USA > Indiana > Reunion of the 9th regiment Indiana vet. vol. infantry association, 1892-1904 > Part 8
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were ready to hold with the bayonet. We saw no other troops while up there, and saw none when we withdrew.
When the stake was placed, I expressed myself to you as satisfied with it. As to prominence of position, I am satisfied with it.
There is nothing to complain of in that direction. But if we regard the truth the change ought to be made, which I suggest, and the face of the monument should be to the south- west. Respectfully Yours, D. B. MCCONNELL.
(Inscription proposed for monument.)
NINTH INDIANA AT CHICAMAUGA.
This regiment came upon the battle field by way of Craw- fish Springs and Lee and Gordon's Mill, at daylight of the 19th. Neur deten o'clock a. m .; was ordered to join Thomas on the left, and went into action on the left of the Division, near two o'clock at the Brock Field, and lost heavily. Near 3:30 p. m. retired and near the Poe House to refill boxes. Immediately thereafter, moved to the right and went into action in the Brotherton Field, to the right of the House, and again lost heavily. At dusk was moved over to the Kelly Field, and put in line south east from the House,
Remained there during the night and until past noon of the next day, (the 20th, ) with other troops holding the line suc- cessfully against repeated and determined assaults by the en- emy.
At about 3:30 p. m., the brigade was moved to the Snod- grass Field (Harker's Hill, ) and there joined Harker's Brigade in successfully resisting Longstreet's last assault. After this and just before dark, the regiment was "loaned to Brannun," and reached this point about dusk. Soon after, it having be- come quite dark, the enemy advancing from the right rear, captured the three regiments on the right front, taking in as he passed, the outlying guards of this regiment at the right rear, and some of the men at the right.
This regiment was asked to surrender by the captors, but it answered by musketry, in which some troops on higher ground behind it, joined, quickly causing the enemy with his prisoners to disappear. The regiment remained here probably thirty minutes after this, and then withdrew.
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CHICKAMAUGA, Ga. , July 20, 1895. Judge D. B. Mc Connell:
DEAR JUDGE .- Upon the arrival of Gen. Fullerton and Major Smith, I submitted your letter to them, telling them over again the faets connected with your regiment being reported to me, and placed in position near the Tower, about dark Sunday evening, and adding for myself that if they chose to confirm that position for the monument, it would not interfere with the 35th position, and I had no objections to offer.
They were both however, decidedly of the opinion, and in this I think they are right, that the monuments to regiments should be placed where they did their best fighting, and mark- ers at the other position. I need not tell you that your regi- ment did most notable fighting in the Brock field on Saturday, on the east line of the Kelley Fleld on Sunday, up to near 2 p. m., and then on Harker's line Sunday afternoon. All this was heavy and distinguished fighting.
At the front, where you ask to have your monument, there was no fighting after your arrival beyond a volley from the 35th Ohio, in which, you say your men joined. I suppose you lost no men there.
The location for your monument on Harker's Hill, which you made, has been confirmed by the Secretary of War, subject as all were, to such changes as the later checking in of regi- ments on the line might require. Under this latter under- standing, Col. Cockrum, who came with authority from your Commission, when here, moved your stake a few feet further from the Opdyke monument near it, and the engineer is put- ting in the foundation there according to Col. Cockrum's re- quest.
I am instructed by Gen Fullerton, Chairman of the Com- mission, to say that the Commission cannot confirm the posi- tion you speak of near the Tower, for your monument, for the reason I have indicated.
As to that part of your letter which denies the presence of the 68th Indiana, and the 101st Indiana, on the Hill, I, of course, agree that you fully believe this, and that you base your belief merely upon the fact that you did not see them, among other reasons which you give. But both these regi- ments were reported to me by General Brannan in person, after yours was so reported by him, and had been by me, placed in position. I did not, at the time, know either the number of yours, or of either of the last, but I have since found out all the facts.
