The National tribune., 1897-09-23
PICKET SHOTS.
From Alert Comrades Along
the Whole Line.

| opfIhRs, a., NriteS: In recent issue
Comrsde VIM. b. Smith, Co X, 18th Ill, adj
vocates the granting OF medals of honor 10
the Union e1-prisoners Of war. That Is An
issue | long have advocated, aud contend
that if any deserve medals of honor for
! heroism and bravery, it is those poor mortals
who were confined in the prisons of the
South. 10 required the greatest heroism,
she most daring bravery, TO stand between
| hOerty, on the one side, by refusing TO take
the oath Of allegiance and facing death by
| SLOW, agonzing. horrible starvation on tho
othsr 1t was q frequent occurrence to see
| those comparatively few who sacrificed honor
| 10 re-enter the stockade at AndersonyijIs
far and sleek, done up in the togeery ofs
= rebel soldier, accompanied by rebel recruit-
| ing officers, and by glowing words endeayox
| TO impress upon the minds of those starving
wretches the good things and good times
they were enjoying outside, their appearance
| verifying their statements, and how much
the prisoners could improve or better their
condition by taxing the oath. 1t took nerve
TO face the enemy in battle, and bravery was
| prerequisite to face the cannons mouth;
but for starved, almost naked mOrtals to say
40 to the offer of plenty Of food and cloth
ing and release from those filthy PRISONS
not only required fortitude, but all the ele-
ments that go 10 make up the greatest. tbs
noblest of heroes. Yes, the ex-prisoner de-
serves 3 medal, one Of the finest gold. and
an addisional pension of at least 81 per
month for each and every month confined
IN rebel prisons, to any other pension Tho
soldier may be receiving or to which he may
be entitled"
Loyal East Tenne.seeans.
j. c. Hardin, Lacomb, Ore, writes: "I
remember Capt. Fry, spoken of by AIf Will
nm ttzP aFuo ~
East Tennessee about the time of the bridge
burning expedition. Mother was so glad to
give him dinner. No one knows how ths
loyal citizens Of East Tennessee suffered al
the hands of the rebels but those who lived
there, and no one can measure their love for
the Union and the Stars and Stripes Is
seems now that the boys imbIbed patri-
otIsm with the very air they brea;hed, and
are glad they showed their faith by their
works. Thousands of loyal Union men were
piloted through the Federal lines by the
intrepid Capt. Dan Ellis and others. have
one brother who secuted through to Camp
Nelson, Kentucky, on his own hook and
joined the army there. Two other brothers
were taken through by Capt. Ellis, and
served about three years in the 18th Tenn.
M't'd Inf"
An EI-Johnny Writes.
As- IL AsouECis, IdHtefSFilie, MISS, VINES.
am full 5looded American, / suppose.
My grandfathers were both Revolutionary
soldiers. My fathers father was born in
Virginia, and wa, living in that State when
the Revolutionary war came on. My moth
er's father was born in Maryland, but had
moved to South Carolina, and was living in
that State during the Revolution. Ny
father was strong Union man until he
sau nothing but war would satisfy the lead
ers. / was like SO many other men-I went
with the State wherein I lived IF I had
been born and raised in the North / should
no doubt have been in the Union army. We
are all one again, and good one at that.
have boy in the Regular Army at Fort
Mcpherson, Ga. / should like TO have
some of the Union Veterans write letters to
me; especially would i like to 'reminisco'
with some who were at Port Hudson, and
who charged the Confederate works. June
IA, 1863"
That Fog Story.
E. J. Bagley, Bradford, VT, writes: SIN
your issue of Aug. II i notice an article,
All In Dense Fog the story of an Incl
dent after Charlottesville. My father was
private i'll Co. b, 9th Vt and only the day
before receiving the paper was telling me
about the same circumstance of which Maj.
Samuel Roberts writes. He very distinctly
remembers about the shot being fired, and
how Col. Blunt replied, telling the officer
that his was the 9th VT, and gratefully re-
ceiVing the information that had they keps
on in the direction he was going they would
have been in rebel hands. Later ~" Colo
mel, in his genial way, said: Boys, tha1 was
lucky shot for u.s. None of thtm ha any
desire to get inside the walls of LIBBY, sl-
though my father was compelled TO, as he
was taken prisoner ut Savage Station and
marched straight there"
Joe Browns Pixies.
Herbert D. Elwsll, Neperan, n. Y, writssI
Some time ago there was quite discussion
among the comrades in regard to the rebels
using spears or pixies. In a publication
some time ago l saw an article which said;
Several years ago the writer was in COM
pany with Gen. Sherman, on the Western
81 Atlantic Railroad, and as the train was
slowing up at Graysyille, Ga, the General
pointed TO . stone mill building by the
famous Chickamaugs, and said: IAN Eng
lishman made sabers there for the Confed.
crate army. They were made for Gov.
Joseph e. Brown. They were of pointed
iron or steel, and mounted on pieces of wood
the size of hoe handles and wherever col.
lected in museums they are mentioned al
Joe Browns Pixies. ~"
Scattering.
A. ID. I.imberger, Creedmoor, L. l., writesr
II attended the Buffalo Eneampmsnt, ex-
pectiDg to see the Army of the James have
a Reunion also, to have Reunion of the
Sd n. y, under the auspices of Maj. James
Fl. Reeves. / could not End the Major, nor
did / have the opportunity to see those Of
she regiment who registered at the New
York Headquarters. / repeatedly called to
look over the list. The boys of my regiment
should tell Us 2 story or two / enlisted
May IA, 1861; was discharged Dec. IA, 1864,
by reason of a wound. am Commander Of
Alfred Wood Post, Jamaica, L. l."
G.. w. Bowers, CorD1, Co. Fl, 9lb Pa. Cav,
Dayton, Wash, writes: Some time ago j.
B. Work, Co. G., SD Ohio, wrote an interest
ing article, in which he claimed that his
regiment was rear-guard in the retreat from
Crab Orchard, KY, TO Louisville, and that
be did not see any cavalry in the rear Of
them. Now, when his regiment was playing
sham artillery, We were the cavalry, the 9th
Pa, not rebel cavalry, as he thought. If We
were not in the rear who captured Co. K
on picket? Did the SD Ohio take them
prisoners; and what did they do with themP
They did not parole them, as they did not
come back there again. / never captured q
flag nor q cannon, but do know our regi-