The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-11-06
FIGHTING THEM OVER
What Our Veterans Have to Say About
Their Old Campaigns.
WHO CAPTUREDTHE asdGA.
A Veteran Sharpshooter Gives Very Crcur.stan.
tiai Account OF the Affair.

To THE EDITOR: In your issue of Oct.
read a statement from d. q. Pickard. Hospital
Steward, % U. 5. S. s, claiming for that regi-
ment the honor of capturing the 23d Ga,
Stonewal JacksOns rcar-suard. While i do
not wish to detract one iota from the honor of
any soldier or command III that battle. yet /
wou like your readers TO hear my statement,
and trust that some Of Co c who were present
will youch Tor its accuracy. Although that
battle was fought over Il years ago, Lieut.. T.
A. Wilson's statements III the article referred
to are a ] saw them and are positively true,
without any eXaggcra;icn whatever. The 23d
Ga. took refuge IN what we supposed ut the
time TO be Ii railroad cut. a portion Of the LIST
u. ). ). :. lay behind the fence and trees along
the highway that Jacllsons troops hid just
pass, d. The sharpshocsers with their brcech-
loading rifles made the fire so hot that the
23d Ga. dare not show their heads, but,
instead, in a short time raised one of their
old shirts as a f2g OF truce. Capt. j. II.
Baker. of Go. {, sent flag OF truce to
confer with them and the conference re-
suited III their unconditional surrender, which
they did by leaving their arms in the railroad
cut above referred TO and marching ous 10 and
sCTronGcring 10 a pertain OF the LIST u. ). 5. 5.
in fact, TO 60. Cot that regiment. But We do
not claim all the hcncr.
+. IT, Cobb, VIM. ii. Thompson and myself
were i portion of detail sent back with said
regiment rs a guard to deliver the prisoners to
the ProVost-tiuarj ct Towards headquarters,
which we did. / Will mention one circumstance
or conversation that took place while going TO
the rear with that regiment. A Captain IN the
23d Ga, who gave his name If / remember
correctly, Williams inquired of me if l
thought our soldiers would rob his men. i
told him thought not and asked him why he
asked such question. He took "a gold watch
out of his pocket and said if he thought they
would rob him he would give it 10 me- take
my name, and trust to my honesty 10 return it
to him after the war was over, providing we
were fortunate enough to come out alive.
] trust that Comrade Cobb will remember
and bear me out in this statement. We de-
lvered our prisoners and started to return to
the regiment, and just passed the reserve aTtil
iery of the Eleventh Corps and got down under
the hill when jackson commenced the attack
and the Eleventh Corps broke. If it will not
be ont of order / will say that while on our
way TO establish the skirmish-line that day we
passed through the breastworks and projections
thrown up by the Eleventh Corps. and the re-
mark was often made by some of the boys that
We would consider ourselves very fortunate TO
be attacked by the rebs in such works as those
Indeed, they looked impregnable. And have
heard the remark made since by many of my
old regiment, that Grifin's old Division of the
Fifth Corps or Birney's old Division of the
Third Corps could, in their opinion, repulse
Jackson's 10000 men. l do not remember see
ing picket or videt post after passing through
the works of the Eleventh Corps until we struck
the enenys.-SIMoN VAN AKIN, Jr., Co. c, LIST
U. 5. 5. S, Ida, Mich.