General Thomas, in person, obtained these regiments from
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General Reynolds, as the latter had reached the north end of the Kelly Field in withdrawing, General Thomas riding up and asking him if he had two regiments with ammunition. They were sent direct to General Brannan, who was near the Snod- grass House, and under the erest, and he, in person, reported them to me, and asked me to put them in position on the Hill, at the point on our flank which I had described to him. This I did. There were two lines of confederate camp fires which Col. Steele could have seen from his position before withdraw- ing, one on his left front, and one at a considerable distance on his right, or towards MeDonald's.
Yours sincerely, H. V. BOYNTON.
P. S. Of course you understand that this decision of the National Commission, is not a special decision in your case, but it is only the expression to you, of a general rule by which they have been guided, namely, -- to place monuments for or- ganizations at the points of their best fighting, and markers at as many other places occupied, as the members of the organ- izations desire.
H. V. B.
LOGANSPORT, Ind., July 26, 1895. General II. V. Boynton, Chicamanga, Ga.
DEAR GENERAL :- I have just returned from what we call a meeting of the "Indiana Chickamauga Commission, "at Indian- apolis, where we have been laboring over inscriptions for the Indiana monuments at Chicamauga Park. I found your letter awaiting me, in answer to mine, asking for a slight change of the stake for the 9th Indiana on Snodgrass Hill.
I was stunned at the announcement that the Commission would not be permitted to locate the monument at that place. Had this announcement come earlier, it would not have taken me so completely by surprise. I thought on our first visit to the field that you would object to our putting a monument there, and in fact, I thought that you disliked that we should even put a stake there, but that impression had gotten out of my mind somehow, and I thought I might even venture to ask a change in the stake to suit what I thought the truth to be.
I certainly expressed myself badly if I created the impres- sion upon your mind that I doubted the claim of the 68th and the 101st, to have been on the Hill at all. I merely intended to express the doubt in my mind and in the minds of the mem- bers of the Indiana Commission, as to their having been at that particular point on the Hill. where the stakes are set for them I believe that the weight of et. deace & IM Only THECary were on the Hill, but that they were the last regiments to leave the
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Hill, and I so expressed myself at the meeting yesterday, when the matter was under discussion.
I never intended to antagonize any statement made by you, or by Major Steele and Captain Williams. I never understood from you that you were certain as to their position, and it was because of this supposed uncertainty in your mind, that I ven- tured from time to time, when opportunity offered, to present to you such evidence as came to me, with my conclusions up- on it. Had I known that your mind was made up, I am not fool enough to have continued the argument upon that point, longer.
The personal statement of either of you gentlemen, as to a matter upon which you had knowledge as an actor, would be enough for me. . I believe that Major Steele, before his regi- ment retired that night from the Hill, saw the enemy lighting his camp-fires, but no one who heard him tell his story, as we did, could understand that he referred to fires in the direction of the McDonald House.
I am free to admit, because I believe it to be true, that both of these regiments might have been just where stakes for them are set, when we marched away, without our having seen them, but I do not believe that had they been there, we could have been so marched out by them, without their having seen us, and as I understand, they noticed no one go out, heard no fir- ing after they came upon that part of the field, and knew noth- ing of the capture on the right, or of Col. Suman's attempt to retire his regiment to escape capture.
One would think with these facts established, it might be assumed either that they were not at that point, or that they arrived there subsequent to these events, but I do not insist upon either of these conclusions. I simply state the proposi- tions that I may be justified in the opinion expressed in my letter to you. I am free to admit that such incidents may have escaped their recollection, and it is entirely possible that they may have forgotten both firing and the disturbance at- tending the capture. If you state that you placed the regi- ments there yourself, and I understand that that is the way you put it in the letter now before me, that settles it with me. I was foolish to raise the question at all. I am entirely in- different as to whether they were at that point at that time, or some other on the Hill.
