The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-07-09
PICKET SHOTS
From Alert Comrades All Along the
Line.
Over the River.

Patrick Breen, Co. C, I'd U. s., writes re-
| garding G.. A. Howe's military problem
| The lucid, most expeditions, and tactical
| method, combined with the proper COM
mands to carry out the manuyer III accord
ance with Casey's tactics OF war days, Is as
| follows: Platoons, tw0s right for lille lett
| At the command March, both platoons will
| face to the right without doubling. Ihus
| formed into columns of twos, and filing 10
| the left, the second platoon will mark time
| and continue to do so until the left of the
| first platoon has cleared its right. The sec
ond will then Immediately take the full step
forward, closing up to proper distance on the
| left of the first. The company thus formed
| in column OF twos will, without any trouble,
be enabled to cross the bridge IN formation
according to tactics.
AFTER clearing the bridge, and being
compelled to form his company as 1T was on
the other side of the river, the Captain Will
command, Company into line, guide right!
At the command march, the right guide
will march straight to the front. The tle
| following him will half face TO the left and
| by quick step form on his left All other
files to the left of the first file will half face
to the left throw forward the right Shout
| der, taking the double step and maintaining
the touch of elbow to the right.
The last file Of the column having ar
rived in line, the Captain will command,
Guide right!' Having his company In
line-of- battle and moving forward to form
it into platoons, he will command, Form
platoonsn At the command March, the
first platoon will continue the march to the
front, the second platoon will mark time
until the left of the first has cleared its
right, when it will Immediately obique to
the right. When on finding itself covering
the front of the first, its commander will
command, Second platoon, forward
In the meantime, should the first platoon
be gaining too much ground to the front be-
yond platoon distance, it's commander Will
command Mark time until the second pla-
toon has evenly covered it in rear. Thus
formed, the Captain will command, Com
pany forward, guide right"
b. ID. Roberts, Go. i, 23d KY, Oswego,
Kan, says: Il suppose Comrade Howe
means that the company is marching by
platoons / would give the command,
Without doubling by the right flank. file
left-March!' That would bring them into
two lines, and after the bridge is crossed
would say, By plaioon-March!' and every
old soldier who is well drilled would execute
the orders without any loss of time or the
least bother"
Salisbury Prison.
S. A. Chamberlain Co. A, 10Th Me-, writes:
"Comrade Henry Mann's very interesting
article on Salisbury i'll your issue of May
places the number of prisoners that died
there at 11,700, which is bad enough, God
knows. The NATIONAL, TRIBUNE some
time SINCE in answer to several inquiries as
to the number of interments in the National
cemeteries, gives the following figures to
June 80, 1893: Salisbury interments, II, 1877;
known, 102; unknown, 1905. Does not
every one of those unknown graves repre-
sent Union soldier that persisted there?"
How They Celebrated.
A. Tanquary, Co. E, seth ILL.,, Sparland,
ILL.,, writes: I'm Picket Shots of June Is
George w. Hines, Go. G, 98th Ohio, says that
tie Second Division, Fourteenth Corps, did
not leave the works ut Kenesaw until the
morning of July A. / know that the Third
Brigade left on July 3 and pursued the
Johnnies all day. and at night confronted
them in their works along the Nickajack.
The 4th Me. celebrated by skirmishing
all day with musketry and artillery, and the
night of the 18th the rebs fell back 10 the Chat
tahoochee River. | have taken these dates
from diary / made at the time. 1 have a
roster of all the corps that took part in the
Atlanta campaign. / will say for the infor-
nation of Comrade Farrs that the Third
Brigade, Second Division, Fourteenth Corps,
was composed of the I'D Ind, 152d OHIO,
85th, seth, 125th ILL.,, and battalion of the
10th ILL.,"
Knew They Were Johnnies.
"Comraden Washington, ID. c., writes:
" In the Bull Run article recently published
the statement is made that Griffin and Barry
both thought the advancing rebels were
friends In Griffin's testimony in the Con-
gressional investigation which followed, he
declared he knew they were rebels, and told
Barry so. Barry admits it. In justice to
Griffin this should be made cear.n
Praise for the 4th Mich.
Fl. II. McAllister, New Albany, Miss, an
ex-Confederate, writes: 81 should like to
exchange letters with boys in blue of the
ith Mich. who were at Selma, Ala, April 2,
1865, when / was taken prisoner. / was
then beardless boy, though l had joined
the army IN front of Vicksburg in the Sum-
mer of 1863. / was driven from home and
! loving parents on account of cruel treat
ment my aged mother and father received
at the hands of band of robbers calling
themselves United States soldiers and using
the uniform as a cloak for all manner of
crime.
1.-The disgraceful acts of these men caused
me to believe that they were fair specimens
OF the Yankees l joined the army to
help defend old men, women, and children
from depreciation. Nor did | know there
was gentleman in the Federal army until
was made prisoner by the patriotic old 4th.
Their kindness to myself and comrades won
my heart, and / have ever felt deep-seated
desire to express to said regiment my heart
felt gratitude for their chivalry and deport-
ment i'll battle and while / was prisoner
in their charge. Above all things do adj
mire true patriotism. Notwithstanding /
never failed to do all / could for the South
ern cause am a true lover of our good old
Union, and appreciate the services of true
Union veterans as much as any Northern
man."
Scattering.
E. Fl. Brown, Norway, Me-, writes: In
your issue of Feb. 20 last is a statement
that Sumner I'll. Needham was one of the
first men killed in the late war. AS he was
a native of my town, am DESTROYS of hav-
ing his service record appear in the history
of Norway in the war, now being written.
Any comrade will confer a favor by address,
ing to me information relating to such
service"
Mrs L. S. Packard, Mainsburg Pa, wants
nv pnaiI conv nf tho words and rnusic of