The National tribune., 1888-01-05
FORT BLAKELY.
Comrade Faris Makes Correction in Regard to
that Fight.


EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: It is no easy
task to correct a published error, especially
after it has gone before the world in such
widely-circulated journal THE NATIONAL
TRIBUNE; yet THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE OF
Dec l contained an error under the head OF
picket Shots" which, if uncorrected, would
certainly entitle me to the belt of the champion
liar.
You will recall that while in your Office
some time ago we were conversing on war top
les the separation of comrades, etc., and when
we incidentally mentioned among others we
would be glad TO hear from one who, with his
own Z" free will" had yentured to befriend us
under circumstances as dangerous as war could
furnish, we of course alluded to Comrade a. IL.
Shumard, of the 4Sth Ohio, and we believe it
was at your suggestion that we there "penciled"
brief expression to that effect for insertion in
The NATIONAL TRIBUNE; but as our note failed
to state why Comrade Shumard yentured to
bring relief under such hazardous ciTcumstan-
ces, the conclusion seemed to have been that
we were badly wounded, else such proceeding
on the part of the comrade would have been
wholly unnecessary. Now, / was not badly
wounded at Fort Blakely or any other place.
| and since the little paragraph got twisted into
such an unfortunate shape, please allow me to
rectify it.
Just before daylight on the morning of April
8, 1865, /, with others, was detailed to :" crawl
| OUT WING IL was Vet udTh dllu I6l16NS JHO dO-
vance pickets at Blakely, and it so happened
that some of us had to go without food or water,
! because our colored cook, who was also water
carrier for few of US, got frightened at care
| less shell which lit down among his culinary
arrangements the evening before, and for the
1 time being had moved himself and equipage
! out of hearing.
Now, all who were at Blakely will remember
that the Confederates had prepared kind OF
| large croquet ground, ornamented with abatis
and paved with torpedoes; done, as we supposed,
! to make our approach uncomfortable BY the
! 9th our picket-line had advanced well into the
ground which made the Johnnies very clam
! orous; they still entertained the idea that the
earth belonged to them, for we noticed that
quite number had put horns on their guns
and settled down within 80 or 40 steps of us,
evidently determined to fight.
1t was Sunday; still, they didn't seem to re-
gard it. The way they shot, and cursed, and
threw hard, yellow clay at our gopher holes
was sin. 1t might be mentioned however
| that we got acquainted with the Sabbath break
| ing nature of some of those same fellows about
156 Sundays before that, at place called Shi
loh and, being slightly up to their mode o.
claiming things, we did not get unduly excited
but shot, and cursed, and SHE'D an occasional
clay ball back at them.
1t was near p. M, the sun was beating
fercely down through brazen, cloudless sky
when suddenly something in the very al
seemed to betoken unusual activity in each o
the opposing armies. The Johnnies appeared
to have grown more restless and angry; per
haps they saw some signal of the approachin;
storm. Their cannon, which for eight day
had scarcely ceased to play upon US, nov
seemed to belch with redoubled fury, while
their wary pickets, as If seized by the SAM
mad frenzy, scattered their Whistling ball
more savagely around Us.
In Fba Of tho rifp.pifs nuarfnr nf
mile to our right, we could plainly see tn
black columns OF the Corps de Afric massini
for the last grapple with their ancient masters
the whole blended to make one of those impres
sive moments which soldiers never forget. Blu
enough, the situation is understood. Now,
was just at this time, while my attention wa
drawn TO the unusual connection, that / hear
some one behind me speak, and turning, wa
fairly astOnished to see Comrade Shumar
standing upon the edge of cur pit. He wa
holding out canteen, huge piece OF boIle
meat, and other provender. How did he &c
there without being discovered and shot down
For at that point the rebels were so close to Il
and the ground so level and clear that it woul
seem impossible for any one man to reae
there, some 20 or so yards from our breast
works, in open day and live. But the conrad
got there and back in safety, and when / loo
back and remember that TO achieve this tas
he had to Chamber twice over the works, nc
only in full view of the rebel pickets, but j
full view and within easy rife range of tn
whole rebel army, is it wonder that l shout
be glad to hear from him? True, the little &C
of heroism was paralleled on thousand fields
but would you willingly forget the man VIII
risked his life merely to save you from FEY
more hours OF hunger and thirst7 And If tina
man confded in you, would you in after year
willingly cause him to believe that you were
liar and no longer merited his friendship?
short, would you have anybody believe tha
you were wounded and left to rot ON som
: battlefield when you were not? Not for til
world, knowing as you do that such a falls
hood would be weapon in the hands Of you
enemies and cause you to lose the respect
r all comrades and friendg-LAFAYETTE FARI
4sth Ohio, Washington, d. C.