The National tribune., 1892-08-11

= = !: !.
x &SYSQ night or tomorrow at
HHM<- daybreak. We carry
0A/aR IbNIIIllN The next day WAS Sun
SHN IBt|tItR day, Feb. 5, and my
CG& \>NNulIlt diary says: Formed
line at 6. Marched at
Z to a position near Rowanty Creek. Threw
up breastworks before our brigade Third Bril-
gade, Third Division Second Corps, and lay
behind them all day. At 5 the enemy opened
on US and we were briskly engaged for one and
half hours. We remained at the breast
works all night and threw out pickets 100
yards And on Monday, Feb. 81 AT two p. m.
our brigade went out two or three miles recon-
noitering and got back safe. 1t is said the
Fifth Corps was repuised to-day The Second
Corps had the brunt of the fight of Feb. ), and
we have always called that date Hstcher's
Run No. g. AS Sergt Burnett records that the
Fifth left camp at 5 p. m. on the 9Th and
marched to reinforce our line, 1 think he
should agree with us on the date"
Lieut. Tourjee, of the Cd X. l., is wrong
about the date of the Hanover Courthouse
fight He says it was April q. On that date
we were in front of Yorktown, where the
army lay from April to May A. On May 81
Gen. Porter marched from his camps near
Ganes's Mills aud fought the battle of Hanover
Courthouse. / was at that time member of
Co. F, 22d Mass. attached to Porter's Div.
ision.
His Objections.
James II. Smith, I'd N. Y. and 1st N. Y. Vet.
Cav, Cuba, N. Y, writes: I" / do wish that the
comrades would let up on their invidious dis
tinctions as to the claims of individual heroism,
regimental preponderance Of time, place. and
circumstance Of war, and the weight and
bravery of favorite corps in line Of battle.
Have done with besetting and belittling the
names and memories of Mcdowell, Hunter.
D. -. Iii.
abundantly able to tunnel himself out of the
pit some of you seem bent on digging for him,
even if he leaves behind him broader, deeper
channel than Dutch Gap Canal"
Homes for Settlers.
s. Fl. Thomas, Kimball, 8. d., writes: ~
wish the comrades could look at this part of
South Dakota. For health and climate and the
best soil to be found for all kinds of grains and
grasses and the best place for all kinds of stock,
but more especially for sheep and cattle, this
section cannot be excelled and just at this
time is the time to buy land, for l honestly
think that land will double In price here in
the next Is months.
Antietam Again.
James A. McQuown, Co. C., 11th Pa, Ord,
Pa, writes: In an article appearing in Picket
Shots Of June 16 Comrade Shurley, 26th N. Y,
takes upon himself to assert that X. A. Shearer's
memory was badly weakened by age in the
statement that Hartsuf's Brigade did some
hard fighting at Antietam, and that the old 11th
Pa. had lost in that engagement 125 men; and
he says but as matter Of history they will
dispute the yarn of Comrade Shearcr.' etc. If
Comrade Shurley will turn to page 262 Of
Fox's Regimental Losses he will discover
that it says (aftor giving the regiments terrible
loss at Thoroughlare Cap: Three weeks later
the men were again holly engaged at Antietam,
where 124 more fell under the enemy's fire.
This is one short Of what Comrade Shearer
names in his letter, and may go for his memory
being affected by age,' but the number We
think sufficient to convince E. r. P. ShErley
that the old 11th Pa was not at that time in
the coffee business he aIludes to; and / can
affirm that Comrade Bob Shearer was not of the
coffee cooking kind"
Heartily Endorsed.
Edward Eberlein, Co. +, LIST MINI. III. A.,
Blue Earth City, Mimi, writes II ndorse Com
rade VIM. II. Gitchins. Assistant Surgeon. 18th
His, in regard to the Zollcoffer Hotel at Nash
vile. At the time of my introduction into its
capacious rooms / was minus of single gray
back. When I came out had no trouble to
find those fat sleek fellows, with big, white
stripes on their backs"
Corrects Comrade Hayes.
Alexander Monroe, LIE Raysville, Pa, writes:
I" / notice in your issue of June 90, communi.
cation from John b. Hayes Co. C, 18th N. Y.
in which the writer opens wide gap for criti
cism. He mentions going into Winter quarters
at Fort Lyon and clearing the ground for that
fort. The fact is, his regiment was at brigade
headquarters early in October, 1861, at Camp
Franklin, Va. near Fairfax Seminary, and re-
manned there with the rest of the brigade dur
ing the entire Winter. The 32d N. Y, which
he mentions. was never in the brigade, which
consisted of the 9th n Y, the 5th Me-. the
18th Il. Y, and the 96th Pa. Now, with regard
to working on Fort Lyon, it seems little
strange that Comrade Hayes should seek to
take all the credit of those long, hot days to
the 10TH when he knows that the old 9th took
their regular turns in the bitches aud had ma
terial which neither he nor any of his regiment
would call despicable."
Another Kid Soldier.
w. Frank Gaul, 422 Royden street, Camden,
N. j., was born in Philadelphia, Feb. Is. 1917 !;
enlisted in Co. G., 47th N. j., Aug. IL. 1861, for
three years-at that time being IA years and
six months old re-enlisted as veteran Dec
&C. 1863 and finally mustered out with his
regiment July IL, 1865, having served three
the First New Jersey Brigade meant some
thing. as anyone familiar with the history of
the Army of the Potomac knows 1t was the
First Brigade. First Division of the Sixth
Corps. Comrade Gaul is delegate from the
Department of New Jersey, GAR, to the Ma
GlODal lpUlenu, alSO ueSISueF anu autHOE
of the National Soldiers Battle Monument,
which has been officially Endorsed by the De-
partment of New Jersey, and which will be
submitted to the National Encampment.
Petersburg Mine Explosion.
C. A. Vredenburg, 9th Mich, Shepherd,
Mich. seeing an article from comrade of the
4Sth Pa, in regard to the Petersburg mine ex-
ploson July 80, 1864, says that the comrade is
away off in giving the whole credit to the 4sth
Pa, as most of the time the 9Th Mich occupied
the works directly in front of the entrance to
the mine. Each day there detail from
the 9Th Mich to carry dirt from the mine.
The dirt was carried in bareback boxes. with
narrow strips of boards nailed on the sides Of
the boxes aud projecting past, thus forming
handles for the boxes. It required two men to
each box, and as the writer was six feet high
and the mine only five, and just wide enough
to admit carrier and box, the work was both
inconvenient and tiresoms to the writer.
A Tribute to Capt. Hall.
Geo. F. Thomas, I'd Me. battery, Rockland,
Me-, seeing an article which referred to the
I'd Me. battery Halls battery, says that he
will state the circumstances of the case as he
saw them, ave marched through Culpeper
late in the afternoon of Aug.9 1862, toward
Cedar Mountain, with tho cannon Of Banks aud
Stonewall jackson laundering in our ears.
We arrived on the field just after dark, and
filed to the right through grain.ield lined
with artillery. infantry aud cavalry. under COM