The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-12-10

the rest of the boys looked foolish even to
WEAKNESS when it transpired that l had
published full account of Early's retreat
from the Valley.-FRANCIs G. LONG, S22 +
street N. w., Washington, D. c.
TOO MANY MEDALS.
Comrade Goodheart Thinks Honor Rewards
too Easily Secured.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: I most
heartily agree with Comrade Armstrong that
the practice of granting medals-of-honor to
survivors of the late war, for alleged merito-
rious acts of heroism, is getting to be q
nuisance. The very slim pretext upon
which these medals seem to be granted in
many cases is roaring farce. OF course it
is possible that in some cases justice has
been deferred.
Why not issue medal to the Hospital
Steward for giving quinine in capsules. or
to the Chaplain for not losing his Bible?
They are just as meritorious as the great
mass of cases upon which medals have re-
Gently been granted.
We too often see medal granted for the
simple doing Of . duty land if it should be
otherwise, it would he . clear case for court
martial. Now, why not issue medal to
every soldier, as q duty was performed
when they enlisted BRIscoE GooDHEART,
Washington, D. G. ;spba
ARemarkable Cure-is reported
from TyndalI, s. OAK, iil the following let
ter from Mrs. J. Walker -" For Is years /
suffered with an open leg. used almost
every medicine on the market, which was
recommended for this peculiar disease, with
out receiving any or, at most, only temper
airy relief The wound would heal up, only
to break open again, after short time.
commenced using DE-. PETERS BLOOD VI
TALLER, taking altogether 10 large bottles,
with the result that my leg healed up, and
is now in healthy NpAdition and doesn't
give me the least pain. It is now five years
since it healed, but No signs of breaking ont
are visible. I esteem the medicines Of DIR.
Peter Fahrney very highly and recommend
them whenever have chance"
It is not for rs to either belittle or enlarge
upon the reported merits of DIR. PETERS
BLOOD VITALIzER, and we recognize that
there is much prejudice against so-called
remedy is producing some remarkable re-
suits, judging by the reports published.
/" Grab q Root"
s. E. Chandler, Minneapolis, writes:
During the war great many slang phrases
came into use, among them Grab root.
1 do not remember. ever hearing it in the
Army of the Potomac, although l was a
member from first Bull Run to Appomattox,
II have heard the expression used ever
since the war by Western soldiers, and have
been informed that it was an everyday
phrase among the boys who followed Sher-
man to the sea. In conversation had re-
Gently with Comrade w. s. Perry, Co. G,
10th Wis, he gave me the following account
of how the term originated:
"'During the early part of 1862 said
Comrade Perry, we were camped on the
bank Of the Mississippi River, near Lake
Providence, La. This lake was few rods
from the river, and protected from it by q
levee. The river at this time was about Is
| feet higher than the waters of the lake.
Along the top and rear bank of the levee
were q growth of what we called china
| trees, most of which were quite large, many
of them being three feet in diameter near
| the ground and from IS to 100 feet high.
"a band Of rebel bushwhackers, with
headquarters back in the country. had been
along the river, which, in order to put stop
to, we cut the levee, allowing the water of the
| river to run into the lake, thereby flooding
the lowlands contiguous to the lake.
This channel, when once cut, was not long
| in charging till it undermined and pros
trated many of the china trees, which lay as
| they fell. with their tops toward the lake,
while the waters of the river rushed and
serged among their roots and branches in
| their descent to the level of the lake.
"We found an old log canoe, about 30 feet
| in length commonly known as dug-out. A
| number of Co. G boys would pull this dug
out by main strength from the lake up into
| the river, all get aboard, get her started
straight, then shoot the rapids between the
PROSTATE china treead $50
"This sport had continued for some time,
when, by some Encouragement or other,
the dug-out got turnedbroad side to the
stream, and az it floaaed down into the cur
rent it struck 'middhipsIon an obstruction,
which caused it to hrealo in two, throwing
it's occupants into the water. All of the
boys were good SWIMMERS except one, and
as the rushing waters carried them toward
the lake, they turned I'd, their less-fortunate
comrade, who was struggling for existence,
one telling him to de this aud another tell
ing him to do that whenOne of them yelled !:
| Grab root, jim! Grab root!' Well,
| Jim did grab a root Of one Of the china trees,
and hung on till the boys came out with a
skiff aud rescued him.dF From that time on
the expression spreaddiAit became house
hold word, 80 to speak. in the armies of the
! West"
Tennessee.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: In the
first place want to sind greetings over our
splendid success in eIecting our comrade,
Mr.. Mckinley, to be the President of our
dear country. feel as the poet sang, How
can keep from singing" for it is the same
old gang" we had to contend against, for
whenever chance is offered it is sure to
come out. I have lived here long enough to
know what speak Of 5. / hope our Govern
ment will never; again have to be turned
over to those who seek to destroy it. Surely
God has dealt very kindly with ua. and