The National tribune., 1895-07-25

Beg Leave to Differ.
}. A. kirkpatrick, Co. f, Sd Iowa. writes
II read Comrade Clark's account of the
Providential Spring. My recollection is
that the miracle occurred Aug. 8, 1864.
Everyone knows the terrible condition OF
the camp at that time. Suddenly one OF
those terrific southern thunder storms
struck the camp The water came down in
torrents for nearly two hours. The slough
soon became rushing torrent, rising to the
hight of more than 10 feet, washing out both
sides of the palisades where it crossed.
"The effect of the storm was to thoroughly
renovate the camp. Numerous ravines were
washed out, and among others was one on
the west side, within the desd-line, from
which pure water, sweet as ever tasted, con-
tinued to run in o volume sufficient to sup
ply the thousands of boys in blue there con-
gregated. A trough was arranged to carry
the stream across the dead-line into q barrel,
from which the vast thrOng continuously,
night and day, supplied their wants. / do
not believe human agency had anything TO
do with causing the spring to break forth. "
Note.-Comrade Clark's statement was
sworn to before q Justice of the Peace
EDITOR.
Robert P. McRae, st. Adams, VT, writes
"Comrade Clark is surely wrong. The well
from which the tunnel ran was near the
upper end of the old stockade The tunnel
was dug and good many got out, myself
among the others. The 60-odd- foot well was
right on the dead-line above the north gate
and just back of the sutler before he moved
out near the center of the prison, and I was
the last man in it, and settled the curbing.
The digging that caused the washout and
opened the spring was q ditch dug up and
| Il Ill l~,A.~
stockade from the creek to the north gate
A heavy rain filed the ditch, and when the
torrent came 10 the big stump and pitched
over the roots of it, it dug hole from 10 to
| Is feet deep and near the bottom struck aud
| liberated the stream underground, and that
was the famous Providence Spring"
Not sympathizer.
@. B. Hutchins, San Francisco, writes |:
"When Gen. Warren was ordered to report
to Gen. Sheridan just before the battle of
Five Forks, Gen. Grant instructed Sheri-
dan to relieve him from the command of the
Fifth Corps if he failed to meet his expec-
tations in the desperate struggle about to be
inaugurated.
Sheridan had fallen back. fighting Pick
ett's infantry, W. Fl. F. Lee, Fitzhugh
Lee, and Rosser's cavalry. Warren was in
the rear and to the east of the Confederate
troops and had been ordered to move ct
a. IN. and place himself with the Fifth
Corps in the rear of Pickett.
"At daylight the enemy fell back toward
Five Forks, and as Sheridan came up to the
point where Warren had spent the night
the Fifth Corps was just breaking from
bivouac, and Warren had disobeyed the Or
der.
1T is not necessary to follow the move
ments up to the point where he found him
sitting under a tree amusing himself with
paper and pencil and Sheridan told him
how he was afraid that Lee would come
down the White Oak road and attack his
rear. Warren replied in careless way
that Bobby Lee was always getting people
into trouble, and he continued his sketching,
when Sheridan wanted him to be straining
every nerve to get his troops in action.
Mink thinks that Sheridan could not
bear to share the glory with anyone He
never served under Sheridan, and knew
nothing about him, to make such an absurd
statement"
Black River Bridge.
r. n. Gorsuch, Co. B. 10Th Ohio Clarence,
ILL.,, writes: Il have just read Comrade
Jacob Hazett's notes on the capture of
Black River Bridge. l think the comrade
must have been afflicted with short sighted
ness at that time or he could have seen that
there were many other regiments engaged
besides those composing Gen. Carr's Diyis-
ion.
Gen. Carr fought entirely on the north
side of the railroad. The Is pieces Of artil-
lery were all ON the south side, and Gen.
Osterhaus's Division in going over the works
captured the guns, and fired several shots
from them after the retreating rebels.
Comrade Hazlett says Osterhaus did not |
arrive till after the works were taken. / |
carried the colors of the 10Th Ohio in that |
charge, and am sure we were there. Our |
brigade was made up of the 18th, 42d and |
Hath Ohio and the 22d KY. Still to our left |
was Gen. Smiths Division. All did well, |
and it was necessary for all to move together
to carry the works, which we did. I
Seen. Osterhaus was wounded early by |
the explosion of a caisson belonging to Fos- |
ter's 1st Wis. battery, which was also at
tached to our brigade, and which we thought |
was the best battery in the army"
who Was I'm Command.
James w. Webb, Duryea's Zouaves, and
146th N. Y, Brooklyn, N. Y, replies to Com
rade Schraum's inquiry as to who was in
command of the LIST Del. at Morton Ford,
Va, Feb 6, 1864: ION Dec. 18 1853, 21O |
officers and men of the 1st Del were dis
charged and remustered as veterans for three
years or during the war, and Dec. %, 1863,
left for home on 80 days leave. Those of
the regiment who declined to re-eulist
marched the same day with the brigade
to Stony Mountain, Va, under the command
of Capt. George F. TAFT, Co. b, 10th ". Y,
who was detailed with Lieut.. f. M. Acton,
18Th N. j., as Adjutant, while the officers
and re-enlsted veterans were home on leave.
Capt. TAFT commanded this regiment till
Feb. IA, 1864, when relieved by special order.
"I will also refer A. Schraum to Col. Chas
j. Powers, commanding the brigade at Nor
ton Ford, Va. (See Official Records of the
Union and Confederate Armies, Series /, Vol.
33, pages 100 and 1857
"This same officer Maj. Tait) lost his
left leg in the Wilderness, Va, May, 1864.
He is Past Commander, U. s. Grant Post,
327, of Brooklyn. 1t seems strange that
Capt. William p. Seville, the Historian of
the 1st DEL, should have omitted from the
history such important and interesting in
why Don't They writef
J. W. Chase, Co. b, 18th Mo-, Minneapolis,
Mimi, asks why he never hears from the
boys of his regiment, who certainly passed
through some interesting experiences.
Wants Companion.
Mrs. Glare Martin, Highland, Mich. wishes
a lady between As and so years for q COM
panion. She will have good home, if she
is willing to do little light work. SOL