Clarksville Weekly Chronicle

THE HONOR BELONGS TO CAPT
WM. MOORE. AND THE GAL-
LANT 14th TENNESSEE.

EDITOR OF THE CHRONICLE:—I send a copy of a late number of "The Southern Historical Society Papers" and mark for your notice the letter of Capt. George Lemmon to Gen. Fitzhugh Lee, which gives in his thoroughly military style a concise but interesting account of this interesting episode in the great movement of Jackson's corps at Chancellorsville. As usual, some other command claims the honor of the day, when a detachment of the 14th alone has any claim, and only proves what our gallant and brilliant Lieutenant Mitchell was so often heard to say during the progress of the war, that "official papers were the only papers that had compliments for the 14th." and I am sure you will please all the survivors of the old regiment, when they see published this official account and correction by the gallant Marylander, Capt. Lemmon, who was on the staff, as ordnance officer, of the peerless Brigade Commander Gen. Archer. The tribute to that brave earnest soldier and thorough gentleman, Capt. Wm. Moore will be appreciated by this entire community, and by none more than those of us who had no share in the honors of the incident referred to. The other officer of the 14th, referred to by Capt. Lemmon was doubtless the commanding officer, at the time, of company K, and was probably Lieutenant Brown, another gallant fellow, who also, alas, must be numbered among the host who with their immortal corps commander, "have crossed over the river." COMRADE, Clarksville, May 13, 1881.

The failure of General Hooker to cut Jackson's column when moving to his rear at Chancellorsville has been much discussed. The following letter will throw some light on an interesting episode of that great movement:

General Fitzhugh Lee:—Dear General—Accident some time ago placed me in possession of a copy of your address of October 29, 1879, which you ought to have sent me. I take the liberty of calling your attention to the part acted by Captain Moore, of the Fourteenth Tennessee, which I think you would have mentioned, had you known, or not forgotten it. When the ordnance train of Hill's division was approaching Catherine Furnace (where the road turns abruptly to the left and down hill) the confusion ahead carried me forward, where I found bullets whistling through the wagons. Passing the crest of the fill and riding up to some cavalry, formed some fifty yards off and partially sheltered, I asked the commander (Lieutenant-Colonel Carter, of the Fourth Virginia, if my memory is correct) "why he did not protect the wagons." He told me that the infantry had run out, and that he could do nothing with the force at his command. I told him that there was artillery in the train just back of my ordnance, and that I would run my wagons through the fire, if he would stop the artillery and check the enemy's advance. This done, two guns placed in position, two shots fired and the men driven from the guns by the minnies of the enemy. At this moment Captain Stanard, A. P. Hill's ordnance officer, rode towards me, calling me, and told me that some infantry refused to "go in" for him, but said that they would accept orders from me. I found Captain Moore, another Captain (whose name I have forgotten, I am sorry to say), and twenty-eight or thirty men who had been left on picket in the morning, with orders to follow the brigade as soon as relieved. Captain Moore said that my orders would relieve him, in the eyes of General Archer, for not obeying instructions to follow the brigade without delay, and went in at once and drove back the enemy's skirmishers, relieving the train of all annoyance. Generals Archer and Thomas arrived back with their brigades a few minutes later, but never fired a gun. Captain Moore's brilliant dash having accomplished all needed. If Colonel J. Thompson Brown was in command or firing there I did not know it, and Captain Stanard never mentioned it to me then or afterwards, and when Archer and Thomas came back, I was the officer who reported the situation to them, as I think General Thomas, if alive, can confirm. Dear General Archer is dead. Stanard and Thomas and Moore, I hope, alive and well. Yours sincerely, GEORGE LEMMON, SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 26, 1881.