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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.Tlie Battle of Champion Hills Fonght Over.To the Editor at the Indianapolis Journal:In youi’ issue of September 8 an article appear elt;J on the Battle of Chain pioq Hills, over tlie signature, ‘’Second Division Thirteenth Corps,” which seems to have been written for the pnrpose of correcting an article written by Col. Carr for the Courier-Journal, aud appearing in the Journal. Because of tho failure to receive tbat number of your paper I did not read Col.Carr's article. Nevertheless It could not be more short of the truth than Third Division Thirteenth Corps” was, and it is with a bopo to correct the errors and fulse Impressions in and sought to be put forth in bis article, that I write this, and bopo you will give it space.There was glory enough, on that field, for all of Gen. A, P. Hovey’s division from the commanding general to the privates, and there is no necessity for any oue belonging to tbat division trying to do what bo charges the regular army with doing, ”hogali the brilliant achievements.” SuiHco it to say that every regiment, every battery, and every man did his duty—bis whole dnty, that day. It was only by that noble discharge of the duty of each that that division was able to so long maintain the position it had so brilliantly gained, against the repeated assaults of the foe.Gen. Hovey’s division was composed of two brigades; the first commanded by Gen. Geo. F. McGinnis, the second by Col. (afterwards Gen.) James It. Slack.The first brigade was composed of the Eleventh Indiana, Twenty-fourth Iudiana, Thirty-fourth Indiana, Forty-sixth Indiana and the Twenty-Ninth Wisconsin regiments of infantry, aud the Sixteenth Ohio battery, FirstWisconsin battery, and First Michigan battery, the brigade bring composed of five regiments of infantry and three batteries.The second brigade was composed of the Forty-seventh Indiana, Twenty-fourth Iowa, Twenty-eighth Iowa and the Fifty-sixtli Ohio regiments of infantry and two batteries, the names of which I have forgotten, or would give them; this brigade being composed of four regiments and two batteries, the division being composed of nine regiments and five batteries, and they all took part in that battle and stood the ‘’brunt” of the fight side by side.The general plan or formation was: McPherson on the right, Hovey in the center, and Oster-haus on the left, with the other divisions iii support or reserve with tho artillery.The formation of the First brigade of Kovey’s division was the Forty-sixth Indiana on the right, the Eleventh Indiana in the center, and the Twenty-ninth Wisconsin on the left, with tho Twenty-fourth and Thirty-fourth Indiana and artillery in the rear and reserve.About the special formation of tho Second brigade I know nothing personally, but I do know that it was always on baud, and that it was there tbat day.By 9 o’clock Hovey’s division bad taken its place in line of battle, ami had developed tho enemy’s skirmishers, and skirmishing was going on at a lively rate, when, by positive orders from General Grant, who took a position about fifty yards in rear ot my regiment, the advance was halted and the men lay down, and as much as possible ceased firing until about 11 o’clock, wheu they were ordered to again advance.Up to this time tmc lutlo damage* had been. done to either side.But few of our men bad been wounded. At the word of command each man sprung to his feet and advanced rapidly up the hill, upon ton of which was posted the enemy in force, who, unable to stand the assault, fled, and twentv-on© guns was the fruit of the first charge. Within a few minutes alter tlie crest or tho hill whs reached wo were joined by the reserve and two guns of the Sixteenth Ohio battery under Captain Mitchell, and with this addition the rebel line, although much superior in numbers to us, was pressed back about a mile, when, being greatly reinforced by fresh troops, they made a counter eh urge, ami pressed back Hovey’s division about half a mile, wheu it made a Btand and they could get it no fnrtber. It was during ibis counter charge that Captain Mitchell lost bis life. Tbat division then maintained itself for more than four hours against a greatly superior enemy constantly reinforced by fresh troops. It was during the time the division was falling back, and the stand it made, that It sustained its heaviest loss. The division was never driven back to the first lino occupied by tlie rebels at the commencement of the action, and did not give up a gun captured.A bout 3 o’clock, when the first brigade was being hard pressed, and almost out or ammunition. General McGinnis went among the men and saul: “Hold on a little longer, boys.” “Hold on a little longer, and General Hovey wiil relieve yon.” About 4 o’clock relief came In one brigade of General Crocker’s division. Soon after this brigade got into position the rebels gave way. and the victory was complete. Thus was. commenced, fought aud ended the battle of Champion Hills so far na the Third division (Ho-vey’s). Thirteenth army corps, was concerned.At the time of the battle there was some talk about Logan and A. J. Smith uot coming to the aid of Hovey when so hardly pressed, and it was 1 st said that General Logan had said, when solicited to send aid to Hovey’s division, “Lot flovey’s ironclad brigade go in;” aud many hard things were said, but the truth is. the generals, like all Others, did what they were commanded to do, as they might toliavo done.From this brief history of that battle it will be seen tbat tho first brigade was made up of more than the. Eleventh Indiana, Twenty-fourth Indi-'■ f it tP»i* i 11 VI * ianntmlii n «/! • A LI- *« _ .ana, Twenty-ninth Wisconsin and an Ohio battery, and that more than that were engaged, and the historian who will be so careless or selfish as to omit such an Important fact is not worthy of credit. T cannot think it wsb written by a member of either of the regirnouts or buttery named. The portion of the article referring to the battle of Port Gibson is as erroneous as that portion referring to the battie of Champion Hills. There were no works at Port Gibson. The guns that were captured there, about which tho controversy arose, were oaprured by two companies of the Eleventh Indiana, one company of the Thirty-fourth Indiana and three companies of the Forty-sixth Indiana. There was a disposition on the part of some to claim tho honor who were uot entitled to it.Those who attempt to write up these events, if not personally present ought to consult those who were present and remember something of what took place.On tho Gth of July, after the battle, our division again went over the field aud found that so intense had been the firing that all tho limber on the hill had died from the effects of gunshots, another evidence of the magnitude of the contest. f. s.Logansfort, September 12.[The writer of tho communication criticised was *preseut and participated in tlie fight at Champion Hills quite as much as “F. S.”—Editor Journal.]
Newspaper Details
Indianapolis Journal
Indianapolis, Indiana, US
Wed, Sep 14, 1881
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Stuart S.
USA 16 Jun 2019
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