A Black Republican on the Vienna fight
--Lincoln's Army Appointments.--The subjoined reflections upon the Vienna fight are communicated to the Cincinnati Commercial by its Washington correspondent — Though rather late in the day, we publish it for the amusement of our readers. The ‘"coolness and bravery"’ of Gen. Schenck and Col. McCook, as exhibited in their efforts to dodge cannon balls, undoubtedly produced great sensation in Cincinnati. We doubt not that when Col. McCook told his men ‘"exactly what to do,"’ he told them to use their legs to the best advantage, for this seems to be ‘"exactly what"’ they did:The fight near Vienna is still the talk of the camp. The men are all very emphatic in praising Gen. Schenck and Col. McCook for their coolness and bravery, after they were fired upon. Col. McCook took immediate direction of the men, and they say they heard his voice above everything else telling exactly what to do. Gen. Schenck was fired at by a sharp shooter just as he stepped from the cars, and the step probably saved his life, as the ball passed close over his head and pierced the car. Capt. Pease is generally praised for his conduct under fire. He took hold of two or three men and thrust them into the ranks, while the six-pounders were going it. While he had one man by the shoulder putting him in his place, a grape shot passed between them. Officers and men cannot be too highly praised for the style in which they retreated in the face of a vastly superior force. Nothing but the extraordinary steadiness of our men prevented them from being entirely cut off.
A farmer from the vicinity of Vienna sent word to the Ohio camp that one of their wounded was at that town. A sergeant was sent with a flag of truce to bring him away. The Confederates were in great glee at the success of their ambush, and part of the sword blade of one of the officer, which was broken by a shot as he was flourishing it in the action, was driven into the counter of a doggery at Vienna, for the Confederates to knock their, glasses against as they took their whiskey.
As for relics of the fight, S. S. Ashcraft, of Cincinnati, will take home a six-pounder ball, which was dodged by Sergeant Pickard, of Cleveland. He saw the ball a be line for him. and throwing himself down, it passed over him about a foot from his person and buried itself in the bank. He thrust his hand in the hole and pulled it out. The boys say they could see the balls coming as plainly as they could have see the balls coming as plainly as they could have seen boulders thrown at them by hand. The boys of the Portsmouth Company, which was so fearfully mangled, have entrusted to me for safe-keeping, and to send to his friends, the musket which J. T. Barnes had in his hands when he was killed. It was struck by a six-pound ball, just above the second hand, and bent almost at right angles. The stock was shivered, and the ramrod bent so that it cannot be withdrawn. The barrel was flattened at the point struck.
This correspondent closes his letter by making some hard thrusts at the administration of his master at Washington:
‘ The list of appointments of regular officers was published yesterday, and I shall not undertake to express the general feeling of loathing that affects those who know what should have been done and what has been done. I know several instances in which perfect boobies have been given commissions, while most meritorious applications are unheeded. A word from a silly Congressman has often gone farther than the highest grade of merit in securing appointments. The sons and relatives of politicians are selected, instead of young men of brains and the heroic souls of soldiers.
Our fussy little Carrington, who has done his part in disgracing Ohio and rendering her State Government contemptible abroad and humiliating at home, is a Colonel — and Lieut. Slemmer, who saved Fort Pickens and displayed great qualities as a commander, is Major. There are hundreds of such instances. If this Administration is to be judged by its appointments, its damnation will be deep.
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