The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-07-07
PICKET SHOTS.
From Alert Comrades Along the
Whole Line.

Brought Down the squirrel"
Phil. Bias, Omega, La, writes: 81 re-
member once while on picket-duty being
fired at by rebel sharpshooter The bullets
had been striking all around me, but was
unable to locate the reb. Finally the Officer
of the Day came up. / told him / had been
bothered all day by sharpshooter, but had
been unable to get n shot at him. Do you
see that tall tree yonder,' the officer said as
he pointed to spot about 100 yards away
Well, crack down at that tree. 1t is full of
moss and he is hidden up there somewhere
Every time your back is turned he shoots at
you Aim at that thick moss in the top, and
you will knock down the squirrel
81 did as instructed, and minute later
down came the rebel to the ground. That
ended my trouble with the sharpshooter."
Retards Display of Patriotism.
III. II. Sparks thinks the treatment ac-
corded the veterans of the rebellion has an
effect on the young men of to-day. 1t GER
tainly interferes with enlistments in the
Army. One can hear it said quite frequently
that were it not for the neglect of the vet
Grams that the younger men woald enlist
more readily. Many young men argue that
il this Government will not do as it agrees
by the old vets it will not by others hence
Who " Poll Parroft" Was.
Hugh Brady, Co ], S4th H., Yates Center,
Kan, writes: Z" / read account of Thomas
Kinds, who escaped from Andersonville
Prison He said he belonged in the 8th De-
tachment, Sd Squad, which the one-legged
man Herbert belonged to; and | have read
the story 'Andersonville,' by John McElroy,
who refers to that one-legged prisoner, and
calls him Hubbard, who was nick-named
III 4oIJ nf hcv he IuI
shot at the dead-line.
''That man was Thomas W. Herbert, a
private in Co. c, S4th ILL., I remember him
well, and / believe he was French by nation
ality. / served in the same regiment. Her
bert was q good soldier, but we always
thought that he was deranged. Our boys
had him nick-named. We called him Book
come-round, because he would claim to tell
fortunes with a Testament and q key, and
his favorite phrase was Book come round. ,
Herbert lost his leg at Chickamauga, and was
taken prisoner. / talked to an ex-prisoner a
few years ago by the name of Martin Riley,
an Ohio soldier, who saw Herbert killed.
When Comrade McElroy spoke of his cackling
voice and hawk-bill nose he gave the exact
description of Herbert
Scattering.
J. NJ. Black, Dresden, O., writes: Dur
ing the month of June, 1863, a Confederate
soldier, j. s. Fine, found dead Federal
soldier lying in the bushes on the battlefield
of Seven Pines, and took from him his sword.
Mr. Fine thinks that the soldier was killed
during the battle that took place about
year before. l have looked the sword over
carefully, and find On the handshield the
initials H. M. T. cut with some sharp
pointed instrument; on the blade is stamped
Collins & Co., Hartford Co., 1S51.'
John Millin, Sergeant Co. G, 136th n. Y,
Detroit, Mich, writes: read in Headley's
Great Rebellion a fine description of the
battle of Gettysburg, Pa, in which he gives
Gen. o. o. Howard, commanding the Eleventh
Corps credit of locating the main position on
Cemetery Hill. He also says that the
Eleventh Corps redeemed themselves from a
former charge against them. / suppose he
means Charlottesville. Now, ifhe knew the
real cause of the disaster the author should
give it, 50 rs to show who really was to blame.
From my personal knowledge, having been
there. the blame should be laid on Gen. o. o.
Howard. and not the men; because on the
eve OF the disaster he ordered the Second Bri
gade, commanded by Gen. Barlow, TO go and
capture some rebels who were passing down
in our front toward Fredericksburg, Va,