The National tribune., 1894-04-05

| " EA and the comrade who was on
| WI videt with him saw approach
~ ing them in the semi-darkness
W of a cloudy moonlight night a
number of objects, which, after careful watch
! ing, they decided were rebels crawling on
| hands and knees toward the Union picket
| line. They fired. The camp was aroused,
but the rebels turned out to be a number of
calves feeding in the neighboring pasture.
The boys had veal next day.
| G. M. Eichelberger, Captain, Co. G, 9th
Nd, Jacksonville, o., tells some interesting
incidents of the picket-line in front of Peters
burg in the Winter of 1864. The position of
| his command was along the line of intrench-
ments south of the town toward Hatcher's
Run. The writer shows the spirit of friend
| illness that existed between the pickets of
the opposing armies, and tells how they
traded with each other for the articles they
most needed. One afternoon on duty the
rebels on the other line asked if the Yanks
were ready to go for wood. A party from each
side gathered in the forest nearby and set TO
chopping wood which they equally divided.
Meanwhile some of the Federals had met
among the Johnnies dear old friend. He
evinced an inclination to accompany them.
the sides retired he passed off with the YAM
kee boys. 1t was near the end of the war
then, and many transfers were made from
picket in those days.
In Missouri.
W. H. Summer, Co. B, Sd Iowa, Bluff
Creek, Iowa, says he belonged TO Co. of his
regiment. He gives brief sketch of the
organization. He tells how Missouri, where
E,Il 49,
rillas and bands of rebe's being organized to
enter the Southern army. One Jim Green,
afterward a rebel General, killed during the
siege of Vicksburg, gave the most trouble
in the Winter of 1861, '62. The regiment
went into active service from the beginning,
and did some excellent work.
Cedar Creek.
W. E. Webster, Cowan's list n. Y bat
terry, Auburn, N. Y, objects to some of the
statements of "a Cavalryman at Cedar
Creek" In the first place, the Sixth Corps
was near Belle Grove House (Sheridan's
Headquarters), and of course "those white
heaps" could not have belonged to that
corps. He asks what would have been
the result if the Sixth Corps had not
been there? The Sixth Corps infantry was
stretched out to hold the pike road, and
it was impossible to support all the bat
teries. The writer's battery had no infantry
help, but they stad just the same. The
brave infantry of the Sixth Corps came to
their rescue just in time.
S. A. Bendon, Co. A, r87th Pa, Ports
mouth, Iowa, says the Cavslryman at Cedar
Creek" has too poor an fOpinion of his in
fantry friends, and seems to think that if it
had not been for the I'd Ohio Cav. Early
and his rebels would have gone down the
pike and "scooped y all the foot-men in the
Union army. There must have been fog,
or the "Cavalryman would not have had
such an easy time when others near him
were terribly busy. ~
Saving a Sufier.
John NJ Bursley, Co. G, 4th Mimi, Santi-
ago, Mimi, says that the story of the bluffing
off of 1000 of Sherman's bummers was
wonderful feat. The comrade who accom-
plished it, however, forgets that it took
more men than that in the rebel army to
bluff them. The comrade should have taken
a contract to put down the rebellion with
about 10 more men like himself.
Songs and Poems.
Joseph w. Shields, Edmond, Okla, wants
someone to send him by mail the song The
Bloody Battle of Shiloh"
Firing on Chattanooga.
William Friend, Co. B, 18Th Ind, J.4Ier-
sonville, Ind, supports Comrade Hambledon
in regard to the first firing on Chattanooga.
The entire brigade of Negley was in front
of and on the opposite side of the river from
Chattanooga on the morning of June g. 1862.
The brigade consisted of the 1st Wis, 18th
and 18th Pa, and 38th Ind, with other regi-
ments then under command of Gen. o. NJ.
Mitchell. On this morning Co. A, 9th Mich,
and Co. B, 38th Ind, were deployed as skir-
mishers, and advanced to the bank of the
river. From there Co. sent the first in
fantry fire into Chattanooga, receiving the
fire of the Johnnies for about two hours,
with the artillery on the hill firing over the
heads of the Federals.
Appomattox Apple-Tree.
Peter Ship, 9th n. Y, Elizabeth City,
n. c., writes On the morning Of the 10th
of April, 1865, told some of my comrades
that 1 was going to spend the day with
the Johnnies; that l was going to steal
through the picket-lines, which did. After
getting through the line and reaching the
main road, / halted, and was meditating
which way to go, when saw Confederate
coming down the road. l waited until he
came up, and he proved to be Lieutenant
in the 28th N. c. After shaking hands with
n1fD, Nc dSkcu Iut WutTc i WAS going.
told him l was going to see the boys; so he
invited me to go with him to his regiment,
which invitation 1 accepted. He said it was
about two miles. After we had started he
asked mo if 1 would like to go to the Court
house and apple-tree. ] told him l would.
When we arrived at the apple-tree we found
hslf-a-dozen Confederates chopping at the
tree; they had just felled it; this was about
a. m. After filling my pockets with chips
we started on our way to the Lieutenants
camp.
81 remained there with him until the
afternoon, and while there R. E. Lee came
along with the remnant of his forces to
parole. This WAS the only time that l ever
saw Lee. When L started for my camp
l told the Lieutenant that l was going back
by way of the apple-tree, and would take
big block back to divide up in my COM
pany. On arriving there, to my surprise
there was not particle of the tree left; the
stump was grubbed up, and they were
digging for the roots. This was about 3
p. N. All the time / was in their lines
/ never saw a Union soldier; so, when /
hear so many saying they got some of the
apple-tree, always have my doubts about
it, as the rebs got the tree and not the
Yanks.
81 divided the chips that I got in the
morning with my company, saving enough
for myself to make Fifth Corps badge and
small heart which wore for charm for
a number of years then lost it, I think