The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-09-10


coupon ticket agent in the East or South. or
address John r. Pott, District Passenger Agent,
Williamsport, Pa.
SHERMAN AT PINE TOP.
Interesting "Reminiscences of Uncle Billy by
IN Illinois COmrade.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: In support
of Capt. Vaneman's statement, made May %,
as to where Gen. w. T. Sherman received
his information of Gen. Corse's condition,
and whence his famous signal was sent,
will state what ] know.
/ have always believed that was present
on Pine Top Mountain when the order for
that signal was given. belonged to the
First Brigade, First Division, Fourth Corps
On the night Of Oct. a. 1864, our division
went into camp just west Of the town of
Marietta, Ga, and the next forenoon we
marched past Kennesaw Mountain and
reached the foot of Pine Top about II a. M,
distance Of eight or nine miles from our
camping place of the morning.
We got our dinner, and while eating, Gen.
Sherman and Gen. Thomas, with few staff
officers rode up and met Gen. Whitaker, the
commander of the Second Brigade of our
division. After cordial greeting an ami
mated conversation was carried on until the
cooks came up from somewhere, bringing
kettles of beef, bean soup and coffee.
Sherman, Thomas and their stats dis
mounted and gathered around the kettles,
but Gen. Whitaker went away, perhaps to
make his own arrangements for dinner. AS
they began eating, Gen. Sherman missed
him, and said:
"Why. where is Whitaker? WANTED him
here" ~
haven't forgotten how good their chunks
of boiled beef and hot soup smelled to us;
but hard shower Of rain coming nearly
spoiled their soup before it was eaten.
The rain had ceased and it was clearing,
when Gen. Sherman mounted his horse and,
followed by an Orderly, rode towards the
top of the mountain, where the Signal Corps
was at work. With some other soldiers, I
followed the winding road after him. With
in about SO yards of the station found
| group of men from the various regiments of
our command, and as near as we thought it
respectful for us. to 60. Gen. Sherman was
sitting on a pine log, quietly trimming his
finger nails with a small knife. He did not
at the time seem to be conscious of our pres
| ence. His Orderly edood a few rods away,
holding the Generals horse and his own,
feature and movement of our hero. His
face, as was common with him on the cam
paign, was covered with a very stubby
growth of brownish beard about week old,
| and his uniform was as plain as any line
| officers in his command.
About five minutes or more had passed,
when he apparently became conscious that
we were near; but instead Of showing an
noyance, he looked around with a pleased
expression in his eyes. As they turned from
us he saw q knot about the size of a nickel
in the kerf end of log on the other side OF
the narrow road. He raised his knife and
threw it, sticking within about four iuches
of the mark. He recovered it, and from his
former position sighted his knife twice from
his eye and then threw, striking the knot
center.
| We regarded the omen favorable, and a
suppressed cheer broke out from most of the
Is or 20 present. We were repaid with
another pleasant glance. The General
crossed the IL or Is feet of space, got his
knife, closed it, and put it in his pocket and
| walked quickly towards the signal station.
He met and conferred with an officer over
some papers short time only. My i'm.
preston is that he did no writing, but the
other may. He turned, and as he strobe
past us to his horse we quickly noted that
great change had come over him, and
someone said:
"Boys, Old Bill means business, and wee
better get to camp"
The General was in the saddle in a mo-
ment, and going down the mountain, almost
out of sight, before his Orderly could mount
and follow.
We hurried up, and broke to run as w
heard the bugle calling, Fall in!" Wher
/ reached my regiment they were ready t.
move of, and We struck the double-quicl
from the start. We passed through Ac
worth within about three miles, where WI
saw brick building with powder-burnet
portfolios where one of our garrsons hat
been captured. We had seven miles yet t,
20, and our command was getting consd
erably strung out, but we could still hea
the cannon roaring, and were for finding GU
what was up, and were straining every
nerve to get there. This we did about A p
M; halted, and threw out skirmshers W.
waited only few minutes for our rear mel
to catch up, then we moved forward in bri
gade front.
The first indicatieAL saw of the battle wa
the killing of a lotofrebel battery horses b.
our men, and some guns or caissons dis
mounted. Our skirmlshers were now ex
changing shots with them pretty lively, bu
they were getting away as fast as they could
and we soon saw the last of them pass owe
the hills to the southwest of Allatoona.
saw many of their dead, especially to tn
south of the big pile OF commissary and cas-
of the road near the head OF ravine. w
marched through the gap near shutdown ant
found our men making preparations TO
burying their dead. One man said: Gu
regiment lost 424 pen cent, and many Q
} them were shot through the head"
. Now, several comrades have said that Ger
Sherman was at Keanesaw in the forenoon
One comrade says he asked Gen. Thoma
where his advance Was, and the answer was
: "In the neighboEhobd of Pine Moup tain.
My impression is that Gen. Sherman foun
: it too smoky and foggy to communicat
with Gen. Corse, and that he left there abou
!. II a. m. and came on to Pine Top, seven mile
nearer Allatoona, whence, as it cleared up, b
received the first news of the day. The sta
ton at Kennesaw probably received tn
same dispatch, and returned the instruction
! that Gen. Shermansleft with them in tn
morning. Ido1't want C0mrade Brown
forget that Gen. Sherman was on Pine To
Mountain from IL m. to p. M, Oct. A, 1866
and that he didn't get his first cOmmunics
. ton from Kennesaw, but from Allatoon
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