The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-09-02
PICKET SHOTS
From Alert Comrades Along
the Whole Line.
MAY Get a Medal

5. II. Lane, Corporal, Co. G, 30th Mas,
Lowell. Mass, says that at Baton Rouge,
| La, Aug. 3, 1862, the Both Mass was on tbs
| night OF brigade formed line double
| quick and began TO load and fire in quick
| succession. We were in support of bat
| terry to the right but before the battery
/ took position they advanced several feet TO
| the front, in the shade OF the trees. yhere
| the JOhnnies were firing from the woods near
the road. There was one section-two field
pieces. One Of the guns by order went to
| the rear, but of the other gun the horses
were shot dead, and the gunners abandoned
| 1t. The call for volunteers was quickly
| given from our Adjutant Of the regiment
to LieHt. Whitcomb, commanding Co. c, to
step TO the front. -Four or FIVE advanced, Gus
the dead horses loose, and dragged back the
abandoned cannon. In the meantime ths
regiment and line was about-faee in retreat
to get under the cover of the gunboats in
the river. l claim we saved the gun from
being captured under the CALLING fire Of shot
and shell. There are only two survivors
kno8n-Serg't John W. Clarke, Newbury-
port, Mass, and myself"
At Belle Isle.
Joseph kim, Co. G, 9Th U. s. Cav, Frs-
mont, o., writes: "I saw in the story of
'Andersonyille what was said about Serg't
A. r. Hill, 100th Ohio, which is a correct
statement. / was prisoner on Belle Island
IN 1863. remember when the Tooth Ohio
boys came IN there, In the latter part Of
September. There were two men from Fre-
mont in that squad-Reuben Slime and Dan
Currycomb-and one Joseph WentalTDg.
Slime told me that he was captured al
Limestone Station, Tenn. | will tell you
a story about Jack Oliver: George w. Pat
terson, of my ompany, divided the rations
for our sqcad every morning on the island
When the names were called of those who
belonged to the squad they moved up and
got their cornbread. One morning got my
cornhread about 10 o'clock When surned
around fellow snatched it out of my hand,
ran away, and disappeared in the crowd.
learned afterwards he belonged to an In
diana regiment, and have reason to believe
1t was Jack Oliver. | had nothing to eat
that day. 1 was released IN the Spring Of
1854 Slime, Curryeomb and Wentaling
were sent to AndersOnyille. Slime and
Currycomb are here, and Wentaling diedin
AndersoDville. -ga H
Medals to Ex-Prisoners. Sf
VIII B. Smith, Co. K, 18th H., Pasadena
Cal, writes: Ever anon there appears in
your crispy columns suggestion from soma
comrade as to who are entitled to medals of
honor from the Government. The Union
soldier who broke cornpone with the Con-
IN pernicious prison-pens should
not be forgotten by the Government in this
medal proposition. No greater bravery vas
ever displayed by men than by those incar-
cerated in those death-dens. Desperats
bravery in the midst of the carnage of the
battlefield is a great quality in a soldier.
Bat the quality of patient endurance under
privation and suffering without the inspira-
tion of battle is, to my mind, still higher
virtue. Were / standing in Uncle Sans
shoes to-day I should see to it that every
survivor of Southern prisons who proved
that he preferred death to dishonor, by
having refused to take oath to support the
South. was speedily provided with one Of
my very best and brightest medals Of
honor"
Scattering.
W. G. Hartzell, San Diego, CAL, wants,
by mail, a copy of the poem beginning
" They pinned upon a veterans breast .
star"
Dr. E. W. Finch, New Rochelle, n. Y,
wants the words and music of a song the
chorus of which begins with There's
sound among the forest trees"
Isaac Dunfee, Denver Mo-, wants to see
written about their experiences
by the veterans of the SD Ohio. They had
q good record, and could tell some interest
ing things.
Marguerite Kavanah, Tecumseh, Neb.,
writes My father has asked me to write
and tell you how well we ali like your
paper. 1t is to US almost like a family
Bible, and we would not do without it. II
has the cause of the soldier at heart. and is,
as it should be, a paper published by SOL
dier and for the soldiers.
"Where are all the members of the old
9th Ill. Cav who fought side by side at
Salem and Nashville? My
father served under the banner of the 9th
for three years, and nothing pleases him
more than to tell to us the stories that were
told around the campfres in Camp Douglas
during the Winter of 81 and '62. My father
would like to see some stories of the regt-
ment's experience written by its members.n
G. S. Geier, 10th Ind. battery Grass Creek,
Ind, has an old army bugle which he bought
N Decatur, H., August. 1866. It was
,arried through the war in the 10th ILL.,
md never got disabled.