The National tribune., 1890-01-23

the Northern grizzly in the bosom OF his interest
ing family; and if you happen to have a volume of
natural history about your Office and will consult
IL, you will learn that while the grizzly bear il not
so handsome or graceful as the lion and does not
put much style, yet it is a much more solemn
thing to disturb him in the bosom of his family
than IL IL TO beard the lion in his dem - etc IL
you have any doubt about this we respectfully re-
fer you to anyone who with your Gen. IIeth
the lst OF July last year or with your Gen. Harry
Hays the evening of July ID or with your Gen.
Pickett the afternoon Of July 3.
Besides, permit US to call your attention also to
the fact that while, you say, this is the second
time we Yankees have bearded the Southern lion
in his den, etc, you fellows have not yet dis
turbed the Northern grizzly but once and accord
ing to present appearances not likely to do 80
any morel
With great respect, your obedent servants,
MANY YANKEES or THE FIFTH CORPS.
This communication was duly directed to
the editor of the Richmond Examiner in an open
envelope, marked "by courtesy of the Confed-
crate picket in front Of the Avery house re-
doubt" etc, and sent through the lines in the
usual channel. never learned whether it was
published or not. But probably, If it reached
the "sanctum Of the able editor, it was con-
signed to the waste basket as "iuceudiary
matter" | only know that our pickets gave it
to their friends in the rebel rihe-pits the same
day, and the latter promised faithfully to for
ward it to its estinatiou-which, I have no
doubt, they did, as they were honorable men
in matters of that kind.
We had no means of ascertaining whether it
was published or not. because while were fire.
queut readers of the Examiner at that time. we
could not conveniently subscribe for it regu-
larly, and so missed good many of its num-
bers. But the presumption is that it never saw
the light Of the types.
Shortly after we got settled down to the
siege the troops were paid off. Old Maj. Sheri-
dan used to pay the Fifth Corps. He would
always begin with the batteries Of the Artillery
Brigade, because they were directly attached
to corps headquarters. On this occasion some
OF the batteries still had their own guns in the
forts and redoubts, and could not be mustered
conveniently in the rear for payment. Among
these were Paddy Hart's battery and Ritten-
hOuse's-then commanded by Lieut.. Van
Reed-who were on duty at Fort Sedgwick,
which had even then earned the nickname OF
Fort Hell" from the almost constant fighting
between its garrison and that of the rebel Fort
hlahone opposite, known among the troops as
Fort DamnatiOB." So, as Hart'5 and Van
Reeds men could not come to the rear to be
paid, Gen. Warren decided that Mai. Sheridan
must go to the front to pay them. Accordingly
about daylight one morning the gallant old
BiajOr set out for Fort He'll " with an escort
OF artillerymcn from the camp and his green
backs stuffed into an old valise. He got into
the fort through one Of the covered ways" or
sUnken roads, and Hart's Cannoneers were
mustcreh Tor payment. Just then the rebels
commenced furious cannOnade on Fort Sedg-
wick from Malone, Riyes and other salients
within range. Of course Maj. Sheridan "sus-
pended payment" and retired incOntinently
20 the bombprOof where he was content to
remain the most Of the day, while the Can
noneers had to GO to their guns believe he
succeeded in paying the two batteries toward
night after the cannonade had ceased. But
heard him the next day telling some of our
officers that, 81 as there was nothing in the reg
uiations requiring troops to be paid of under
fire, he did not think he should repeat the
experiment"