As to the monument and its position, the Commission acted upon the impression that it was permitted the respective or- ganizations to choose the site for their monuments, and we have so notified our people. We have acted upon the impres-
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sion and allowed the regiments to choose. We never made choice other than that which I mentioned in my letter. In your letter, you use these words, "The location of your monu- ment on Harker's Hill, which you made, has been confirmed by the Secretary of War." You certainly do not intend to say that I made any location of our monument on Harker's Hill. I never located the monument anywhere, except as chosen by the Indiana Commission, as stated in my letter.
When Col. Cockrum left the Commission at Indianapolis, just before his last visit to Chicamauga. the location for the 9th Ind. monument had not been chosen, and he had no auth- ority to choose a location for it. There are some reasons why the monument should not go there aside from the crowded con- dition of the Hill.
The entire regiment was not there, three companies, Braden, Healey and myself, had been sent out to the left of our line of march from the Kelly Field to Snodgrass, to drive back the skirmishers who were annoying the Brigade. We went in the direction of where the school-house now is, and during the en- tire struggle at the Ilill, were engaged in a hot skirmish, in which we lost some men by wounds and capture, and only came out when the Kelly line being withdrawn, the enemy came in overwhelming force and drove us out with cannister.
The three of us took no part in the fight on Harker's Hill, but we rejoined the regiment there before it was sent up west of the grave yard.
The proudest place on the battle field, in my judgment, was the Kelly Field, for the 9th, but that place is objectionable be- cause so crowded, and because of our being taken away from it before the battle ended, and others put in our place. We are not satisfied with the Brock Field position because we think it is not correct, and I 'believe you agreed with me as to its in- accuracy. We suffered our greatest loss there.
Our position at the Brotherton House, is where we fought desperately and lost heavily, second only in loss to that at the Brock Field, but what we did there alone attempting to with- stand the advancing columns, which had just broken Van Cleve's Division, outnumbered ten to one, and after a struggle of thir- ty minutes or more, was forced back, and the ground then lost was not regained.
Some objections such as these were urged by members of the regiment, as the objector clianced to be in favor of or opposed to a proposed position. A few protested earnestly against the position on the Hill but it was more favored then any other po- sition. My associates on the Commission thought I ought to
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choose the Hill position. I am surprised that I hesitated, as I now think it where our monument ought to go. We have al- ways been proud of what we did there. I take it from your letter and what you have said in my hearing heretofore, that you are not impressed with our magnificent performance at that point. So be it; we know what we did there, and are content with it. We lost men there by capture; Col. Suman was cap- tured. Lieut. Martin of Company "C" was captured; Sergt. McCormick of Company "A," and several others were captured and went to Andersonville from that place.
McCormick is now a respectable merchant of Lafayette, Ind., and I think was at one time president of Prisoners of War Association.
He knew where our regiment was when the firing began which struck down some of the prisoners as well as the eon- federates, and his statement is that the firing came from our position, and that the first firing came from that position, and that he had no thought but that it came from the 9th,
It was not however, of any shooting done by my regiment that I am proud. I am proud of their conduct under the most trying circumstances. They knew that the regiments upon their right had been captured, and that the enemy was expect- ing our regiment to surrender, then the action of our Colonel was such as was calculated to increase their nervousness. He was and is a brave man, but the situation was new and excit- ing. He was not a George H. Thomas. The army was too large to have all John A. Logans in command of regiments, but he was a fair average commander of a regiment.
You heard the colloquy at the little grave yard. Suman came up there leading back his men. We, on the left, were marching by the right of Companies to the rear, as near as we could preserving Company distance. Some one, a mounted officer, halted him and asked him where he was going, probab- ly you were that officer, he made a statement that the regiments over there had just been captured by troops who came up from the rear, and that they were trying to capture his regiment. The officer answered loudly: "Nonsense, those are Steedman's men, they are not rebels at all." Suman replied that he had been among them and knew what he was talking about. Other words followed, when the men of your regiment began to jeer. I had talked to them when we went into position, and they and the men had talked in my hearing. They had expressed doubts about our holding the position to which we were going. They now shouted to us, "I told you so." "I told you that you would not stay there." At this, the men began to elamor to
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be led back. The mounted officer urged Suman to return, assuring him that he was mistaken about there being rebels there, that they were Steedman,s men. We then went into line and returned towards our position. Just as we were approach- ing the lowest ground, towards where the surrender was, the officer came out who demanded our surrender, and was shot down. Immediately after that volley, the enemy opened a desultory fire upon us, and your regiment fired from the rear.
