The National tribune., 1892-09-22

u. interested in the communications OF
0. B. Webster and Charles Banks,
headed Missionary Ridge, in your columns OF
late. and being with that boat excursion N.Y.
self, wish to say that Comrade Banks is cor
rect in his statement There were 1000
men in that expedition, and OF this number
1900 men were picked, and at 3 o'clock on the
morning of Oct %, 1863, they started from
Chattanooga on so pontoons and, under cover
of night, floated down the Tennessee past
Lookout Mountain and the Confederate bat
teries, and took the ridge running from Look
out Mountain along the edge of the river TO
Browns Ferry. The balance of tho 1000 went
to Browns Ferry by wagon road to lay pom
toon bridge when the ridge was captured. The
night was SO dark that / could not see the
fourth man from me in the boat When oppo-
site the rebel batteries the boats were kept
close to the shore, and the branches of large
tree knocked o soldier off the boat into the
river because it was too dark to see anything
until he was struck. Daylight was just be-
ginning when the boats crossed the river and
attacked the rebel pickets, and by the time we
were on top of the ridge, which was very
Steep it was light enough to SEQ across the
river This is the light that Webster saw
when he was awakened by volley of musketry.
The 1900 men on the boats were under COM
mand of Gen. Hazen, commanding Second Bril-
gade, Third Division, Fourth Corps; the others
| under Gen. Smith,"
Defending Gen. Custer.
George w. Toms, 9TH N. Y. Cav, Stamford,
| Conn.,, writes: 81 saw considerable of Gen.
Custer at different times during the war, and
never heard soldier speak i'll of him, but on
| the contrary, they all loved him. He took an
| interest in their welfare, and never heard him
speak an angry word to a soldier. From the
| time he took command of the Third Cavalry
Division we never lost fight, and we captured
voin sc hat trot I'D or
| At the battle Of Cedar Creek we captured %
| pieces of artillery besides caissons and wagons.
| have been with him on many fields Of battle,
| and always found him the bravest of the brave.
| He never tried to conceal himself from the
enemy, but dashed from one point to another
with his brilliant battlefag of red and white.
| In cavalry fight we had in the Shenandoah
| Valley with the rebel Rosser Gen. Custer led
my regiment in a charge and captured five
pieces of artillery"
A Family's Record.
8. D. Thornberry, Co. D, Sd KY. Cav, Hem
derson, KY, writes: "My father and mother
had seven sons in the army. Our father
would have gone too, if he had not been too old.
! Five of the sons were In the Sd KY. Cav,
and two in the 9Th KY. Cav. ALI went
through the war and got home safely but
one, who died of the measles in Hopkinsville,
KY, in 1863 Three of US were among the young
est soldiers in the war. was born April 7, 1847,
| and had twin brothers in the same company
who were born March 8, 1849. 1 should like to
| see something in THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE
from some of the boys in the old Sd KY. Cav.
] know that they are not all dead yet"
Homes for Settlers.
William Bryan, $50 West King street, Toron-
to- Canada, asks: Twill any comrade or COM
rades residing in California kindly give me
some information where or what part of that
L g., IL. 60 do
to be relieved of severe case of chronic
| catarrh, causing stomach disease, nervous and
general debility"
Youngest Soldiers.
B. M. Crawford, Big Bug, Ariz, writes: II
was born Feb 10, 1849. and enlisted In Co. /,
18th Vt, juno 90, 1854; was mustered out
Aug. IA, 1865"
Norris E. Bancroft Pioneerville, Idaho, was
born in Huntsville, N. H., June Is, 1849. He
enlisted in Co. F, I'd Mass. In June, 1861, when
he was only IL years old, but was not mustered
on account Of his age. On Aug. IA he was
mustered into Co. F, 9th Me. He re-enlsted in
the same company and regiment Dec. 81, 1863; ;
was mustered out as Corporal JAM Ii, 1866.
Thus he was IL years and two months old when
mustered in served four years, five months,
and was 16 years seven months old when
mustered out
A. D. Rose, Blair. Neb., was member Of
Co. A, 18th Iowa. He was born in July, 1913;
enlisted in January, 1864; was mustered out
August 1865 was one of Sherman's bummers,
belonging to Crocker's Iowa Brigade.
Hiram Richardson, Pocahontas, Mo-, was born
Aug 10, 1s49; enlisted Sept. 90. 1868; was dis
charged in July, 1865.
Information Asked and Given.
Sidney Shinneyfeld, Green City, Mo-, writes:
Hearing that there was recently an inquiry in
your paper in regard to the soldiers who were
L f1,op fn S,,1f HI
sissippi River. in April, 1865 hereby inform
you that was one of them, being member
of Co. G. 124th Ind
Daniel w. Boyer, Co. B, 7th Ill. Cav, Eldora,
Iowa, was left in Convalescent Camp at
Nashville, Tenn, after the battle of Nash
will Dec. Is and 49, 1864. About Dec.
20, he, with Others was placed in boat and
sent down the river. He was on the hurricane
deck aud was found unconscious by his COM
rades, taken to the cabin, where he received
the attention of a Surgeon. While on this
boat Chaplain wrote letter for the writer to
his wife and one to his brother, besides giving
him pair of homemade socks, which he said
were knitted by his wife. The writer would
like the name and address of any of the boys
on this boat, especially the Surgeon aud Chap
lain, who may remember any of the circum-
stances
Mrs Martha Birch, So Blaine street, Cleve-
land, O., a widowed mother. desires inform
alton OF her son, Charles Birch, who left Ohio
in 1863 as teamster in the Quartermasters
Department. under Quartermaster Noble, serv-
ing up to February Or March, 1864, when he
was given charge Of field train for services
rendered. His address in 1864 was Camp Nell
son, KY. The young man was then in his 22d
year. Has not been heard from since.
Disastrous Skirmish.
j. Buckmaster, Co. J. Sd Iowa Cav, Star,
Idaho, says that while on the road from Sulphur
Springs to Helena, Ark, when they arrived at
Bayou La Fourche they ran against the John.
MES, who had bockaded the road by slashing
the timber on all Sides The writer's company
was in the advance, and he proposed to his
Captain (Taylor) that 10 of the company dis
mount and go through the blockade, which
was done. As they reached the edge of the
bayou a gun was fired at the writer, and the
bugler at once sounded boots and saddles,
when all started for their horses but they
heard horses coming up, and looking toward
the direction of the sound saw some 20 rebels,
one of them wearing the uniform of Union
officer. Capt. Taylor gave orders not to shoot
the man until they were certain he was
rebel. The boys all took station and watched
the advance. When they got close to Co. 1
the leader saw them, and tried to get his gun
down. but the Iowa boys pulled trigger and
before they could cross the bayou the last one
of them was killed.
Who Can Answer?
Edward w. Jenkins, No. so Prospect street,
Pawtucket r. l., wishes some comrade to in
form him as to the number of troops that left
L a.