Indian War Letter

Letter from JAMES P. HOLMES, Captain Early Troop.
to THOMAS BEALL

16 Aug 1836 [Federal Union newspaper]
Fort Gaines, August 1st, 1836.
THOMAS BEALL:
Sir-Your official report of the battle of Chickasahatchie swamp, on the 2d
ultimo, as published in the Columbus Enquirer, has this morning reached me
and I take the liberty of calling your attention, particularly, to certain
portions of that account, in which I hope to convince you, that I do not
conceive that sheer justice, (all I claim,) has been meeted out to a portion
of the troops, attaching themselves to, and constituting a part of the
regiment under your command. You state truly, that your command, (I
suppose you mean when you left Roanoke,) consisted of the troup from Monroe,
captain Flewellen, a part of the Talbot troop, under lieutenant Irby, part
of the Upson troop under lieutenant Stephens, and the Bibb cavalry under
captain M'Call. And on the 26th, I suppose you fell in with captain
Jernigan's troop, of Stewart Rangers.-And here, sir, you should have stated
also, that on the evening of the 27th, you fel in with, or was joined at
Lofton's by the Early troop, under my command, on their return, after
aiding the Baker troops, under the command of captain Hantz, in burying our
slaughtered fellow-citizens.-But you proceeed in your report, to give an
account of your actings, in sending out scouting parties and spies, scouring
the swamp near Camp Beall, some three miles to the interior, and of the
fight on the 2d, and your subsequently driving the swamp, the junction to
yours of major Hoxey's command, the driving th eColowahee swamp under
general White, all, all this and more too, before the name of my humble
command is mentioned. It is true, in the sequel of your report, just before
the paragraph in which the officers are complimented for their gallant
deportment, you use this language. "on the arrival of my command near the
swamp, it was joined by the Early troop, under the command of captain James
P. Holmes, and the Thomas troop under the command of captain Newman, &c."
Now from this indefinite statement, the inference I draw, is this, th at the
Early troop never joined the detachment, until the Thomas troop, which was
at Camp Beall, when in fact, the Early troopjoined at Lofton's on the 27th,
and captain Newman's company at Camp Beall, some three or four days
thereafter-From the 27th of June, to the ever memorable 2d of July, from
whose command, sir, were your spies and scouts taken in all our adventures,
round, up and down, and into the swamp? Were they not taken from the Early
and Baker and occasionally from the Stewart troop? If so, why not in the
body of your report, have given them that praise, if praise was due, which
the discharge of a duty so hazardous, entitled them to receive? and were
they not constant in the discharge of duty from the time of our junction,
until after the fight of the 2d, and my return with the wounded to Lofton's?
I state these facts, and make these inquiries, in justice to the men I had
the honor to command, to show that they were ever ready and prompt in the
discharge of any and every duty, whether as scouts, spies, or standing to
their posts, in the face of Indians in the Chickasahatchie swamp.
Your report would have been, (and I think you will, on reflection,
agree with me,) much more satisfactory to the public, and particularly to
those more immediately interested, had it contained, in detail, the proper
arrangement of your forces, previous to, and at the time of battle? What
command constituted the guard of the eastern and western passes out of the
swamp and for what purpose? Then the disposition of the force under your
immediate command, that captain Flewellen's company constituted the centre,
captains M'Call, Holmes and Jernigan's the right, and captain Newman's and
lieutenant Stephen's and Irby's the left, and captain Hantz's of the baker
county troop, the advance guard. The attack and result, the wounded of each
command and their grade. And here, sir, I take the liberty to say, in
behalf of a brave, but neglected officer, lieutenant James Buchanan, of the
Early troop, of the injustice done, in not even the mention of his name, and
the circumstances attendant. Why, sir, the request of lieutenant Buchanan,
after he was wounded, if nothing more, ought to have been announced to the
world, "Boys," said he, "hold me up until I can give the rascals a shot,"
(shows he was true blue,) he made the effort, but failed, his gun was wet,
which circumstance was extremely mortifying to him.-Private John M.
Hardison, a brave soldier, who fell in battle belonging to the Early troop.
I trust, sir, that you will now have discovered that I am not without
some cause for complaint, and that it will be your pleasure, as well as my
due, to give the proper explanation and commection, with these, as well as
with the major part of your report, I am well pleased. My men are
particularly mortified, that mention was not made of them, in conjunction
with others, not that they desire or expect more than their share of praise,
but that a little of their due, has been no doubt inadvertently withheld.
With every consideration, I am sir, your obedient humble servant.
JAMES P. HOLMES, Captain Early Troop.

I thank Lindy Hard for allowing me to use this Letter.