[644]
Hdqrs. Second Division, Fourteenth Army Corps,
Camp at White Hall, Ga., September 21, 1864.
Captain : In my official report of the part taken by my command in the battle of Jonesborough, fought on the 1st instant, forwarded to headquarters on the 11th instant, I stated that the First Brigade of my division captured a 4-gun battery that was in the angle of the works in the front of that brigade; not at once thinking at this time any one would from another command claim the honor, I did not think it necessary to go into unnecessary details.
Having since learned that such a claim has been made, and officially reported by a division commander, knowing my report to be true, and having no earthly desire to take an iota from other commands that rightfully belongs to them, I am as equally determined that no one shall deprive my command of an iota that justly belongs to them.
I believe that official reports should deal in facts out of which our future military history can be made, and not in brag and bombast.
I leave that to newspaper reporters and overly ambitious officers who desire to shine on paper.
I now proceed to detail more fully where my command was, and what it did at the battle of Jonesborough.
After several changes of orders, I was finally ordered by my corps commander to cross Flint River, and, with two brigades deployed, and one in reserve, take up a position that he then pointed out to me; not to be anxious about my right, and that General Carlin would form on my left.
My command was promptly placed in position, as directed.
Owing to some change of orders, a direction unknown to me, General Carlin did not form, or at least close up, on my left, but there was a large gap between the left of my command and the right of what I supposed to be the right of General Carlin's command, but have since heard that Este's brigade, of the Third Division, had formed on the right of General Carlin.
Seeing the importance of filling this gap, Captain Wiseman, assistant adjutantgeneral, of my staff, was directed to order up the First Brigade immediately, and Captain Race, my assistant inspector-general, wa.-subsequently sent to hurry up the movement.
Having bad, swampy ground, cut up by deep ditches, some little delay occurred in this brigade getting into position, and the movement commenced before the second line was fully formed.
I wish now to speak of the formation: Colonel Este's brigade was formed on good ground in three lines, and directly parallel with the enemy's works; my First Brigade was formed in two lines to the right of Este's, on lower and more broken ground, and on a different angle, to correspond with the angle on the enemy's work directly in their front, the Fourteenth Michigan and Sixtieth Illinois in first line, the Fourteenth on the right; the Sixteenth Illinois and Tenth Michigan in the second line, the Sixteenth on the right.
The Seventeenth New York had been directed to form on the left of the first line, but owing to the difficulty of crossing the swamp did not succeed in getting into position, but its right had commenced forming on the left of the Tenth Michigan at the commencement of the movement.
The second line was now parallel with the first line, the angle being sharpened upon the commencement of the movement of the troops on my left.
Having no staff officers with me, and not seeing Colonel Lum, commanding brigade, or any of his staff, I ordered forward the First Brigade in person.
The order was promptly obeyed; the Fourteenth Michigan and Sixtieth Illinois, at 