The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-05-28
CONDENSED LETTERS.

John B. Lindsey, Sergeant, Co. K, 5Oth Ohio,
Aida, Neb, sends an interesting account of the
march from Spring Hill to Franklin.
VIM. McEndree, Central City, Neb., writes
that Comrade ID. N. Patterson, Co. l, 1st Mo.
Cav, is correct in regard to the first troops that
crossed the Arkansas River.
Ii. Simpson, Co. L, Sd KY, Bowers, Ind,
writes that Comrades EaGls and Martin are both
wrong in regard to the corps to which the Sd
by. belonged. He (Sympson) says it was in
the Twenty first Corps until after the battle of
Chickamauga.
Philip Sturgeon, Dale, Wis. writes that on
the 18th of June, 1864, neighbor of his was
sent to the hospital at Portsmouth, Va. He was
placed in room No. &c. of ward 3, with two
companions, one from his company Go. B, 37th
Wis and the other Pennsylvania Cavalry
man, who was injured by his horse falling
upon him. If any comrade can give him Spur
geOn) the address of the latter he will be greatly
indebted to him.
kansas" NeoshO Valley, Kan, has read with
great interest the articles of Howard, "Carle-
ton " and others in regard to the battle of Get
tysburg
wv. III. NJ" Elizabeth, N. j., thinks the ac-
count Carleton" gives of the first days fight
at Gettysburg is the best account, SO far as
Baxter's Brigade is concerned, that he has yet
read.
ID. N. PATTERSON, Co. /, 1st Mo. Cav, Larned.
Kan, reiterates his statement that the first
troops to cross the Arkansas River and to reach
Little Rock were the 10th ILL., Cav. notwith-
standing Conrade Bacons 18th Ill. Cav.) state
ment to the contrary.
Peter Baker, Co. A. Merrill's Horse, Olathe,
Kan, writes that Comrades w. +. Bacon and
Dan'l N. PATTERSON are both correct in regard
to the date on which the Arkansas River was
crossed, but that Comrade Patterson is correct
as to the troops-the 10th Ill. Cav, which
crossed the river first. Comrade Baker says
the Sd Iowa Cav. entered Little Rock in advance
of all Others and that Merril's Brigade drove
the Confederates far as Benton, about 90
miles south of Little Rock.
s. r. Nelson, Co. A, MerrilPs Horse, writes
that the 18th Ill. and the 10th Ill. crossed the
Arkansas River early in the morning of Sept.
8. When the fight commenced Oh the sand bar
the 10th H. was in the advance, deplOyed as
skirmishers, and received a murderous fire
from the COnfederates, who were well sheltered
by heavy timber and drift wood. This fight
soon became serious, and probably would have
proved fatal to the cavalry had not the artil-
lery on the opposite side of the river opened
up and materially assisted in the demolition
of the enemy. Comrade Nelson is not sure
which regiment entered Little Rock first, but
he knows that MerrillS Brigade chased the
enemy as far as Benton
In answer to 81. w. c." Washington. D. c.,
whose query appeared in Condensed Letters"
in TRIBUNE of May IA, in regard to what in
fantry regiment supported Batteries and X,
U. S. Art, First Division. Third Corps, at Get
tyshurg, S. ID. Fulmer, Co. F, 105th Pa, thinks
that his regiment was the one in question.
O. +. Sweet Hampton, Iowa, abiding to
carleton" mentioning the fact of Union
soldier killing Confederate with stone, Won
ders if Lieut.. Brockaway, of Battery +, list Pa.
Art was the one who performed that feat.
IF. A. Pr" Co. E. Sd Iowa Cav, Drakesville,
Iowa, thinks Comrade Bacon is mistaken in
regard to the 18th Ill. Cav being the first to
enter Little Rock He claims that the Sd Iowa
Cav. entered the city first.
Ira Tinkham, Greenwood, Neb., thinks Com
rade Lemon of the 9th Iowa, in his account of
the battle of Fort Donelson, tried to forage just
a little off the brilliant achievements of the SD
ILL.,, as he claims for his regiment certain feats
which certainly belonged to that regiment.
l.. S. Reed, Mentor. o., thinks that while
many of the criticisms, contradictions, ETC.,
which appear from time to time in THE Ma
TIoNAL TRIBUNE tend no doubt to cause
correct history to be given of the different ex-
ploits, etc, during the late war. they at the
same time occasionally cause an unfriendly
feeling to spring up among the comrades.
J c. Moody, Co. l, 9th Wis, Withee, Wis,
says Robert Z. Colgate, Co. l, 10th Pa, is in
correct in stating that the Bucktas left the front
directly after the battle of Hatcher's Run In
the first place." COmrade Moody says, the
Cd, 9th and 18th Wis, 10Th Ind. and oath Mich,
were brigaded together in August, 1861, and
was the First Brigade, First Division, First
Corps Army of the Potomac, and known as the
Iron Brigade" They never lost their organ
izatOn until disbanded at the close of the war"
w. L. Preston. Co. X, 4th Pa. Cav, Preston.
Iowa. gives an interesting account of the dOings
of his regiment at the battle of Fredericksburg,
Va. The company was detailed as body-guard
to Col Humphreys, who commanded a division
of the Third Corps
r. l.. Johnson, Central Falls, r. l., says that
a man by the name of Ruff fired the first shot
on Fort Sumter.
Lindsey Steele, Capt, Co. E, 3Oth H., Ches-
ter, ILL.,, writes that in the Spring of 1862 a
gunboat, while Oh its way from st. Louis, Mo-,
to Cairo, Ill, ran into shore about one mile
above Chester in the latter State, and the crew
buried soldier under sycamore tree. The
recent heavy rains and the falling in of the
river bank caused the skeleton to appear The
old soldiers of Chester removed the remains and
inferred them in the town cemetery. They
would be glad to find out the name of the SOL
dier so that headstone can be procured to
mark his grave.
d. A. Marion, Co. X, 5th KY, Cotton, CAL,
was wounded II times at the battle of Shiloh,
and is in consequence thereof an invalid for
life.