The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-01-07
PICKET SHOTS
From Alert Comrades All Along the
Line.
Fired the First Gun.

issue of Dec. 25 the types made his name ).
P. Gray. Only one person used to get his
name wrong in the army; he was Ssrgt
John Otto, 4th N. ]. battery, German by
birth and education, who had spent IL
years in the army in Fatherland, was one OF
the 20 in Fort Sumter, and had the honor Of
firing the first gun there in reply to the
rebel batteries. That honor was given to
Gen. Doubleday, then Lieutenant. These
facts were given me by Serg't Otto, and IN
conversation with Gen. Doubleday, at his
home in Needham, N. j., few years before
his death, this circumstance was mentioned
and admitted.
The first rebel shot fired at Fort Sumter
was from Stevens's battery by Edmund
Rufin ian appropriate name). of Virginia,
at 4:30 o'clock, April IL, 1861. Now here is
where the disputed question IN history comes
in a. to who fired the first gun at Sumter.
Maj. Robert Anderson was in command.
Lieut.. Abner Doubleday had charge OF the
gun and sighted the same, and plain John
Otto pulled the lanyard that was attached
to the primer that fired the piece. All
honor to all. The Major, the General and
the Sergeant have all been mustered out,
after many years of active service both be-
fore and after this little event at Fort Sum-
ter"
An Ohio Regiment.
Edward C.. Focke, National Home, Mil
waukee, Wis, says: II belonged to Co. II,
Goth Ohio. Our regiment left Columbus, O.,
April 10, 1862, $40 strong. The average
weight per man was 178 pounds. We were
Offered by Col. Lewis D. Campbell, Lieut.
Col. William G.. cassidy. Maj. Charles A.
Gano, Surg. Lewis D. Slusser, Adj't Boyn-
ton. My company was commanded by Leon
ard Counsellor, killed by conclusion Of a solid
shot Jan. 2, 1862, at Stone River. Our First
Lieutenant was Edward r. Black; our Sec
ond Lieutenant was Frederick Pickering.
There were IA of US in our company six
feet and over; shortest one, five feet eight
inches The Captain of Co. A was six feet
six inches in hight. Our regiment was re-
cruited in Butler, Darke, Green, Pickaway,
and Harmon Counties, o. We marched
through Cincinnati April 10, 1862; en-
barked on board Of transport steamer Gen.
Anderson. We lost one man Of our COM
pany by drowning at the wharf. Next
man was one of Co. K, killed off a car
near Gallatin, Tenn, 1862. No other casual
ties by death at Stone River, except some
few wounded and taken prisoners
"Our brigade was composed then of the
10th ILL.,, 18th Ohio, 18th Mich, Goth Ohio,
with Battery M, LIST Ohio L. A., commanded
by Capt. Schultz, Second Brigade, Second
Division, Fourteenth Corps. The brigade
was commanded by Comfy, Stanley Matthews,
and Maj. Gen. Jos. Negley, Division Com
mander, Middle Division.
"Grab q Root"
Robert McRae, st. Adams, w. Va, writes:
I have been much amused by the efforts
to explain the origin of the phrase, Grab a
root!" but am sure that it was in use be-
fore the war, as heard it in the Summer OF
1857.
II was deckhand on the steamer Com
modore Perry on trip from Pittsburg to
Memphis. On the return windstorm blew
us against q high-bluff bank on the Ken
lucky shore. Capt. Brown ordered out a
line, and took the lead, got up the bank,
and made fast to tree.
The others who went up with me came
down by some roots where we went up, but
/, 'smarty like, decided to save few steps,
and came down by the line. just as
stopped down to take hold of it a roll of the
boat sna,ched it away from me, and / slid
down that SO feet Of almost perpendicular
black mud as bare and slick as that much
lard. As came down Abe Small, my part
ner, sang out, Bob, why the - don't you
grab root?' The point of the joke was
there was not root as big as thread
within SO feet.
Now, do not claim to have discovered
the origin of the phrase at all, but that il
did not originate in the Army"
Information Wanted.
@. w. Daley, 416 Fifteenth street, Sacra-
mento, CAL, wants the address of anyone
who knew John C. DAILY, Co. G, Sd Cal;
mustered ont at Camp Douglas, Utah, Oct.
A, 1864.