Here comes in that in which I take so much pride. I had the largest company in the regiment. At that moment I had twenty-two men, one a deserter who had been returned to me just as we started on the campaign. I had placed him in the ranks on probation. He had thus far gotten through the two days without a misstep.
When the bullets were flying both ways as I thought, I or- dered my men to lie down. I could see very well by the flash- ing of the guns. They laid down there in good line, not a man flinched except the deserter. I saw him turn on his hands and knees and creep away. I called to him to return but he dis- appeared in the darkness. Five minutes later, he came creep- ing back on his hands and knees as before.
A few minutes later, I called up the men, and every man rose in his place, ready for whatever might come.
The experience of other officers was like mine. I thought then and I think now that nothing finer than that could occur, when the surroundings are considered. To say that I was proud of them then and am still proud of them does not ex- press it.
Now General, you have heard all this before, and have seen fit to express doubts of the story, and in so expressing your- self, you have allowed yourself to forget your usually kind and gentlemanly courtesy, which seems so natural to you, and which becomes you so well. I think the time has arrived for us to be permitted to prove what we claim. The same ques- tion will come up if we place our monument elsewhere, when we come to consider the inscription on the monument, and again when we present the inscription for the markers at that point. It might as well be settled.
What I propose, if the Commission are of my mind, is that the matter be submitted to some tribunal, say the Secretary of War, or some disinterested tribunal of his appointment, to hear the evidence, either by affidavit or upon oral statement, and find the facts. We think that we can secure a fair hearing and are willing to abide the result of a fair hearing, at least we can secure the recording of our claim, and of the evidence upon
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which we base it, from which the future Historian will do us Justice.
I will at once countermand the order for the completion and forwarding of the monument for my regiment, will send copies of your letter and mine to the members of our Commission, and the Governor and await suggestions from them. I think you will not object to this and will see the wisdom of it.
Allow me to say one word about the objections to our hav- ing a place on Snodgrass Hill, made you say, by General Ful- lerton and Major Smith, and approved of by you. Allow me to suggest that that rule did not seem to apply in the case of the 87th Ind., the Indiana regiment that lost more men at Chica- mauga than any other Indiana regiment lost during the war, in any single engagement. Their great loss was largely in the Kelly Field, and they chose that point for their monument. As I understand it, the National Commission refused to allow their monument to be erected at the point of their choosing but in- sisted that it should be placed on Snodgrass Hill, where they did almost no fighting. I am not able to discover from any evidence I can find that they lost a single man on the Hill.
I think some of the members of the Indiana Commission have merited fair treatment at the hands of those connected with National Commission. They have done their best under very trying circumstances and at great personal sacrifice, to aid the National Commission in advancing the work of preparing the Park for dedication, always under the impression that the regiments should choose where the monuments should go. It will be very mortifying for them to learn that they are mere "hewers of wood and drawers of water;" that neither they, nor the regiments for their State will be allowed to choose the site for their monuments, if such choice does not harmonize with the judgment of the National Commission, as to where the best fighting was done by the regiment making the choice. It will bring them into contempt at home, among those who have heard them promise the right of choice to the regiments.
I have nothing in it but to please those of my regiment who are living. It was at their request, against my judgment and largely against my interest, that I accepted this work. I knew when I accepted it that those best informed felt that the con- duct and action during the perilous hour spent by them there, of the regiment, was a fitting ending of two days of magnificent conduct, on a great and bloody battle field, and that it had been wholly overlooked.
We were there. Brannan says in his report, that Hazen sent the 9th to him. Hazen says that he sent the 9th to Brannan.
