The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-09-10
PICKET SHOTS
From Alert Comrades All Along the
Line.
A Service Medal.


18th Pa, in calling attention to the medal-of-
honor problem. / have had some expert
enee in trying to solve it upon lines of meri-
torious desert and otherwise. / recovered
the Stars and Stripes from field In front
of the advancing enemy, and yet have
been unable to obtain the coveted medal.
l once strove to influence prominent menu
Der of Congress to introduce bill into the
House, having for its object the granting of
silver medal to every existing veteran able
to show an honorable discharge, etc, at the
time of the passage of such q bill, az recog-
milton of the gratitude of the Republic de-
sirous of upholdng the merits of loyalty to
the present and future generations Of the
Union.
"My proposition was received with due
respect, the papers and design for such
medal critically contemplated and upon APP
plication, after delay, returned to me with
courteous plstitudes, though the cost of pro-
ducing the said medal would have been less
than rs cents each. / then set about and
sent the same papers and designs to the
Headquarters Of the G. A. r., Department of
New Jersey, through favor of Van Houten
Post, 3, Jersey City, but have failed to
realize any fruitful result. Yet, in this way,
I had hoped to enable all the veterans to
overcome the various difficulties now expert
enced in establishing their claims to medals
of merit generally, as l have no doubt thou
sands Of them performed deeds Of valor in
face of the enemy which were never reported.
"This must be so, as have found, and
yet, the failure to record such incidents BY
superior officers must have ensued, rather
from omissions due to confusion in the field
Of practical operation, than from the design
of those in any command. And, now, when
we try to accumulate specific evidence to
substantiate claim on the War Department
for medal of honor, we find in many cases,
(my own included) that our officers are
dead, or members Of our companies who are
still alive forget the actions which we might
desire them to recall and bear witness to at
this time-30 or moro years after their oc-
currence.
81 would suggest that The NATIONAL
TRIBUNE advocate a Service Medal to be
struck in silver about the size of dollar, to
be given each living veteran, with Service
Pension. The same to be secured upon pre-
sentation of claims sustained by the owner
ship Of honorable discharges, of course. With
Comrade Mckinley in the White House, our
prospects for proper recognition on these
lines will no doubt be adequately assured to
u.s."
Ii for Mckinley.
Daniel N. Patterson, De Soto, Kan, writes:
cannot see how any soldier who has wit
messed the rulings of Hoke Smith can ever
go back on VIM. Mckinley, as good soldier
as ever fought in the great civil war, and
who, if elected President, will execute his
duties in the interests of this whole Nation,
and not for the benefit of any certain organ
ization.
II do not condemn all Of the party. There
is Gen. Sickles, who reviewed our army at
Little Rock, Ark, September, 1854. He
stood on his clutches while making grand
and patriotic speech. Among the state
ments he made was that the war would GER
tainly close the next year, which it did.
hope every soldier who heard that speech
will vote for Mckinley. do not know any
| thing about Bryan, as he was scarcely heard
OF until after the Chicago Convention.
81 enlisted the 10Th day of April, 1861, at
Green Castle, Ind, the day Fort Sumter was
| bonn barded Our whole company was made
up that day, and was ready to answer Lin
| coins call for $4,000 men. We went to
| indianapolis. VIM. Conklin, Mexican
soldier, was Captain of my company, which
was in the 10th Ind. We were at the bat
tie Of Rich Mountain, Va.
"When my enlistment was out went
direct to st. Louis and enrolled in Go. /, LIST
Mo. Cav, under Gen. John G. Fremont; was
at Springfield, Mo-, when he was superseded
| by Gen. Hunter. We were engaged in the
following battles: Springfield, Pea Ridge,
Saline River, Prairie Grove, and more than
so skirmishes of minor Importance. Our
company was Maj-Gen. Frank Herron's
bod -guard, under ]. NJ. Adams, Captain, for
| IA months"
| Recalls War Times.
John R. King, Sergeant, Co. D, 4th CAL,
| Aurora, H., writes: 81 would like to call
the attention of Comrade ]. Fl. Stevenson,
| Co. X, Tooth Pa, to historical fact that
may interest and instruct him. was In
| the Federal volunteer service, in Co. d, 4th
Cal, from 1861 to 1866. In Washington
Territory, Oregon and California the green
back was at q discount. Premium on gold
was referred to only as matter OF curiosity,
| go to speak. All our transactions with cti-
zens or business houses was on gold basis,
and as we paid for our purchases in green
backs because we had to, we always paid
two to one.
sin the Atlantic and Western States all
| transactions were conducted on a greenback
basis, and this was so general and SO long
continued that everybody came to regard
the greenback dollar as the real dollar. You
did not talk of discounts, but you did talk
of premiums. Gold being the standard in
all the States above mentioned, we never
thought of greenback but as discredited
medium of exchange, and it was really so
in all parts of the United States where it
circulated. will ask my c0mrade if we go
to silver basis is there not 100 chances to
one we will have silver and only silver, and
the greenback history repeated?
"For one, think have stood my share
of discounts, and want no more of them.
From Jan. /, 1879, all our money has been
at par with gold until within few months,
and Comrade Stevenson and had no cause
of complaint. In fact, neither of US cared
only as q matter Of convenience, what sort
of money we were paid"
Cowan's Battery Was There.
w. E. Webster, Cowan's battery, Auburn
N. Y, writes: "Comrade Porter was correct
in regard to the battery being Cowan's at
Winchester, Sept. 10. We relieved a section
of horse battery. The Johnnies were
blowing the ground around them when we
exchanged position. This was done under q
cloud of smoke. C0mrade White, of the
Hath N. Y, takes exception to the state
ment of the fighting of Getty's Division (the
Second Division) Of the Sixth Corps. Again
Comrade Porter made no mistake. Official
Report Conduct of the War, Part II, page a.
Sheridan's report he says: On arriving at
the front found Merritt's and Clusters Di.