The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-12-31
PICKET SHOTS
From Alert Comrades All Along the
Line.
Dug His Own Grave.

Dug His Own Grave.
s. F. Adair, Co. L, 7th Iowa Cav. Oasis,
Iowa, says: "At the first call of PRESIDENT
Lincoln for men, Co. B Of the LIST Iowa was
organized at Iowa City. Among its brave
young men was E. F. Trask, but lately from
his native State. Massachusetts. At the ex-
piration of the hree-months' service Gen.
Lyon requested that the regiment remain I'M
til after the battle Of Wilson's Creek, which
was then imminent. At that battle Lyon
fell, and with him some of the brave boys OF
the LIST Iowa. E. F. Trask had the strap OF
his haversack cut with a bullet.
"After their return home the 14th regi-
ment was called for. Capt. B. Mahana, OF the
former Co. B, recruited Co. B of the l4th.
A number of the first Co. B re-enlisted.
Among them was Trask. The first three
| companies were sent to Fort Randall, Dakota,
to relieve Regular troops in order to join
their regiment in the South.
At the battles of Donelson and Shiloh
the balance of our regiment was so declmated
that before it was reorganized we were trans
ferred to the 41st Iowa. During this time
Trask was promoted from Sergeant to
| Sergeant-Major.
while at Fort Randall steamer from
Fort Benton stopped and left sick man at
our hospital, unable to go to his home in
st. Louis. In q few days the stranger died.
Trask and few others and the writer dug
the grave.
after the lapse Of few months the widow
sent for the ramains of her husband. The
grave was left empty. A few days after this
event Maj. Trask was assigned to duty at
| Gen. Sully's Headquarters, at Sioux City.
| He babe us good-by in the best of spirits,
and with bright future before him. The
next evening his lifeless body was brought
| back to the fort. The evening before, when
| the stage, in which he was the only passen-
ger, was within mile Of the station for the
| night, and when going down into creek,
Indians in the brush fred upon the stage
and instantly killed Trask. The horses
became uDmanageable, and the driver leaped
| from his seat and made his escape to the
station.
"a company of sad comrades followed and
consigned to the lonely grave he himself
helped to dig for the stranger all that re-
manned of the noble, true-hearted Maj. E.
F. Trask."
| Three-Months Men.
| ]. B. Kirk, Co. II, 10Th Ohio 730 W.
| Wayne street. Lima, O., writes: enlisted
April IL, 1861, and have the papers from the
Adjutant-General that prove the assertion.
Ours and three Indiana regiments 10Th, 18th,
and 18th, I think composed Rosecrans's
Brigade at Rich Mountain, w. Va, Thursday,
July II, 1861. was discharged Aug o.
II re-eDlisted in Co. 81, 101st Pa, in
October, 1861, and was discharged April %,
1865 having served nearly II months Of the
last enlistment in nine rebel prisons. And
here is just as good place to settle little
matter as I'll ever get.
| every once in a while some fellow in
another command remarks that his regi-
ment or battery was in that fight and tells
us whole lot about what they did.
"Gen. Rosecrans, with his brigade and q
| few sharpshooters and a few (very few cav
airy, made detour of several miles in order
| to get in the rear Of the rebs on Rich
| Mountain. The plan was that when we got
| there Mcclellan should open in front and
we in the rear. But the rebs got onto the
scheme and moved up the road, leaving
| their main works between Mcclellan and
| US, and attacked us as we were coming in.
So Rosy had only his Hoosiers and Buckeyes
to clean up the whole business"
| A Friend In Need.
| Comrade w. W. Hull, Co. /, I'D Ohio,
Bayard, Iowa, writes: SIN your issue Of
Dec. 10 appears an article from Comrade
David Sheldon, Co. A, 10th N. Y, entitled
| "A Friend in Need, in which he gives his
/ experience at the second battle of Bull Run.
Comrade Sheldon fails to give dates or loca-
| ton. The battlefield extended from Sudley
| Springs to Manassas Junction, q distance of
about IL miles along the Run, with three
| crossings of that stream as follows: Sudley
Springs road, Warrenton pike at Stone
Bridge and Blackburns Ford.
1--WE were in McLeans Brigade, and were
| the last Union troops to cross Stone Bridge
| on the night of Aug 80, 1862. Comrade
| Sheldon says the six rebels built them fire,
as the night was chilly. If he means Saturday
night, would remind him that Saturday
night was very warm. He also states that
| he found Lieutenant of his company who
had been detailed on the battlefield to look
after the wounded. think those who were
| at Bull Run ON that Saturday night will
smile at the idea of detailing officers to look
| after the wounded.
"C0mrade Sheldon goes on to state that
| in the afternoon of the same day hospital
wagons and doctor came and took all the
wounded to Washington. What day?
was on the battlefield until the 9Th of Sep
TENDER, under flag of truce, and there were
| many wounded there then. A friend in
need is good thing, but there are q great
! many aCLual ucIOc0 uOWs 0uO LILO cOELSCL
statement of our services is enough honor
for any man."
A Color-bearer's Opinion.
Comrade Martin Hetherston, color-bearer,
7th Mass, Togus, Me-, writes: "A number
of soldiers have been granted medals of
honor for the plain performance of their
duty on battlefelds. What special act of
heroism does it require to entitle man to
recognition from this Government? Does
the picking up of flag and carrying it to q
point on the field where regiment is form
ing after being repulsed entitle q man to q
medalp No. It is nothing more than the
duty of any true soldier.
"Any comrsde of the gallant old 10Th
Mass would have done such an act as Capt.
Adams did had he been first to get hold of
the colors. Capt. Adams is not entitled to
that Medal of Honor. It does not come
under the acts of heroism. Such plain
duty as he performed that day does not de-
serve special recognition. Any old soldier
| who has seen cOlor-bearer shot down will
| remember that there were other comrades