The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-03-10


Your foOtnote 10 the inquiry of Comrade
Tuttle is in the main correct, the regiment be-
ing omitted only after SerE't Reese's name.
lie was a Sergeant of Co. 4, 48th Pa, and Lieut..
Douty was Of Co. X. same regiment.
Serg't Reese is now Burgess of Shamokin,
Pa, aud in October last the writer hereof had
the pleasure of taking him by the hand at
POttsville, Pa, at a gathering Of some OF tho
regimental survivors in G0wan Post room.
lie is the same Harry Reese in all thinGs-ap-
pearance and manners-as when in the ranks
OF the regiment, and anyone who knew him
then could not fail 10 recognize him now; he is
one Of those men whom once having seen you
could not forget. Lieut. Douty Is resident Of
Philadelphia, and can be found at Twelfth and
Reed streets, in the employ of the city. BY
this it will be seen that the person whom
C0mrade futile speaks OF is an impOstor at
least in this one particular.
Concerning the mining in which so many Of
late claim 10 have been helpers, il may be
proper 20 add that the 45th Pa, First Brigade,
Second Division, Ninth Corps, was the only
regiment In any way connected with the work,
every member thereof having to perform
duty. the musicians not being exempt from
fatigue duty at this time, they attending 10
the furnace aud keeping the fire supplied with
fuel; this being the means used TO vcntilato
the mine. The railroad just back Of the mouth
Of the mine lthe Norfolk q Petersburg X. r.
supplied the best kind Of fuel in the ties
The idea OF the mine originated with Lent
Col. Henry Peasants, OF the 4-th and every
thing connected with il was performed exclu-
sively by the members Of the regiment, except,
perhaps, the credit OF conveying the powder
from the wagons in tho rear 70 the front of th ;
mine 10y detail Of the 45th Pa, but as 10 this
latter am not entirely positive. Serg't Reese
was generally looked upon by the regiment at
the time as Col. Peasants's Tght-haud man
ia aiding the mining work, although there
were number OF practical miners belonging
10 the regiment connected with the work, aud
every relief contained some one or more Of
these practical men 10 materially aid the Te-
lief IN its duties.
The work performed by the 18Th was too
arau0us and the result too glorious for anyone
not connected with that regiment at that time
10 claim any part ia % now. The execution of
this work was the grandest mining operation
in the canals Of military history, aud entities
the projectors and executors 10 a position in
the front ranks of military engineers and
OF faithful aud self-sacri6cing soldiers. The
work itself was a grand success; IL destroyed
the fort. its guns, its garrison, and more than
200 rebels IN Grms-from South Carolina princi-
pally. Truly an effective way Of Furnishing
treason and think that some Of those rebels
that day got nearer heaven than they deserved,
or would have reached had we not helped them
up. IL was a good proportion for one regiment
10 destroy, aud they have no cause To feel
ashamed Of their work i'm this instance or in
any other in which this good old regiment
took part.
While writing on this subject ] will refer ia
another question which has been written about
from lime 20 time in the columns Of THE Ma
TIOSAL Tribune and that il the taking Of
Fort Malone on the I'd Of April. 1865. The
claim has been made by several comrades OF
different regiments who, think, have been
laboring under wrong impressions rather than
intent 10 wrong. j have been rather inclined
10 leave this subject for some ADLER pens Of the
old regiment, and have been waiting for them
10 reply; some such able writer, for instance
as Capt Jack Crawford, who in his " Holy
Joe poem, published in your columns, prove.
that be has good memory aud wields good
non