Year: 1864

Cold Harbor, June 9Th, 1864. (
To the Editors Of the Richmond DispGtch:


Nv attention has been called to a statement in
your paper, that IN the battle of the lst inst,
"Clingmans brigade gave way for q time" As
this statement does great injustice to the gallant and
patriotic U.sn under my command, / earnestly re
quest you to publish in your next issue this note
Ny brigade was in line Of battle on that occasion,
and heavily attacked along its entire front from
right to left The enemy advanced not only in line
of battle, but on the left also in heavy columns,
masked by the line of battle in their front This
attack was repeatedly and signally repused with
great loss to the enemy in my entire front Noar
our lcfs where they came in columns, their dead
were much thicker than have ever seen them Oh
any battle field. Any force advancing in front
would have been destroyed as fast as it could come
up, for my men were regularly supplied with fresh
ammunition and fought with tie utmost GOODNESS,
courage, and cheerfulness.


There was, however, in the beginning of the en-
gagemenL brigade from another State than my
own, stationed on our left This brigade did give
way, and while the contest was going on in our
front, the enemy in large force occupied the ground
on our left flank and After we had repelled
the last attack in 'front.' and the men were cheering
along the line, the Sth regiment, which formed nv
left, was suddenly attacked on its left flank and
rear. The woods there being thick, and the smoke
dense, the enemy had approached within few yards
and opened heavy fire on the rear of the 9th as
well as its left. II this regiment had then given
way, it might have escaped with much less loss :;
but true to its reputation and its past conduct it.
by facing in two directions attempted to hold its
position, and thus lost about two thirds of lis num-
bers The left wing of the 51St to it suffered
in the same manner heavily, because it continued
the fight by facing in two directions. They per-
severed in this even after the time when, seeing
that the contest could not be maintained in this
mode, ordered them back, and with the aid of their
officers withdrew the survivors. They were then
formed in line of battle perpendicular to the orgi
nal one, with the 8 1st and 6lst regiments which
had also repelled all the enemy in their front


The brigade was thus under constant fire from
the enemy, formed in new line of battle across
the open field While it was so doing the 9th
Georgia regiment, of Gen. Colquitts brigade, came
up from our right handsomely, and advanced in
line with US. The enemy were then, after a short
struggle, driven back, and the whole of my orig-
nal line was reoccupied, but the position of the
brigade on my left remained in the possession of
the enemy without any attempt ever being made
to retake it. feel confident that no brigade from
any State, in this war, or any other war; acted
better than did mine under such circumstances
1t may not be amiss to state that within the last
three weeks il has lost in battle eleven hundred
and seventy-three men. 1t is q singular fact too.
(but that is indisputably true,) that in every
instance in which it has been engaged, whether at
tacking or defending itself, it has decidedly and
sgnally beaten the enemy in its front, and that
four-ifths Of its losses have been sustained solely
because its f1anks have been left unprotected by
the troops which should have been there They
have suffered in this way six different occasions


| will not however, trust myself further to
speak of these things. Having been for full
month in the trenches every night and day, and
part of the time without q single staff officer all
the members of my staff present having been shot
down IN the late engagements have little leisure
to write at length As this statement is not long,
earnestly request those editors whose papers have
copied the article above referred to- to publish this
remembering that, next to his country, the true
soldier values the reputation and glory of his own
good actions


Very respectfully, yours, ETC.,


T. Ls.gLINGMAN, Brig. Gen.