The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-01-26
PICKET SHOTS.
From Alert Comrades All Along the
Line.
Spanish Fort.

- erville, O., says that at Spanish Fort
ILL. at o'clock p. NJ, April 8, the Union
| artillery opened heavy fire all
along the line on the rebel works, and at 6 p.
m. the air was so filed with smoke that the men
| of his regiment, who were between the guns and
| the fort were almost stifed and could hardly
| see the rebel gunners as they opened the port
holes in the fort to fire. They were within 300
| yards of the works, on low ground, in trenches.
The regiment advanced on the works about
p. M, making some of the prisoners take up
the torpedoes that had been planted by the en-
envy among the abatis around the fort, and
then they made a detour of half a mile to the
right to where tho works were not so high. At
~ o'clock they were over into the fort, ths en-
envy not making much resistance as the larger
portion of them had gotten away on board the
boats for Mobile earlier in the night The Sec
ond and Third Divisions OF the Sixteenth
Corps charged into the fort before the writer's
division did but farther to the right. There
were no Union troops in front of the force TO
which the writer was attached. He does not
understand how, it being dark, any one can as
sert positively what regiment vas in the fort
first.
James Linnedry, U. 8. Monitor Kicka poo,
Carbondale Pa, says Spanish Fort would not
have been captured SO easily had it not been for
the gunboats, nor wonld the movement have
been made by the soldiers had they not known
that the fleet was ready to act with them. Men
never worked harder than the men of the navy
did at that fight. Torpedoes were everywhere,
and the havoc was terrible The writer wants
to hear by letter from his comrades of the Gulf
Squadron and especially those who were ON the
Kickapoo or the Rodolph.
NIarye's Nights.
A. P. Benner Co /, 9th Me- WilliamaDtic,
Conn, writes that his regimeat, of Hancock
old brigade, was composed of the 9th Wis. 9th
H. ID. T.ta H. l,
Pa. They were at Marys's Nights, his regi
ment being under Col. Hiram Burnham. They
marched up from the plain below the city
about day break directly IN rear of the city,
and formed line of battle behind slight knoll.
The whole or part of the 9th Wis. was deployed
in advance as skirmishers, and soon became
engaged. The writer does not remember as to
other brigades and regiments; he was not
blessed with telescope vision of the entire
field, as some comrades ssem to have been.
About II o'clock movement was made toward
the Highs. Up they went, leaving the ground
behind them as they passed strewn with the
fallen, for the fire was terrific from above.
They joined the Wisconsin boys half way
across the open field. They at last reached a
sunken wall, from behind which they poured a
deadly fire at short range upon the rebels.
Over the wall they clambered, and rushed up
the flights. Into the works they poured and
captured or shot those making resistance,
which indeed were by this time fow, the
most of the force had left. In that charge the
regiment lost 1877 killed and wounded out of
force of less than five hundred. The writer
does not lay claim for his regiment to captur-
ing Marye's flights, as some of the boys whose
articles he has read do, but simply to doing
their duty, and taking the works in front of
Them for there wers certainly no Union troops
in those works when his regiment got there.
A Comrades Criticisms.
II. Clay NARROW, Co. /, 18th KY, Kuttawa.
KY, writes: Il have been a reader Of The
NATIONAL TRIBUNE for long time, and am
always much interested in what the old boys
say about their old campaigns. Being of
very contiding nature, always believe just
what see in the columns of " Fighting Them
Over 1t is true I have been little mixed
sometimes when comrade writes that the
500th Mass. captured Fort Gregg, and when my
next paper comes another is positive it was
tho 5l0th VT; or when some literary fellow
writes that the Bloody Angle of Fort Fisher
was captured by the 400th Me-, and the next
week another swears it was the 424th Z. /.
battery that made the grand bayonet charge.
To avoid this mixing up in the future, | have
determined to destroy the paper just as soon az
/ read it, and forget all about it before another
comes. Capt. Dan Ellis seems to have cinch
on his scouting business, and need not fear
anybody will flank him. He has already
got Col. Brownlow to be witness for him,
and thoss Forts Fisher and Gregg fellows
never tackled those Tennessee and Georgia
mountains, and can't give names and dates
on him. Further. there are not many of
us Army of the Cumberland fellows who
can read and write, SO the Captain can fire
away at will or by file, Or in one time and
three motions, just as be likes. Can't you
give us a little history of Gen. John Gibbon?
We would be glad to know more of a man who
has got the cheek to jump on to a lot of old
brok down pensioners, when these same men
made him all that he is, and that, too, when he
is drawing thousands of dollars out of the
Treasury of the United States. every year for
nothing. He is beautiful specimen of SOL
dier. III bet this old fossil canteen of COM
missary that he would have fought on the
other side for so cents more per month than
he got in the Unisn army. ] will bet him the
same he was fraud aud bigot during the
war, and will double the amount that he is
now bidding for place in the coming Admin
istration. So let the boys in his command
write him up. Long live The NATIONAL
TRIBUNE"
At Vicksburg.
o. B. Lawdey. Co. C, 22d Iowa, McLeansboro
Ill, writes: capt. Mckinney says the 18th
Ill. was in the charge May %. The Captain
is right was well acquainted with some Of
the 18th boys-Lieut. John Emo, Enc Emo,
to Co. K, 18th III. / frequently saw them at
Vicksburg. The 22d Iowa was in Cars Divis-
ion, LAWYERS Brigade. Thirteenth Corps and
we went into the charge together. The 22d
boys have never said word against the 77th.
l believe they did their duty as soldiers.
The 22d Iowa wishes to take no laurels from
any regiment They did their work and
did it we'll they went wherever they were
ordered, and that is all that is required of
soldier. Comrades, the war is over, and with
victory perched Oh our flag the boys came march
ing home. Where are we now? The South is
in the saddle again, aud we ara called a Grand
Army of Beggars. aud all kinds of insults are
heaped upon us for our work of saving the
Nation. Comrades, do you remember that hot
22i day of May at Vicksburg? For that
days work, with many others, such as
Champion Hills, Black River Bridge, aud Port
Gibson. we are called paupers and thieves.
Would you have thought then that the work
we did would so be forgotten? What
difference who took the first fort or led the
charge, or was shot on the field of battle? We
have given it all up. 1t is all turned over to
the Southern Brigadier. What is the use of
telling what we did 30 years ago? Let US
be preparing for the next four years to meet
the enemy again"
Did Noble Work.
A. 2. Connolly. 9th Mimi, Chicago, says that
in the issue of Jan. IL S. A. Mcneil, 3lst Ohio
one,,ar RI Comrade Hand ria Raffary 1st