31st Ohio, under the above
caption. / can assist Comrades Mcneil
and Gorrell to straighten this matter
out I was In command OF the skir-
mish line sent out by the First Brigade,
Third Division, Fourteenth Corps, on
that occasion. During the day of Aug.
81 we were advancing, under constant
apprehension of meeting the rebels, and
as a precaution wherever we halted,
build breastw orks as best we could.
We met no enemy, however, and about
D. m I was ordered out with line
of skiTmishers to advance on the Ma
con Railroad.
The weather was oppressively warm,
and our way led thru woods and un-
derbrush for some two miles, reach
ing the railroad before dark, as I re-
member it, without a shot being fired.
! did not understand that we were sup
ported within reasonable distance, and
was puzzled to know what 1 had best
do with it, now I had it. While stand
ing on the track cogitating, l was star
tied by two or three shots from the
south, and bullets whistIed pretty close,
me.
1t didn't take me long to change po-
sitiOn.to the other side of a freight car
standing on the sidetrack. The COM
rade is in error in saying the skirmish-
ers held the railroad one and a half
hours and were driven back" As /
remember it, we only remained there
a few minutes, possibly a half hour,
and were recalled by orders from our
own commander. At this time I am
not sure whether the order came from
Col NJ. c. Hunter. commanding the
brigade or Lieut-Col Wm. Glenn, of
my own regiment, the seth Ohio. At
any rate, we reached the command be
fore dark, hot, tired and hungry, but
before we had time to rest or get any
thing to eat we were ordered back
over the same course again, starting
between 6 and Z p. IN.
1t soon became quite dark, and /
can say for the benefit Of those who
never tried it, advancing over logs and
thru the bushes in the dark is no joke.
As we approached the railroad this
time we were met by few struggling
shots, but nothing we could magnify
into a resistance. In a short time the
brigade came UP, and proceeded TO erect
the square fort as related by the com
radcs
It is true the situation was prccari-
Gus. We We're some distance in .ad-
vance Of the main force, in the line of
the retreatlng enemy. and were liable
to attack and possibly capture, but we
were not attacked and were enabled to
work quietly on the fertilization all
night. In my diary Of that date-n0t
as complete as I would wish now, but
gave what impressed me at the time-J
note. under Aug. 81, 1864: March for
ward cast a mile; built works: moved
again one and half miles: built works;
went to railroad on the skirmish line;
retreated; advanced again after night;
relieved about midnight; built breast
works on railroad; during the day built
three lines of breastworks and TWO Of
skirmish pits
l do not remember any shots fred
except the few struggling ones when
the skirmishers advanced early in the
evening. I deplore the disposition of
comrades to make mountains out Of
mole hills" The comrades of the 3Ist
Ohio are hard up for excitement when
they Characterize this as an exciting
night attack" Altho I bore q promi-
ncnt part, I never considered It Of suf-
ficient Importance to make special note
of. c. Nelson, Captain, Col d, Sgth
Ohio, 1922 n. Ro5ey street Chicago, Ill