The National tribune., 1896-11-05
PICKET SHOTS
From Alert Comrades All Along the
Line.
the City Point Explosion:

E. Cook, Co. I, 9Th N. Y. II. A., Honolulu,
Hawaii, writes: "Comrade Charles Porter
asks for anyone who was at City Point
when the barges loaded with fixed ammu-
milton exploded on Aug. II, 1864. Well, l
was right there, within six feet of one OF the
barges. / was visiting the Point on pass
that day, and curiosity prompted me 10
watch the colored boys as, with swing,
accompanied with jovial negro melodies,
they threw the shells from one to another
until they finally landed in the army wagons
standing nearby.
Suddenly l felt myself lifted in the air.
Timbers and ammunition shot up over me,
and my nearness to the barge was my saliva
ton. A four-horse team attached to one OF
the wagons sprang forward at the noise OF
the explosion, and in some way the heavily
loaded wagon was thrown on tire wheel
horses, and / remember wildly the almost
human cries of the poor creatures.
Il believe no person on the barges es-
capped alive, although / admit my memory
may fail me somewhat as to the details of
the catastrophe. On my way up the hill l
saw plenty of exploded shells and some
solid shot. / remember seeing the sole OF
negr0's foot with heel and toe-nails skinned
off as Clearly as Surgeon could have done
it with knife; also, the skull of one poor
creature with the scalp gone. 1t made
CHASTITY impression on me, which remains to
this day.
There were rumOrs at the time that an
emssary from rebeldom was the cause OF
the explosion, but suppose no one will
ever really know"
Free-Negro Soldiers.
Emile Detiege, Bay st. Louis, Miss, writes:
/" In recent Picket Shot, entitled From
Slave to Soldier / hope reference is not
made to the whole regiment Of 73d U. s. q. L.
formerly First Corps dAfique, and origin
ally organized as the 1st La. Vol. Native
Guards), commanded successfully by Coils.
s. III. Stafford, Nelson Bassett, Quincy, and
Merriam. The regiment was mustered into
the service by Maj. Gliding, Sept. 81, 1862,
at New Orleans, for three years, and was
composed of free colored men who had been
forced By the rebellious spirit of the officials
of the city, before the occupation of New
Orleans by the Union forces, to organize
themselves in a military body called The
Native Guards. for the defense of New Or
leans. This was by consent Of Gov. Moore,
of Louisiana, to pacify the extremists, who
were very busy accusing the free colored
people of that city of being against the
Southern Confederacy, and advising violence
against them.
:" I will admit the enrolment at the time
of reorganization in the U. s. service of a
few gallant ex-slaves, determined to be free
or die, especially in Capt. Snoer's company,
originally organized by Capt Dumas latter
ward Major, I'd La. Vol. Native Guards).
Dumas enrolled his own slaves and others
in said company, in violation Of Gen. Buffers
orders.
At Cedar Creek.
G. O'Dwyer, Co. G, LIST Mich. Cav. Detroit,
Mich, writes: with reference to the battle
of Cedar Creek, Oct. 10, 1864, some comrades
of Getty's Division talk through their hats.
The Eighth and Nineteenth Corps lost men
killed in the battle before Getty's Division
fired shot at the Confederates. No brigade
did more that day to help win that victory
than did Clusters fearless Michigan Cavalry
Brigade. They fought from one end of the
line to the other during the day. The honor
of saving the day at Cedar Creek belongs to
Gen. Phil Sheridan. The Eighth, Nine
teenth, and Sixth Corps did nobly. But
they would all have been captured by the
COnfederates but for the cavalry.
Charging at Petersburg.
Christian Kaufman, Co. F, 10th Ohio,
Osborn, O., says: :" was at the big charge
at Petersburg. On April 2 the main breast
works were assaulted near morning. The
artillery opened up all along the line on
both sides. The order came for the troops to
form outside their breastworks. was not
in the charge, because my leg was weakened
by the gangrene. The Captain of the COM
pany told me had better not 90. / thought
/ had enough with the wound I had then,
and stopped at the breastworks and was a
looker-on.
II Judged the Federals formed about
o'clock in the morning. l could see both
forts of the rebels on my right and left. The
guns on the right opened vigorously on the
advancing column, which was about daylight,
but they overshot the men charging in 'front.'
I could plainly see the rebel works and abatis
when the column first came up, the men
were scattering and they were kept back,
but some of them went through the gaps
that the Johnnies left by which to get out
to their rifle-pits I could not tell what
regiment they belonged to, but the 9th Md.
and 10th Ohio charged in front of where
was"
Official Naval Records.
For sale-Official Records of the Union
and Confederate Navies in the Civil War.
Series /, Volume / Series l, Volume 2; and
Series I, Volume 3; $50, 921 and 936 pages
respectively. These valuable documents are
handsomely illustrated and unusually in
teresting, especially to naval veterans, and
to all interested in war literature. William
Simmons, 1882 Wharton ST., Philadelphia
Three Months Men.
John Els Co. ], 18th Ind, Winchester,
Tex. writes: "Comrade D. w. Ridenour,
Co. c, goth Ohio, wants to hear of some Of
the first three-months men. Now, I enlisted
in April, 1861, for three months, in the 18th
Ind; afterwards in Co. /, 18th Ind. for three
years. am 81 years of age, and have lived
in Texas for the last 20 years. l should like
to hear Of some one of my old company ~"
Elias S. Webber, Mechanics Falls, Me-,
says: 81 enlisted from Lewiston, Me-,
April rs, 1861, in Co. K, LIST Me-; after that l
re-enlisted in Co. K, 10th Me-, for two years.
l was discharged from there on account of
disability, but afterward served in the Goth
Me. / was transferred from the Goth to the
Navy, and served from May 8, 1864, until
Aug. g. 1865. Then 1 was discharged.
"There are some Of the three-months
boys who were in my regiment yet alive:
Capt. George FL. Nye, Co. K, 10th and Goth;
Col. George L. Beal, 10th and Goth. Augusta,
Me-; Fayette Bicknell, Co. X, LIST Me-, Ok
ford; Almon Goss, 1st Me-; Capt. s. B. Os-
good, Co. K, LIST Me-; Col. N. j. Jackson, 1st
Me-; John M. Gould, Adjutant, LIST Me-, now
in Portland Me-"