The National tribune., 1893-05-25
PICKET SHOTS.
From Alert Comrades All Along the
Line.
vicksburg and Gettysburg

writes: I'VE have read so often that
e. Gettysburg was the turning-point in
tho war of the rebellion, that great
many people have come to accept it as a fact.
l have never been able to see why Gettysburg
should have that distinguished honor more
than Vicksburg.
"At Gettysburg Lee withdrew his army and
crossed the Potomac unmolested by Meade,
who was elated at seeing the rear parts Of
his enomy for the first time, that he was con-
tent to throw up his hat so TO speak, anu
shout The rebellion is busted
AT Vicksburg the entire army Of Pember-
ton surrendered Internationally, and the wa
tiers of the Mississippi moved unvexed TO tho
sea- The moral effect of the victory at Vicks-
burg was greater than that of the doubtful
victory at Gettysburg. In my humble opinion
neither Gettysburg nor Vicksburg was the
turning point of the war.
Now take look at the situation from 1868
to the Fall of 1864. In the East we had Bull
Run and the Seven Days stand.off at Rich
mond which naturally includes Yorktown.
The scientific fall back to Harrison's Landing,
followed by the second Bull Run; and then
how we marched up Msryes Nights aud then
marched down again. followed by Rockers
Knockout at Charlottesville; and then Get
tysburg and its give and. take
$50 the Fall of "a found Grant sitting in
front of Petersburg, unable to move a peg;
Early laundering at the doors of the Capital,
and only Divine Providence, assisted by Lew
Wallace, keeping him out. The Democratic
Convention at Chicago had declared the war
a failure, and demanded peace at any price.
Considering all things, it looked as though the
spine of the rebellion was in pretty vigorous
shape.
ct was when Sherman sent out the message,
Atlanta is ours and fairly won,' that the Con-
federacy as thing with a spine went out Of
business 1t makes an old fellow tired to read
SO much of Gettysburg"
The Old Songs.
Avery Chandler, North Coburn, Me-, will
thank any comrade to send him by mail a
copy of Sheridan's Ride" and of the poem
the first words of which are "'Way down at
Fort Monroe"
d. P. Rumberger. Co. B, 9th Pa, Ludington,
Mich. would thank any comrade to send him
by mail the words of the song beginning "Way
down at Fort Monroe"
w. F. Winkelman. Steelton, Pa, wants the
song "A Hundred Years Hence"
S. c. Craig Rossville, Ind, wants the poem
Sou of Veteran" by Capt Jack Crawford,
published in this paper few weeks before
last Memorial Day. The comrade is informed
that we have no issues so far back as that.
Sarah Driskell, Garfield KY, wants the song
THE Cowboys Experience"
William D. Rucker, Waco, Tex, wants the
song Monitor and Merrimac."
"a u. HIoculdHi Siyuey WdSH., Wallis the
poem 1.-THE Battle of Gettysburg" by Gen.
Lew Wallace.
Willis c. Osterhoudt, Ellenville, n. Y, wants
the poem beginning &" l am Dying, Egypt, Dy-
ing"
The Last Squad at Chickamauga.
Jacob Reep. Co. G, 10Th Ohio Knoxville,
Tenn, writes: I" In the issue of April G. III.
Blakeslee gives credit to the 9th Ohio for being
the last organization to leave the Chickamauga
hut No haoI ao,v TO Il fnIo;
for squad of stragglers $50 called). members of
the 18th Ohio, under command of Lieut.. Philip
Reefey. We were a squad of perhaps 40 men,
Having our regimental colors with u.s. but not
any field or staff officers, we received no orders
and fought all afternoon on Snodgrass Hill,
adjacent to 9th Ohio and Cd Mimi, as we saw
opportunity. Lieut. Reefey was our COM
mander, ably assisted by Lieuts. Briefly, Eel
Der, and Hurd.
When the troops withdrew our lack OF field
left US without orders, and we re-
tired few rods from our position in line to
make coffee and eat n snack of crackers. The
picket squad of the 9th Ohio passed US, going
to the left. about tho hour designated by the
comrade, p. IN. Lieut.. Reefey and / went
together to reconnoiter the line, but l was Or
dered back by him, for fear we would be
tempted to talk and thus be liable to be capt
ured or shot. Reefey then went along the
whole extent of the ridge and made sure that
the whole line, pickets and all. were gone.
about 10 o'clock p m. we came out on the
road which passed through the hills to Ross.
vile, and found an officer of Gen. Thomas's
staff posted there with an Orderly. From him
learned that the army, and all pickets and
guards, had passed back nearly an hour pre-
viously. We were advised TO lose no time i n
Rossyille, which advice we followed
with alacrity, and just as the eastern sky be-
gan to show a tinge of gray we found our
and nd hafo Hax full Lroly
were on our way to Chattanooga"
They Were All SIN It,"
VIM. Baker, Co. !, 88th Pa, Sulphur Springs,
Ark, read that Comrade Ii. r. Cloves, 155th Pa
said he had piece of the apple tree at Appomat
tox. Baker thinks that most Of the boys of the
5Sth Pa. have piece Of that tree, too. We were
ordered down to Lees Headquarters directly
after Gen. Grant went down, and we remained
there until all the rebs were paroled, and then
we took charge of the captured trains of mules
aud wagons and started for Farmvlle. But
we were all mounted on mules before we got
to Farmyile | should like to hear from some
Of the 18Th Pa. by mail"
A Handsome Souvenir.
L. H. Tyler, Co. II. 10Th Iowa. has sent The
NATIONAL TRIBUNE handsome badge pre-
sented each veteran at the Encampment at
Keokuk, Iowa, recently, by the citizens of
Keokuk. The badge is of alum mum, with por-
trait OF the late Gen. VIM. w. BeIknap COM
mander of the Iowa Brigade, of the Seventeenth
Corps. and Secretary of War in Grants Cabinet
Gen. Belknap was a citizen of Keokuk at the
breaking out of the war, and although he spent
most of his time in Washington after leaving
the War Department. always considered that
city his home.
NOt-Recorded Incident.
Charles w. Adams Co. F. S6th Ohio Green.
field, o., writes: I" In the Fall of 1863 the Seth
Ohio was in camp near Clarksburg, Va One
afternoon a citizen came to camp and reported
n party of men going to collect that night at
certain place near Adamsville, some Is miles
from Clarksburg, to go to the rebel army. So |
Just after dark so of Co. and so of some other |
company started, in command of Capt F. w. |
Wood, to spoil their arrangements They got |
to the place about midnight. Soon we could |
hear them coming from different directions !
aud collecting in fiat near branch, and |
while they were huddled close together we got |
orders to fire. As we were on a high hill and |
the rebels so far below u.s. the shots went mostly |
too high; but a few were wounded and one |
killed. The rest were scared almost to death. |
They all ran to fence near, threw away every |
thing they were carrying, aud scattered. The |
next morning when we went to the fence we |
found about one wagon load of