The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-08-13
PICKET SHOTS
From Alert Comrades All Along the
Line.
A I'd MINI. Man Writes.

Henry H. Hills, Second Lieutenant, 20. 1,
Cd Mimi, 429 Wabasba street, st. Paul,
Mimi, writes: 1.-THE I'd MINI. during Its
four years of service had rs killed, 274
wounded IN action, and 167 died of disease;
making total OF sic, more than one-haii OF
its original number. According to an au-
thentic diary kept of each days march rom
the time it left Louisville, IN 1861, until us
arrival in Washington, on the 2oth Oh May,
1868 we had travelled 1896 miles. VI the
81 commissioned officers who were IN tho
regiment at the end of the service, only three
were commissioned officers at the beginning.
All the others, except Surgeons, had been
promoted from the ranks of the regiment.
81 p Van Cleve, its first Colonel, was
promoted Brigadier and Major-General q
short time after going South. Col. George,
his successor, was highly recommended for
promotion by Gen. Thomas and the brigade
and DIVISION commanders, but before his
commission reached him his health gave
way, and at the end OF his three years, term
he resigned and went home. j. w. Bishop,
Brevet Brigadier-G General, was IN command
at its m uster-out Col George, Gen. Thomas,
| and Gen Steedman for long time our di-
vision commander dropped dead from heart
| disease.
"The names of the illustrious leaders on
the winning side will never perish from the
| pages of history; but not so the other SIDE.
! Lee and Jackson were able commanders, but
the lus,er of their achievements is dlmmed
by cursed cause. Lee is exalted by the
| Southern people far beyond his merits, by
| chasing him with the venerated Washing
| ton. AS well compare an ant hill to mount
! ain. II Washington had been born three
quarters of century later he would nave
been found side by side with that other loyal
native Yirginian, George Fl. Thomas.
"There have been only three men OF any
| note who took sides with the lost cause, IN
the last half of the 80 years that has passed
since the surrender at Appomattox, the echo
of whose voice. has been heard beyond the
exterior of their own doofsill, who are not
free in admitting that they are glad the
war ended as it did The three are Jeff
1 Davis, Junal Early, and Robert Toombs, all
dead but the one to admit that their cause
was wrong is yet to be heard from"
Should Have the Very Best.
II. Warren Phelps, Westerville, o., writes:
capt. S. T. Malehorn has spoken out on the
right line in the issue of July 49, when he
says that the old comrades should have the
best that the land affords; yet how often
they are treated as if they were only depend
ents, rather than the defenders of this great
country.
ut was not long since that an old veteran
of three years. service died, and, although
the funeral services were held in church
here, yet not more than 90 of the citizens oil
the town OF 1900 inhabitants could spare
the time to attend. There were probably
few who were glad that that much pension
had been stopped by DEATH"
Comrade Lowden Mistaken.
w. f. Webster, 1st battery, n. Y. l.. A.
/ Auburn, n. Y, writes: "Comrade Lowden
of the 9Th Mich. Cav, is a little Oft IN his
figures, as given in your last issue. II ne
will look up the Official Records he will find
the Sixth Corps strength was 'rlfle over
1000, instead OF L. 414 The Eighth Corps
or Army of West Virginia, he has as mum
bzrine 26.0f0 If divided by three it would
he nearly correct. Gen. Sheridan's ofiicia
report gives the strength OF First Dlvls
ion, Cavalry 5,047; Third Division Cavalry
4,S40.
According to Comrade Lowden the cav
airy numbered over 1000, yet the Sixth
Corps lost but 124 more killed than the cav
airy, and their total strength was nearly
equal: the cavalry lost 646 prisoners, the
Sixth Corps 1856; the cavalry 2,8l7 wounded
the Sixth Corps 1866. The killed at Ceda
Creek (official): Sixth Corps, 255; Nine
teenth Corps, 243; Army of West Virginia
AZ; cavalry, 20"
Killed by the Picket.
w. H. Howard Co. y, 5th Iowa, 90
Reaney street. st. Paul, Mimi, writes: Ii
your paper of July %, in your sketch OF TIL
5th Iowa, you say Col. Worthington Will
returning TO camp was killed by his owl
men. Col. Wortbington was Officer of tn
Day He was making the grand rounds Ii
the night when he was killed by one of tn
picket guard belonging to an Illinois regl
ment. | remember the time very well, a
l was On guard that night"
Scattering.
D. ]. Vasbinder, Seven Pines, Va, woul
like to hear from some comrade In south
west Missouri next the Arkansas line O
from Oregon. Wishes to change climate fo
, health. He was member OF Co. ID, lost
Pa.