Jno. Jenkins, Esq.—Sir—My
ideas of military propriety prevented me from publishing any statement of the
conduct of the Mississippi Regiment in the siege at Monterey.
Secure in the consciousness
of its gallant and valuable services, even without such restraint, I should
probably have remained silent and allowed the official reports of commanders to
reach an unbiassed public.
But by the
publications of others a question has been prematurely raised as to the capture
of the first Fort at the east end of the city of the 21st Sept. Deferring to
some subsequent period a full account, I will now only present some of the main
facts bearing upon this event.
In the forenoon of
the 21st Sept., a part of Gen. Twigg's division made a demonstration upon the
advanced work at the east end of Monterey—Gen. Butler's division from the
position occupied heard the firing of small arms, but were not in sight of the
combatants, when three Regiments, to-wit, the Tennessee, the Mississippi and
the Ohio, were put en route in the direction of the firing, which was obliquely
to our left and front.
After we had
proceeded a short distance, the Ohio Regiment was diverged to the front, and
the Tennessee and Mississippi Regiments continued their line of march in the
order named, and moving by a flank.
During the whole
march we were exposed to a cross fire of artillery. A round shot raking the
Tennessee Regiment made great havoc, but did not check the advance.
The firing of small
arms which had attracted us, ceased, and when we halted before the Fort and
fronted to it, a small body of troops in the undress of our
"regulars" was standing in such a position as to mask the right
companies of the Mississippi Regiment. I pointed out the fact to Brig. Gen.
Quitman commanding in person, and the closing or other movement of the
Tennessee Regiment having created an interval on our left, it was agreed that I
should occupy it. We were within the effective range of the enemy's fire but beyond
that of our Rifles. I therefore executed a movement which gained ground to the
front and left and when the Regiment was again formed into line, the troops who
had stood upon my right were gone.
The attacking force
now consisted of the Tennessee and Mississippi Regiments. The latter on the
right, was directly in front of the Fort.
A deep, wide
embrasure (which seems to have been used as a sally port, was immediately
before our fifth company, numbering from the right; the piece of artillery
which belonged to this embrasure was run behind the parapet. We commenced
firing, advancing; the men were directed to select their objects and aim as
sharp shooters. Their fine rifles told upon the enemy so that in a short time,
say ten minutes, his fire was so reduced as to indicate the propriety of a
charge. I had no instructions, no information as to the plan, no knowledge of
any sustaining troops except the Tennesseeans on our left, and seeing nothing
to justify delay, gave the order to charge.
Lieutenant Col. McClung
led the company before the embrasure at full speed upon it, the flanks ran,
converging to this line of approach, which was over a smooth piece of ground
from which the corn had been lately cut. When the movement commenced, I saw
Col. Campbell directing his Regiment in some flank manoeuvre; thereafter I do
not recollect to have looked back, and did not see him; but I have been
informed that he led his Regiment by a flank.
When I crossed the
ditch our Lieutenant Col. was the only man upon the parapet. I sprang into the
embrasure beside Lieutenant Patterson of our Regiment. The defence of the place
was abandoned; the last of its garrison were crowding out of the sally port at
the other extremity; we pursued them, firing upon them as they fled to a fortified
stone building in rear of the Fort and across a stream to a fort still further
to the rear. When I saw Col. Campbell's letter (recently published) claiming
for his Regiment the credit of storming this fort, carrying it at the point of
the bayonet, and giving to the Mississippi Regiment the merit of only having
sustained him, my surprise at such an arrangement of the Regiments, was only
equalled by that which I felt at learning that the bayonet had been put in
requisition. No one could go upon the ground, examine the position of the
Regiments and the condition of the parapet and ditch of the fort, and the
surface over which it was necessary to approach, without coming at once to the
conclusion, that our Regiment must have entered the fort first, or faltered in
the charge. Why this claim has been put forth it is not for me to determine. It
is improbable, unjust, injurious to us, and unnecessary to our comrades in that
attack, when the conduct of the whole was the property of each. As a duty to my
Regiment, I will follow this question, raised by others, until a mass of
concurrent testimony from a variety of witnesses shall incontestably establish
our claim to whatever credit attaches to the storming party on that occasion.
SOURCE: Dunbar
Rowland, Editor, Jefferson Davis, Constitutionalist: His Letters,
Papers and Speeches, Volume 1, p. 61-3
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