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You, when you tell the story of the exciting incidents attend- ing the moments of the capture, speak of the Colonel who was seeking to lead his regiment out, who was stopped at the point west of the Tower. I was within thirty feet, and heard Suman say that the regiments over there had just been captured, and that he would not surrender his regiment.
Those around him, to whom he was talking, also talked loud- ly, declaring it was not so, that the men who came up were Steedman's men, and urged him to go back. He said that he had been among them and knew. " There is no scintilla of evi- dence that that was anybody else than Suman, or any other regiment than the 9th Indiana.
He came leading his regiment back. Where from? Evident- ly from the vicinity of the capture because he said he had been among them.
Subsequent disclosure justified him in that statement, for how else could he know? He came there leading his regiment back from the vicinity of the enemy. He was urged, nay com- manded, to return to his position. Where? Why certainly to his position in the direction and vicinity of the enemy.
You stated that the men were willing to go. I know it. They clamored to be led back. They did go back. The regi- ment came into line facing the scene of the capture, and marched on until they were halted by the men who demanded their surrender, there they halted and commenced firing. Is not this true? Where else could that regiment have gone? It did not go into the earth. The danger which was menacing them was over there where the capture was being made. You and the officers with you there west of the grave yard, did not believe it, but the 9th knew it was so, and faced it. They did not march off in a north westerly direction, turning their backs upon those who not fifty yards away, were disarming their com- rades. They faced the danger with loaded guns in their hands and plenty of ammunition in their boxes. Did they, when the shooting began in their front and rear, do no shooting?
We don't ask much. We simply ask that our monument and its inscription shall record what we did there. Why should my regiment be considered an interloper on Snodgrass Hill? We did not force ourselves up there. Brannan asked for us. You were no doubt glad to see us come. When the peril from capture became so imminent that our Colonel felt called upon to withdraw to a safer position, you urged us to stay, to go back to our position facing the enemy, which you say in your report, was only fifty yards from your front. You demanded that we should remain. Commanded it. We, knowing the full extent
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of the peril which menaced us in the darkness, the existence of which you denied, faced that way and marched back.
We would be glad to have the story told, briefly as we have put it in the inscription submitted to you, or in all of its de- tails, before some disinterested tribunal which will do us justice. Respectfully,
D. B. MCCONNELL.
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn., Aug. 19, 1895. Col. W. W. Cockrum, Chicamanga, Ga.
DEAR COLONEL :- I think this Commission will satisfactorily arrange the matter of the location of the monument of the 9th Ind. Infantry. We think it should be placed where the best fighting was done by the regiment, but as the representatives of the regiment wish to erect it at another place on the field, where it did but little fighting, the action of all of the mem- bers of this Commission must be had, in order to confirm such location, the selection of such places being outside of the rule, but this morning, I telegraphed to the other members of the Commission, suggesting that we make no objections to the lo- cation selected by the representatives of the regiment, and I am sure, unless there be reasons I know not of to cause adverse action, that such suggestion will be adopted.
If the Indiana Commission be dissatisfied with any of the changes made by the National Commission in the inscriptions forwarded to Washington for approval. let them make a pro- test and state wherein the changes were not warranted, or were not made in exact accord with the facts as shown by the rec- ords, or wherein a regiment has been treated unfairly. If it then appears that errors were made in changing the inscription, such will be again changed so as to conform with the facts, and such changes can be made long before it be necessary to put the texts in the hands of the artists who are to place such on the monuments.
General Boynton, the Historian of the Commission, will be here by Monday the 3rd inst., and we shall, after his arrival, be glad to go over these matters with you in detail.
Yours truly, J. S. FULLERTON, Chairman of Commission.
CHICAMAUGA, Ga., Aug. 31, 1895. Judge D. B. Mc Connell.
DEAR JUDGE :- For some reason which I do not know, your letter of July 26th did not reach me until yesterday, not hav- ing been forwarded with other mail after I left here for Wash- ington.
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I regret this exceedingly because it has placed me for some weeks in the position of appearing to neglect a very important and very courteous letter.
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